Gambia's Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs (MOFEA) has announced the establishment of a tax advisory committee to speed up the progress of the tax reforms, while fully representing the concerns and needs of taxpayers. According to the announcement, the committee will perform advisory service support to the MOFEA in order to tackle the following:

• Making the tax system private sector friendly to spur economic growth;
• Strengthen the national tax framework in order to make it more just and inclusive;
• Examine and advise MOFEA on building an informal tax administration strategy;
• Advise on tax dispute management and resolution;
• Provide advice on designing a more comprehensive framework on addressing the challenges of double taxation;
• Advise on a framework to broaden the tax base to ensure a fair and inclusive tax system;
• Support a taxpayer education strategy to minimize the compliance cost to promote compliance;
• Bring together the elements necessary for building a global agenda for a global consensus against the race to the bottom and harmful tax competition;
• Provide expert advice on how to leverage on the ICT to enhance tax administration; and
• Examine the tax system and provide a medium-term tax policy and reform strategy.

The release also includes the current agenda of the tax advisory committee as follows:

Immediate and Short Term

• Review and comment on the Concept Note and the role of the Advisory Committee.
• Address sensitive issues to bring about more tax equity and fairness in the tax regime. Members may pick up ideas on mitigating factors and how to deal with them.
• Put in suggestions as to how the committee could improve sustainable Taxpayer Information, assistance, and education programs with forceful tax enforcement teams.  

Medium Term Solutions

• Building an Informal Tax Sector strategy. This will include high-risk non-compliant taxpayers, Rental income tax, emerging tax ghosts, and moonlighters.
• Means of Upgrading and Strengthening the existing ICT and Banking systems in the collection of taxes. Further introduction of Electronic Filing is necessary.
• Consider different approaches on how to tackle tax disputes including the full operations of the establishment of the Tax Tribunal.

Long Term Solutions

• Address matters relating to International Trade and taxation of Multinational Corporations. Solutions to arrest transfer pricing and thin capitalization of holding companies from high tax regimes to low tax haven countries.
• Discuss challenges faced in Double Taxation Agreements. Negotiators should include among others, competent personnel from MFEA and GRA.
• Consider reviewing and amending some provisions of the Tax Laws to be aligned with National and Internationally Accepted best Practices.

Details of proposed tax measures coming out of the committee will be published once available.