By Aminata Kuyateh
The Gambia Immigration Department (GID) collected D212,454,400 in 2023 registering a favourable variance of D62,454,400 with 41.64% as against last year’s D104,407,130.
The GID revealed this at a press briefing at its headquarters yesterday buttressing its claim that it is not only a key security provider but a significant revenue generating outfit.
The department stated that over a 13-year period (2011-2023), it collected D1,257,269,860.
Chief Superintendent Karanlang Jarju, officer in charge of finance said the department was projected to generate D150 million in 2023, however, due to “prudent management and effective monitoring of revenue collection activities”, more over D212 million was receipted.
He said this showed that the department has made “tremendous progress” with regard to revenue collections and that they “will continue to work around the clock every day to ensure that this positive trend is carried over” to the new year.
He said the funds were all paid into the consolidated fund.
He said despite the economic challenges that the country is experiencing, GID implemented revenue measures including “strengthening operational efficiencies, improving and modernising systems, opening more issuing centres, building and opening more new stations and provision of mobility”.
He averred that most of the revenue was realised from the issuance of machine readable passports (MRP), residential permits for Ecowas citizens and biometric passports.
He expressed his confidence that if the department obtains its share of the national budgetary allocation, it would perform better in 2024.
OIC Jarju disclosed that the government has signed a contract with Semlex for the production of Ecowas biometric ID cards, residential permits, non-Gambian ID cards and alien cards and that Vista Bank has been selected to receive and also effect the 40%-60% revenue sharing in favour of The Gambia government and Semlex.
