Customs and Excise Department, one of the major revenue collecting agencies of the Gambia government, has made an annual collection of D1,642,055,468.96.

This sum represents the period January to December, 2006. According to sources, the amount showes an increase of D235,521,761.33 compared to last year.

Our sources further revealed that the amount exceeds the targets set both by the Department of State for Finance and Economic Affairs, (DOSFEA) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Economic analysts were of the view that the increase in revenue collection by Customs impacts positively on The Gambia’s tax oriented economy. Some of them held that both Customs and Central Revenue Department, now merging to form The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), would create more improvement, on tax collection, as stringent measures are already in place to avoid leakages.

The authority started full operations in January, this year.