SOEs, area councils owe GRA over D1 billion in unpaid taxes

At least sixteen institutions including State Owned Enterprises and Area Councils owe Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) unpaid taxes amounting to D1, 233,536,207 as of May 2026, Finance Minister Seedy Keita said at the National Assembly Wednesday.

He further disclosed that GRA is intensifying efforts to obtain information on other institutions and companies with outstanding obligations.

According to the minister, Gamcel ranks the highest on the list, owing D713,65,041, followed by Gamtel at D296,353,631.

Other institutions are: National Food Security and Processing Company- D1,405,042, Gambia Ports Authority -D10 million, Gambia Ferry Services -D55,941, 636, National Water and Electricity Company (Nawec)- D40 million, Gambia International Airlines (GIA) -D31,732,338, Gambia Printing and Publishing Corporation (GPPC)- D45,762, 366, Banjul City Council- D1,965,393, Janjanbureh Area Council -D1,564,880, Kerewan Area Council- D3,901,725, Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) D2,458,496, Basse Area Council- D3,054, 206,  Brikama Area Council- D8,733,881, Kuntaur Area Council -D231,017 and Mansakonko Area Council- D416,586.

Minister Keita said the GRA is putting in place measures to recover these amounts by directly engaging the institutions for a payment plan.

Asked about the mechanisms deployed by GRA to extract compliance from these institutions, Minister Keita said the Authority has a variety of options including closure of defaulting institutions.

“GRA has a number of tools and if an entity defaults in its payment plan, they can close them. We have had cases where they closed businesses. In one instance they even wanted to close down Gamcel’s operations because of the arrears but the Gamcel management approached GRA for discussions so that they can be allowed to operate and that was how it was resolved,” he said.