Gambian legislators are among key stakeholders who are seeking to look for solution to enhance domestic revenue mobilisation drive in a post-Covid world.

The summit is jointly organised by the United Nations, West African Tax Administration Forum and the Gambia Revenue Authority.

Seedy Keita, minister of finance and economic affairs, described the legislative arm of the government as “key in realising our domestic revenue mobilisation drive and translating our fiscal policies and objectives into legislation.”

He said the summit is timely, adding that parliament role in resource mobilisation and public expenditure has become more critical since the outbreak of Covid-19.

“The National Assembly can play a prominent role in our drive to expand the tax base, narrow the tax gap with a view of enhancing our domestic revenue mobilisation drive,” Mr Keita told the summit.

Meanwhile, Yankuba Darboe, commissioner general of Gambia Revue Authority, commended the role of the National Assembly members in “our domestic revenue mobilisation drive. 

“As international revenue receipts continues to dwindle in the face of external factors such as the growing number of regional and international free trade agreements, the coronavirus pandemic, international supply chain crisis, the increase in freight charges, and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the focus now shifted to domestic revenue mobilisation,” said Mr Darboe. 

“At a domestic level, The Gambia Revenue Authority with the support from the Ministry of Finance and Economics Affairs and our development partners are implementing various strategies to expand the tax base and improve the fiscal space,” he added.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba