By: Kebba AF Touray
The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) and The Gambia Police Force (GPA) on Tuesday 26th January, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster working relations between the two institutions.
The signing Ceremony was attended by top officials of both institutions.
The Inspector General Police Adviser, Seyaka Sonko, welcomed the move.
He said they had agreed that the MoU, which they have been working on, after consultation and validation, should be signed by the Gambia Police Force and GRA to have better working relationship.
According to him, the MOU is geared towards cementing the already working relationship between the two institutions, thus he urged both parties to implement the MOU as expected.
For his part, the Deputy Commissioner General at GRA, Essa Jallow, said the MoU is the first of its kind established between the two entities.
He said the MoU would provide a framework for cooperation and support between them.
He expressed hope that other institutions are going to learn from them because the government is only one government.
“Am hoping that this agreement will provide impetus for us to work closely in a very amicable manner so that we will be able to execute our mandate through mutual support and assistance,” DCG Jallow said.
Yankuba Darboe, the Commissioner General of The Gambia Revenue Authority, stressed that the Police and GRA are sister institutions and the MoU will provide cooperation between GRA and GPF by creating a joint control and investigation team.
He said: “it will also establish GRA-GPF Cooperation Committee that comprises officers of both institutions. The MoU also identifies the role of each institution and requires each party on the request of the other to provide the information that will further strengthen the objective of the MoU, as well as provide future collaboration between them, in terms of capacity building with understanding and respect of the mandate of both institutions.”
He said both institutions were established by an act of parliament and they all have roles to play in helping each other in ensuring effectiveness in their work.
He also noted that the Police salaries are paid from the revenue collected by GRA and in the course of collection, the Police provides security to the tax collectors.
“In other to collect revenue, there must be peace in the country so that revenue can be mobilized for Government to ifunction effectively,” GRA boss emphasis.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mamour Jobe, said: “No institution can do it alone, the Gambia as a country belong to all of us, thus it is the duty of every Gambian to contribute in keeping peace in the country because if there is no peace, no development or business can take place.”.
