By Kebba AF Touray
The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Public Utility and Regulatory Authority (PURA), on Monday December 10th 2018, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at a ceremony held at the GRA office in Banjul.
The aim of the MOU is for the two institutions to effectively work together to exercise their responsibilities bestowed on them under their respective Acts and other relevant laws, and to develop and strengthen fruitful cooperation between PURA and GRA, in the area of compliance, enforcement, policy formulation, and regulation.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Commissioner General of GRA, Yankuba Darboe, describes the MOU as long overdue; that the work of PURA and GRA are interrelated. CG Darboe pointed out that the MOU will serve as a working document that will make live easy for both institutions, as it will help them share experience on their work as well as build their capacity through trainings that the GRA intends to do in future, for staff of both institutions.
Darboe said GRA has a lot of technical assistance from IMF, World Bank and World Customs Organization for capacity building through training for GRA staff; and assured officials from PURA that their staff will be part of such trainings next time. He identified Samba Sallah, the Deputy Director of the GRA as the focal person of the Authority for any further information needed by the two institutions.
Also speaking at the forum, the Director General of PURA Ansumana Sanneh, said over the last decade, their aim was to build staff capacity to fulfil various mandates, key among them he said was to work with partner institutions, to identify areas of cooperation and mutual interests.
According to Sanneh, the MOU sets out how GRA and PURA will effectively exercise their responsibilities bestowed on them under their respective Acts and other relevant laws, in order to develop and strengthen fruitful cooperation between their two institutions in the area of compliance enforcement, policy formulation and regulation.
Essa Jallow Deputy Commissioner General of GRA said as Government enterprises, both institutions belong to Government; that both GRA and PURA play key roles in the economy of the Gambia. Thus, he noted the importance of signing such an agreement which will enhance their work.
He thanked PURA for the willingness, support and understanding they have demonstrated to make the MOU a possibility and challenge both institutions to work hard to achieve their goals.
Malamin Darboe, the Human Resource Director at PURA on his part, said the signing of the MOU was timely. He assured PURA’s commitment in making sure that the MOU will be implemented. Lamin B.F Jassy Corporate and Public Affairs Manager, chaired the occasion.
The ceremony was attended by various directors and deputy directors of the Gambia Revenue Authority and representatives from the IMF and the media.
