No breakthrough has been reported in the negotiations over tax arrears between the Gambia Revenue Authority GRA and Observer Company, sources close to the talks told The Standard.
Two weeks ago, the newspaper company was temporarily closed by the tax authorities and reopened on Wednesday. A meeting was called yesterday at the GRA offices to thrash out the matter but according to our sources, the two parties could not agree on the terms of payment with the GRA insisting that a D5.1 million down payment representing 30 per cent of the sum owed be paid first. The payment plan Observer offered was not accepted by GRA.
Both the GRA and the Observer were not available for comment last night. But according to Saikou Jammeh, the secretary general of the Gambia Press Union who are involved in the negotiations, “there are encouraging signs that as long as the two continue to engage in talks, there may be a breakthrough.
“The GRA has indicated it will continue to open its doors for negotiations with the company and we at the union want that dialogue to continue,” Jammeh said.
