By Omar Bah
As part of its ongoing digitalisation process, the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) Monday launched its ASYCUDA World System. The Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Seedy Keita presided over the official launching. The ASYCUDA World is expected to boost revenue collection, improve procedures in customs administration, facilitate trade by shortening the turnaround time and clearance of goods, promote inter-agency, national and regional cooperation and support the provisions of trade statistics for decision making. Minister Keita said the introduction of the system is “a great milestone in the government’s efforts to improve efficiency and effectiveness in customs clearance processes”.
“It also demonstrates the commitment of our government under the able leadership of President Adama Barrow to promote transparency and efficient public service delivery,” Minister Keita added.
He said the new web-based system will reduce the time needed for customs clearance of imports.
The Commissioner General of the GRA, Yankuba Darboe said: “The idea of digitalising our revenue collection system has been central in our previous and current corporate strategic plans.”
To achieve this, CG Darboe added: “In 2018, the management of the GRA prevailed on the ministry of finance, to seek funding from our development partners to upgrade from the current ASYCUDA++ version to the more advanced, more flexible and more user friendly ASYCUDA World version.” He said the system will speed up the assessment of Customs declaration and significantly reduce transaction time for payment and release of cargo thus facilitating trade.
“It streamlined procedures of cargo control and clearance of goods thus assuring predictability of processes and procedures. It also enhances administrative efficiency by allowing the re-focus of manpower to other customs operations such as post clearance audit and enforcement activities,” CG Darboe added.
