From http://www.observer.gm

News
Customs DG says YDE owes D73M
By Lamin Dibba & Omar Bah
Jan 13, 2004, 15:35


The director-general of Customs & Excise, Momodou Kabba Tambajang, has
disclosed that his department has lost D73 million in transactions with the
Youth Development Enterprise (YDE).

Testifying before Justice MA Paul of the High Court on the charges of
economic crime levelled against YDE yesterday, Mr Tambajang said from
September 27, 2002 the YDE imported 66 consignments in The Gambia none of
which were paid except in mid-October 2003 when they had a consignment of
flours of about 60,000 bags for which they paid D1,334,000 with the balance
unpaid.

He testified: “When I was appointed as acting director in September 2003, I
tried to familiarise myself with what had happened in my absence for the
past years. It was then I knew the YDE importations from the documents
handed over to me by my predecessor. Having gone through the documents, I
came to realise that none of those documents had invoices or bills of
lading. Consequently, I called on the senior collector in charge of
valuation, Mr Malamin Sanyang to assess those documents which he complied
accordingly and later on informed me he had communicated those figures to
Buba Senghore and Buba Baldeh the representatives of YDE.

Under normal circumstances, anytime a ship arrives, the consignee or the
importer would buy Customs single administration document form at D75 which
he will attach to the bid of commercial invoice in respect of the goods
imported and lodge them with the Customs manifest officer at the computer
unit who will compare the declaration on the form [to see] whether it
corresponds with what is declared and payment be effected. But there is a
facility we call direct delivery or duty-differed payment. This is an
arrangement to facilitate certain importers in the country including the
YDE to release their goods from Customs control without payment of duty for
a period of about 30 to 45 days. On the expiry of the duration, if the
importer did not pay, he should be called and be notified that he has to
pay the liability and if he does not respond, the authorities should be
informed.”

Mr Tambajang said he communicated to Buba Baldeh and Buba Senghore verbally
for YDE to settle its debts. “A few days later, the two gentlemen came to
my office to indicate to me that the value assessed were on the high side.
I invited Mr Sanyang and deputy director Mr [Baba] Trawally whom I thought
might have knowledge on the YDE investments. I told Baldeh and Senghore in
the presence of all that they must produce authentic invoices of the
importations [whose value] they were contesting were on the high side, at
the period of issue, which they agreed. Their non-compliance to later
tender the said invoices prompted my office through Malamin Sanyang to
write to the YDE on my behalf and upon receipt of this letter, the acting
managing director of YDE, Mr Baba Kanteh came to my office to say they were
willing to submit the invoices. Thereafter, Buba Senghore came a few days
later to my office and said since the matter is before the court he thought
it wise for us to wait for the court trial. I told him whether you accept
the values assessed, we will stand by them and there will be no more
reconciliation.” When asked by the DPP, the relationship between Customs
and the current economic crisis, Mr Tambajang said Customs collects 60 per
cent of total government revenue.

“If Customs don’t collect all the revenues due to be collected, there is
bound to be hardship in the country. We are not able to fulfil our
statutory obligation to government both in 2001 and 2002. In September
2003, we have tremendously exceeded our target. From the record I saw,
there was decline in the revenue collection for about 15 to 20 per cent at
the time I took over in September 2003.”

The case has been adjourned to today. Edward Gomez, Mai Fatty, LK Mboge,
Lamin Jobarteh and Lamin Camara appeared for the defence.

© Copyright 2003 by Observer Company

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~