GTHI Deputy DG Says Gambia Depends On Taxes For Development

By Landing Ceesay

Deputy Director General, Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute (GTHI), Momodou Singhateh told his students that The Gambia largely depends on taxes for its socioeconomic development.

He made the remarks at a two-day stakeholder seminar with the staff and students of Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute (GTHI) organised by the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) that kicked-off earlier Wednesday.

“The Gambia, as a developing country. We depend largely on tax that is being collected by GRA for our socio-economic development. And I know the government is depending largely on this also to provide us with the requisite education that you (GTHI students) are currently undergoing,” Mr. Singhateh said at the opening of GRA stakeholder engagement with GTHI staff and students.

The seminar meant to enlighten the staff and students of GTHI on the mandate of GRA, would introduce them to tax collection and tax payment methods of the Gambia Revenue Authority.

The Deputy Director Generalinformed the students that without the tax collected by GRA; the GTHI would probably not have been in a position to provide them with the quality education being offered.

“The reason is because GTHI is a subvented institution under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture and the subvention is coming from the Ministry of Finance. One of the sources of revenue from the Ministry of Finance is taxes that are being collected by GRA,” he stated.

Singhateh described the event ‘significant’ and encouraged his staff and students to be interactive throughout the seminar and ask more questions to clear their doubts on tax matters.

“So this exercise is … a very important and significant one. For our livelihood, our professional development, and national development. As a result, I want all of you to make maximum use of this opportunity, during the interaction you will be having these two days with the experts and learn as much as possible from their deliberations, and ask as many questions as possible to clear your doubts on tax and tax responsibilities,” he said.

Mr. Singhateh said the GRA’s audience is right on the spot as in every exercise, the youths, students; immediate direct beneficiaries, those concerned, and stockholders are the target, which include GHTI.