By Omar Bah
Africell Gambia has been named largest taxpayer at the 2026 Gambia Revenue Authority Annual Taxpayers’ Award Ceremony, a recognition that underscores the telecom sector’s growing role in financing The Gambia’s development agenda.
The award was presented during the GRA’s flagship event attended by President Adama Barrow, who used the occasion to credit compliant taxpayers and institutional reforms for transforming the country’s revenue base.
Africell’s win places it at the top of a list of private sector firms whose consistent, high-volume payments have enabled GRA to exceed targets for three consecutive years.
In 2025 alone, GRA collected D25.3 billion, surpassing its target by 10%. For the first quarter of 2026, the authority had already mobilised D7.7 billion, ahead of schedule.
The recognition comes against the backdrop of a 218% increase in national tax revenue since President Barrow took office in 2017. At that time, annual collections stood at D7.79 billion.
President Barrow told the audience that the growth was not driven by higher tax rates, but by “deliberate reforms, particularly the modernisation and digitalisation of tax administration”.
He added: “Tonight, we are celebrating excellence again. You have demonstrated that paying taxes is not merely a legal obligation but also a noble, patriotic gesture.”
GRA Commissioner General Yankuba Darboe said the authority’s shift to data-driven compliance has targeted high-revenue sectors like telecommunications, banking, and trade.
“Digitalisation gives us visibility. When you operate at Africell’s scale, the system sees you,” Darboe said at the ceremony.
He said telecommunications is one of the most formalised and high-volume sectors in The Gambia’s economy as a major provider of voice, data, and mobile money services, Africell and contributes through corporate income tax, Vat, withholding tax, excise on telecom services, and Paye for thousands of employees and contractors.
That makes the sector a bellwether for GRA’s domestic resource mobilisation drive, which is at the centre of the government’s plan to reduce dependence on foreign aid and loans.
Africell’s compliance record has become a reference point for GRA in pushing other large taxpayers toward voluntary adherence.
CG Darboe noted that consistent payment from firms of Africell’s scale creates a stable revenue floor that allows the government to plan multi-year infrastructure and social projects without relying on unpredictable external funding.
President Barrow also used the ceremony to link taxpayer contributions directly to visible projects: roads and rehabilitation works in every region, expansion of schools, hospitals, and universities, and upgrades to public facilities.
“Today, roads are being constructed and rehabilitated at an unprecedented scale. Indeed, infrastructure projects are ongoing in every region of the country, while schools, hospitals, universities, and other public facilities continue to expand. Proudly, all of these developments are largely funded by the taxes people pay,” he said.
CG Darboe said GRA will continue to expand digital solutions and compliance programmes to broaden the tax base.
Reacting to the award, Africell’s CEO Hussein Diab-Ghanem, expressed his company’s deepest honour in receiving the prestigious recognition for the sixth time.
“This award is more than an accolade. It is a reflection of Africell’s unwavering commitment to The Gambia, and a clear testament to the meaningful contribution we continue to make to the national economy. It speaks to how far we have come, and to the ambition that drives where we are going. We are sincerely grateful for this recognition. Africell is here to stay, and we will always remain part and parcel of the fabric of The Gambia.”
