By Ramatoulie Jawo
His Excellency, President Adama Barrow, at a meet the people’s tour meeting held in Tujereng, on Saturday December 10, 2022, has called on Gambians to pay their taxes for development.
“Since I started the tour, everywhere I go, people have called for development. They want water, hospital, electricity, and roads. But if you are not paying taxes you cannot have the development you called for. And in the Gambia statistics shows that only 25% of the population is paying taxes. The other 75 % are not paying their share of taxes and those who are not paying taxes are the ones making noise, saying Barrow don’t do this, Barrow doesn’t do that. But if you don’t pay your tax, where is the government going to get the money without tax, ” President Barrow said.
The president lamented that everybody wants development but people should be honest with themselves that it takes time to bring about all the developments they are calling for.
President Barrow said the country doesn’t have that many resources to affect all the developments people yearn for.
“I am urging Gambians that if you know you owe taxes, go and pay your tax. You are paying it for your benefit because anything you pay to the government is coming back to you. The monies collected in taxed are spent to improve and maintain public infrastructures,” President Barrow said