Officials at the validation workshop
By Fatou Sillah
The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), with support from the French Development Agency, convened a validation workshop on Wednesday in Senegambia to review brochures outlining the Tax Tribunal, as well as the objections and appeals process.
The brochures aim to educate taxpayers on their rights, the steps involved in filing objections and appeals, and the role of the Tax Tribunal in resolving disputes. By providing clear and accessible information, this initiative seeks to enhance transparency, accountability, and efficiency within the tax administration system, ultimately fostering public trust and compliance.
Alieu Bittaye, GRA’s Director of Enterprise Risk Management, Reforms, and IT, underscored the importance of taxpayer awareness, stressing that a well-informed public is key to a robust tax system. He noted that the brochures would be widely distributed in various formats to ensure accessibility.
“This initiative is a demonstration of the authority’s commitment to fostering transparency and efficiency within our tax administration system. As you will know, a robust tax system is built on trust and that trust is strengthened with taxpayers who have been clear and accept accessible avenues, to challenge disputed tax assessments and other decisions of the tax authority, they believe incorrectly done. The objections and appeal system serve as a crucial function in any tax system, as it ensures that every taxpayer is accorded the right to seek redress in a fair and impartial manner,” he stated.
Alhagie Jallow, Director of Revenue & Tax Policy at the Ministry of Finance & Economic Affairs, highlighted that while The Gambia has a Tax Tribunal, it has not been operational. He explained that the development of these brochures marks a critical first step in revitalizing the tribunal and enhancing taxpayer education.
“Anytime you want to make a man part with his money, there is always a problem and that problem is something that you don’t wait to happen for you to take the redress mechanisms that are provided for in the law for you to deploy them. It is one of the reasons why we are convened here today to look at this brochure, interrogate it, and then validate it before we start rolling out the appeal mechanism for taxpayers,” he said.
Justice George Appah, President of the Tax Tribunal, provided insights into the tribunal’s background and the development of the tax objections and appeals brochures. He noted that members of the tribunal had undertaken a study visit to Tanzania’s Tax Revenue Appeals Tribunal (TRAT), gaining valuable lessons to help structure The Gambia’s system with support from the Ministry of Finance & Economic Affairs.
“The members were privileged to experience a week of study visits of the tax revenue appeals tribunal TRAT In the United Republic of Tanzania, in April of the same year, we returned with invaluable lessons to help build the needed structures with the able assistance of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs to commence work. Today’s stakeholder meeting will provide specific insights in that direction. We look forward to your effective participation and significant contributions, which would go a long way to change the tax administration landscape in the Gambia,” he said.