By Fatou Dahaba
Yankuba Darboe, Commissioner General of the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), has called on border regulatory agencies to unite to streamline operations and facilitate trade across the nation’s ports, borders, and airports.
Speaking at Tuesday’s opening of the World Customs Organization (WCO) – GRA Coordinated Border Management (CBM) workshop at the Senegambia Beach Hotel. Darboe emphasized the need for interagency collaboration to enhance trade efficiency and drive economic growth.
“We want you to work together as one family to facilitate trade at the various borders. It could be at the ports, at the borders, or at the airport. But wherever you are, what is expected of you is to make sure that you facilitate trade for people coming in and out,” Darboe told participants.
The workshop, attended by representatives from multiple regulatory bodies, addressed persistent challenges identified in a WCO assessment, including border delays, complex procedures, and a lack of coordinated efforts among agencies. Depending on the port or station, six to ten government agencies operate at The Gambia’s borders. These include the police, drug squad, food safety authorities, the Ministry of Trade, the Standards Bureau, immigration, and customs services.
Darboe highlighted the critical need for CBM reform to address these issues. “We have so many agencies at these borders. Therefore, the implementation of the CBM reform is crucial to overcoming these challenges, ensuring efficient border operations, reducing trade costs, and fostering economic growth in The Gambia,” he said. He stressed that a better-coordinated border arrangement is essential to achieving these goals.
Despite various approaches developed by border agencies, Darboe noted a gap in practical knowledge of CBM implementation. To address this, the GRA has identified key areas requiring support, including developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for border agencies, capacity building for drafting these SOPs, harmonizing data elements for efficient data exchange, and creating an integrated risk management framework. These measures aim to align border procedures and establish common rules, such as standardized documentation requirements and data formats, to streamline operations.
“Capacity building for GRA and the draft of an interagency framework on CBM for all ports of entry will form the basis of the CBM standard operating procedure for each port of entry in The Gambia,” Darboe explained.
The Government of The Gambia has prioritized coordinated border management as a cornerstone of its trade facilitation strategy. The initiative seeks to enhance border efficiency, simplify trade processes, and strengthen interagency coordination. To support this, the GRA has developed a draft strategy for 2025–2029, focusing on modernizing border management practices and improving trade facilitation.
Jim Clark, a Trade Facilitation Specialist with the WCO, underscored the importance of CBM as a foundation for broader trade facilitation measures. “Coordinated border management is a critical aspect of trade facilitation and lays the foundation for many other trade facilitation measures to follow,” Clark said. He emphasized the need for agencies regulating the international movement of goods to work in closer partnership. “I’m here with my team this week, and we’ve started discussing how things are happening currently, looking at how things will happen in the future, and then creating a plan for The Gambia to work together,” he added.
The workshop marks a significant step toward addressing long-standing inefficiencies at The Gambia’s borders. By fostering collaboration among agencies and implementing standardized procedures, the GRA aims to reduce delays, lower trade costs, and create a more conducive environment for economic activity. The 2025–2029 strategy is expected to provide a roadmap for modernizing border operations, aligning with international best practices, and positioning The Gambia as a competitive regional and global trade player.
As the workshop progresses, stakeholders are optimistic that the collaborative efforts will yield tangible improvements. The focus on capacity building, data harmonization, and integrated risk management is a game-changer for border operations. With the government’s commitment and WCO’s technical support, The Gambia is poised to transform its border management system, paving the way for enhanced trade facilitation and sustainable economic growth.
