By Mustapha Jallow
In its ongoing reform program to boost revenue for the state, Yankuba Darboe, the Commissioner General for the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) last Thursday urged Gambians and other nationals to stop buying soft drinks, natural water, and other products that do not have the latest digital tax stamp to help the authority in fighting against smuggling of goods into the country.
“If you {citizens} step in any store or supermarket — and see soft drinks or water without this tax-stamp — please don’t buy it. If you buy, it means you are just throwing away your money and the government is not getting any tax from it,” he advised the masses.
He repeatedly urged the public {consumers} to avoid purchasing excisable goods that do not bear the tax stamp.
“Choosing products with the digital tax stamp — you are not only ensuring your safety but also encouraging other manufacturers to be tax compliant. This collective effort is crucial in combating the spread of smuggling and counterfeit goods in our country,” remarked Darboe.
CG Darboe made these strong remarks during their official tour of companies and factories, which are into soft drinks, water, and other beverages productions, where he was accompanied by other GRA heads such as Essa Jallow, the Deputy Commissioner General of GRA, Corporate Unit, Directors and other senior staff.
The delegation first visited Bel Bottling Group Company in Bonto, Kombo East, and then Gambega at Kanifing, where the delegation had a fruitful meeting with the companies’ executives and expressed their appreciation and commitment to their compliance with the tax-stamp initiative.
In January, the authority introduced the tax excise stamp, a digitally encoded marker affixed to products to verify their authenticity and traceability to increase efficiency in revenue mobilisation.
The stamp contains unique identifiers such as QR codes or RFID tags. However, the introduction of the stamp has received resistance from some businesses but according to the GRA that narrative is changing — following a meeting held with importers and producers last week.
Further talking at Bonto, CG Darboe touched on the significance of the digital excise stamp to the growth prospects of local industries, and the country’s revenue generation efforts and national development.
“This tax stamp will protect the country’s local industries to promote employment creation and revenue generation,” says the GRA boss.
“We are doing this because different bottles have made their way into supermarkets due to the porosity of the country’s land borders so the digital excise stamp is introduced to distinguish smuggled products from taxed goods,” Darboe explained.
Such a move, according to him, meant to promote accountability, transparency and compliance with tax laws.
“GRA can’t police everywhere, regarding excisable products. We cannot increase tax but we want to broaden the tax base. We are trying to stop tax avoidance. The digital tax stamp would reduce tax evasion due to under-declaration,” CG Darboe further narrated.
He expressed how the stamp would able GRA to know the volume of importation and production to ascertain declarations made by businesses.
Before, Darboe said, businesses used to do their declarations and the authority was unable to ascertain these declarations — so it comes with a lot of editing and background checks, but all that has been addressed by the tax stamp.
“We just want to ensure that we collect the right taxes and all business communities must respect the laws. We should all work together to lay the foundation for the future generation because we cannot continue to rely on loans and grants to develop this country,” he said.
Manoj Kumar, the Managing Director for Bell Company told GRA officials that the company was doing its best in ensuring compliance with the digital tax stamp regime.
“I want to assure the GRA that our company would always adhere to the laws of the land,” he told the delegates. “We have all the required manpower and intellect to transform this country,” he added.
Seedia Jadama, the Production Manager for Bell Company, talked about the company’s commitment to respect all laws governing taxation in the country.
“We are ready to comply. I think everybody should be police to aid compliance with the digital tax stamp. I think all Gambians should stand by their local industries,” he expressed.
But Jadama voiced out their worries while asking the government to put strict measures in place to protect local industries from foreign industries.
“It is fair for Senegalese goods to be allowed in The Gambia and ours are not allowed to cross the border?” He asked.
He added: “What is good for the goose is good for the gander. If the Senegalese government can protect their industries, we can also do it.”
Clark Jarra, the country’s Project Manager at SICPA, touched on the security aspects of this digital tax stamp. He also pointed out some of the features such as the product verification app, which he says everyone can download and use to verify the digital tax stamp using their mobile phone.
Meanwhile, the team proceeded to Gambega Company Ltd in Kanifing.
