Africa-Press – Gambia. The Commissioner General of the Gambia Revenue Authority, Yankuba Darboe, has rejected accusations that he interfered with or blocked audits at the country’s tax agency, saying the institution operates openly and has consistently welcomed external scrutiny.
In an interview with West Coast Radio, Mr. Darboe said audits were essential to the effective functioning of public institutions and should be understood as a tool for improvement rather than persecution.
“I have never, and I will never, resist any audit because I said audits add value to what we do,” he said.
Mr. Darboe emphasized that regular auditing was a normal part of institutional life, warning that organizations that resist oversight risk cultivating impunity. “One thing that I always emphasize is that audit is part of our life, and we must accept that our institutions must be audited. If you have an institution that is resistant to audits or is not being audited, you will think that you can do anything and you get away scot-free,” he said.
He argued that the scale of the Gambia Revenue Authority, which employs more than 1,000 staff members and operates offices across the country, makes robust auditing even more critical. From his office in Banjul, he noted, it would be impossible for a single administrator to monitor daily operations in far-flung posts such as Basse, Amdallai, or the international airport without independent checks.
“What helps me more is the audit,” he said.
According to Mr. Darboe, auditors who visit the authority are granted full access to systems and financial records during their reviews. “When they come, they have access to the system; they have access to our books. Nobody will stop anybody. Any auditor that comes, I welcome them, and I make sure that they do their auditing,” he said.
He acknowledged only one point of contention with auditors in the past, involving a request to remove the authority’s entire database from its premises. That demand, he said, was neither practical nor secure.
“The only time we had an issue was one auditor who came and said he wanted the entire database of GRA. It’s not even humanly possible to give out the entire database of my system,” he said. “If an audit wants to see what is there, the system is there. Bring your people; they go through it, they can see everything,” he said.
Mr. Darboe maintained that the revenue authority continues to operate transparently and that ongoing audits have strengthened its performance.
“There has been complete transparency in what we do; every stage of our work is transparent, and as I mentioned earlier, all these audits are coming, and all the auditors are welcome 100%,” he said.
For More News And Analysis About Gambia Follow Africa-Press
