By: Fatou Dahaba
The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) and the World Customs Organization (WCO) on Monday underscored significant strides in customs modernization as they opened a national post-clearance audit (PCA) diagnostic mission. The initiative aims to strengthen compliance, accelerate legitimate trade and enhance revenue collection through a more modern, intelligence-driven customs system.
The mission convenes GRA officials, WCO technical experts and development partners to evaluate existing gaps in The Gambia’s post-clearance audit framework. Participants will assess the legal foundation, operational systems, procedures, audit methodologies, staffing levels and risk-management practices against WCO guidelines and international standards. The resulting findings are expected to deliver a practical roadmap for further reforms.
Commissioner General Yankuba Darboe described the strengthening of post-clearance audit capabilities as a strategic investment rather than a routine compliance exercise. “For the Gambia Revenue Authority, strengthening Post Clearance Audit is not simply a compliance exercise; it is a strategic investment in the future of Customs administration,” he said.
Darboe noted that contemporary customs administrations must balance revenue collection with trade facilitation, improved voluntary compliance, enhanced competitiveness and greater use of technology. Post-clearance audit plays a central role in this transformation by enabling faster release of goods at the border while allowing thorough verification of compliance after clearance.
He linked the diagnostic mission to a series of ongoing modernization projects already yielding tangible results. These include the migration to the ASYCUDA World system in 2022, the launch of the National Single Window Platform, the deployment of an electronic cargo tracking system and other digital solutions. Collectively, these reforms have shortened clearance times, increased transparency and driven stronger revenue performance, with monthly customs collections now regularly exceeding one billion dalasis.
Deputy Commissioner of Customs Enforcement Yusupha Cham highlighted the post-clearance audit unit as one of GRA’s most successful reforms. He attributed its growth to sustained institutional support, professional dedication and consistent investment over several years. “PCA is a shining example of a success story that GRA has been able to achieve within a very short time,” Cham said. He urged workshop participants, carefully selected for the exercise, to engage fully with the training and cascade the knowledge to colleagues through structured step-down sessions across their respective offices.
Speaking on behalf of the World Customs Organization, Lead Technical Expert Arman Zhalitov commended GRA’s track record in previous joint initiatives. These have included time-release studies, coordinated border management, the Authorized Economic Operators program and performance measurement frameworks.
“Whenever we start the partnership, GRA takes it, leads it, coordinates it, and gets it done and delivered,” Zhalitov observed.
He emphasized that the current PCA diagnostic should be viewed as a GRA-led self-assessment exercise, with WCO experts facilitating discussions to help identify priority development areas and opportunities for enhancement.
The workshop forms part of continued cooperation between the Gambia Revenue Authority, the World Customs Organization and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs of the United Kingdom under the WCO Capacity Building Program.
Officials expressed confidence that the mission’s outcomes will further professionalize customs operations, reduce clearance bottlenecks and support broader economic competitiveness while safeguarding revenue.
