RELEASE
Monrovia, Liberia – In an effort to reduce revenue leaks, carry out expert audits, and accelerate revenue growth, the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) has received technical assistance (TA) from the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) to support capacity building.
Liberia Customs has occasionally benefited from Customs-to-Customs cooperation. In December 2023, the LRA sent Mr. L. Daniel Jaiblai, its Manager for Post-Clearance Audit, to the GRA for a six-month period. While there, he oversaw reform initiatives and capacity building, putting the GRA Post-Clearance Audit Section on an irreversible path for revenue growth.
The TA resulted in the GRA Customs Post-Clearance Auditors of GRA developing their capacity to assist them in implementing best audit practices and procedures in accordance with WCO 1 guidelines and conducting three thorough audits with a total audit yield of slightly over GMD 2 4.5 million (roughly US$ 66,400), of which slightly over GMD 3.5 million has been collected.
A little over GMD 10.5 million was the overall audit yield from the completion of the draft reports for three thorough audits. The Gambia Revenue Authority will be able to carry out more Technical Assistance Missions in areas including Risk Management, Intelligence, Post-Clearance Audit, and Mobile Brigades thanks to a grant of 1.7 million euros approved by the Agence Française de Development (AFD) based on the success of the last operation.
GRA Commissioner General Yankuba Darbo thanked LRA Commissioner General James Dorbor Jallah for his positive message. He commended Mr. Jaiblai’s work and the LRA for sending a staff member who found substantial post-clearance audit gaps and implemented robust auditing procedures.
The head tax collector for Gambiana stated, “Mr. Jaiblai’s secondment to the GRA Post-Clearance Section proved to be an important resource to our staff,” and Jaiblai “played a critical