Africa: Africa's Development Must Be Driven From Within, Says Gambia's Tax Chief

What the report says

AllAfrica, distributing a report by The Point of Banjul, said Gambia Revenue Authority Commissioner General Yankuba Darboe opened the 7th Heads of Tax Administrations Master Class in Bijilo on 22 July 2026 with a call for African development to be financed primarily from within the continent. Speaking at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre, Darboe argued that strong institutions and domestic revenue mobilisation are central to sustainable development.

The report said Darboe pointed to GRA reforms in digital systems, compliance and institutional capacity, some influenced by exchanges through the African Tax Administration Forum. The opening brought together senior Gambian officials, including Vice President Mohammed B.S. Jallow and Finance Minister Seedy K.M. Keita, as well as ATAF leaders and tax administration heads from across Africa.

ATAF Executive Secretary Mary Baine told participants that Africa’s tax revenue has expanded substantially over two decades, but tax-to-GDP performance has weakened as economies outpaced collection capacity. Citing the African Development Bank’s 2026 African Economic Outlook, she said the continent could recover large additional financing through better tax administration rather than higher statutory rates, and she linked successful digitalisation to governance reform and political commitment.

The Point also reported that Keita said The Gambia’s tax-to-GDP ratio has risen from 9% in 2022 to 13% currently, crediting digitalisation, compliance measures and leadership rather than tax rate increases. ATAF chair Johnstone Makhubu framed tax administration as a tool for trust, public services and fiscal sovereignty, urging African tax leaders to view domestic resource mobilisation as part of nation-building as well as revenue collection.