The Gambia government is to launch a crackdown on non-tax paying businesses in the country from January. 

Hamat Bah, minister of tourism and culture, made the declaration while addressing a meet-the-people tour in Kombo Lamin on Monday.

“The government of Gambia under president Adama Barrow will crack down on non-taxpayers in January 2024,” Bah said, justifying that this will address corruption in the country.

According to him, the government will now fight corruption in the country as he warned village heads who are into such activities to desist or risk going to jail.

“The government will take drastic measures and there will be no secret cow, and any one held responsible for depriving the government of its money by signing those papers for the government not to do its development projects will be punished,” he added.

Bah said the government will set up a task force to oversee the crackdown on tax dodging businesses.

He added that the most targeted places will be the hotels, restaurants, casinos, and bars.

“They will pay all their taxes or we will close them down. And they must pay, payment cannot be compromised anymore,” he said.

President Adama Barrow also announced barely two weeks ago that his government will increase tax by 50% in 2024 to register developments in the country, despite rise in food prices and cost of living.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba