16 May, 2025
The successful signing of the Financing Agreement between the Ministry of Finance & Economic Affairs (MoFEA) and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) for Phase II of the Domestic Resource Mobilization (DRM) Project.
The ceremony was held on Friday 16th May, 2025 at the MoFEA Conference Room and was chaired by Permanent Secretary Jallow, who warmly welcomed the Hon. Minister of Finance & Economic Affairs, Mr. Seedy KM Keita, and the AFD Regional Director for West Africa, Mr. Mihoub Mezonaghi, along with his delegation. Also in attendance were the Deputy Commissioner General of GRA, Mr. Essa Jallow, and other senior management staff of the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA).
In his opening remarks, Mr. Essa Jallow, Deputy Commissioner General of GRA, expressed sincere gratitude to AFD for their continuous support towards the implementation of GRA's 5th Corporate Strategic Plan, which is strongly focused on digitalization and modernizing tax administration.
Speaking on behalf of AFD, Regional Director for West Africa, Mr. Mihoub Mezonaghi, commended both MoFEA and GRA for their outstanding performance in the first phase of the DRM project. He praised the achievements made and reaffirmed AFD’s commitment to working with the Government of The Gambia to support the successful implementation of its Development Plan.
The Hon. Minister of Finance & Economic Affairs, Mr. Seedy KM Keita, in his keynote address, extended heartfelt thanks to AFD for their continued partnership in strengthening Domestic Revenue Mobilization. He highlighted that expanding the tax base through improved voluntary compliance is key to enhancing the country's self-reliance. Minister Keita also acknowledged the relentless efforts of the GRA management and project team for their consistent and timely reporting, noting that GRA’s ability to meet its annual revenue targets is largely attributed to the ongoing digitalization support provided through such strategic partnerships.
This agreement marks a pivotal step towards enhancing Gambia's revenue mobilization capacity and ensuring sustainable economic growth.