By Omar Bah
The Commissioner General of the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) Yankuba Darboe, has highlighted the significant benefits of the digital excise tax stamp in cutting smuggling of excisable goods by 95 percent and improving compliance.
The Authority has continued to record commendable progress with its digital transformation projects, which have helped it record an unprecedented D19.2 billion collection target in 2024.
Introduced in March 2024, the digital excise tax stamp uses unique identifiers like QR codes to track and verify excisable goods, reducing tax evasion and under-declaration while broadening the tax base without raising tax rates.
He emphasised that the initiative protects local industries, combats smuggling, and ensures fair competition by distinguishing taxed goods from illicit products.
“The digital excise tax stamp came as a result of too much smuggling of excisable goods into the country and it was affecting GRA revenue generation. But its introduction has reduced smuggling of goods by 95 percent and enables real-time tracking of imports and production, enhancing transparency and accountability in tax collection,” he said.
Before the introduction of the digital excise stamp, CG Darboe added, the market was always full of illicit stocks, and the genuine producers and importers always found it difficult to market their goods as they were always competing with smuggled goods that were selling cheaper.
“Since the introduction of the digital excise stamp, the producers of excisable goods and the importers are enjoying a bigger market space for their goods. GRA is also receiving millions from the imports of excisable goods and the local producers. So far, so good; we are really satisfied with the introduction of the stamp,” he added.
CG Darboe acknowledged the support of the government in creating an enabling environment for the GRA to collect taxes for national development.
“The GRA would not have succeeded in virtually eliminating smuggling of excisable commodities without the support of the government because the policy was met with resistance from some quarters.”
Commenting on the revenue mobilisation solution provided by SICPA, Finance Minister Seedy Keita said its full implementation would give GRA access to accurate real-time production data of locally produced excisable goods and differentiate between illicit and genuinely imported excisable goods.
“This (DTS) will protect the market from unfair competition fake and illicit products and the public will gain through the consumption of genuinely imported and locally produced excisable goods,” he said.
