By: Fatou Krubally
The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) has urged taxpayers to actively participate in the country’s new tax dispute resolution system, emphasizing that early engagement is crucial for ensuring fairness, transparency, and accountability.
Deputy Commissioner General Essa Jallow, speaking at the Integrated Tax Administration System (ITAS) sensitization workshop for Banjul taxpayers held on Monday at Ocean Bay Hotel in Bakau, said the three-tier dispute mechanism was designed to protect taxpayers’ rights while ensuring government revenue was collected lawfully.
“Disputes are inevitable in tax administration. If you are not engaging now, you will be part of the implementation,” the DCG warns, underscoring that the system provides structured avenues for resolving disagreements, starting with internal administrative reviews and progressing to independent higher-level determinations when necessary.
Jallow explains that the framework guarantees decisions are grounded in law and merit, limiting discretionary practices, and boosting confidence in the tax administration process. He stressed that taxpayer feedback and participation were vital to refining the system before full implementation.
Earlier in the workshop, Deputy Commissioner for Domestic Taxes and ITAS Project Manager Samba Jallow highlighted the GRA’s new digital cash administration system.
He explains that it clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of both the authority and taxpayers and is developed through consultations with government institutions, civil society organizations, and members of the public.
The project manager noted that while digitalization offered opportunities to streamline processes, it also introduced risks that must be managed collaboratively to prevent friction in revenue administration.
The workshop, organized by the GRA with support from the World Bank and coordinated through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, aimed to improve taxpayer understanding of the new system and foster a culture of engagement and transparency.
Both speakers encouraged participants to share insights from the workshop with their communities, emphasizing that collective participation was key to the success of GRA’s reforms and the broader goal of a taxpayer-focused, accountable revenue system.