(JollofNews) – The managing director of the Gambia’s first daily newspaper, the Daily Observer, has admitted that his company has not paid tax on its profits since 2001.
Pa Modou Mbowe said his company is owing about D17 million to the Gambia Revenue Authority and tens of thousands of Dalasis to other businesses.
The newspaper was Wednesday ordered to temporally cease publication by the revenue authorities pending the settlement of its huge tax bill.
But Mr Mbowe said while he was not surprise that the newspaper was shut down, he was shock that it has taken the revenue authorities this long to take action.
He questioned why authorities had allowed the newspaper’s tax bill to balloon up since 2001 to such a colossal amount.
He added that since he assumed office in December 2016, he has been in contact with the revenue authorities about the debt but the newspaper was unable to honour the repayment plan due to financial constraints.
Mr Mbowe said prior to the closure of the newspaper, he had received a letter from the revenue authorities about a week ago ordering them to temporarily cease operation as a result of the unpaid debt.
In response to the order, Mr Mbowe said the newspaper wrote to the revenue authorities asking them to use the D170,000 they owed the newspaper from daily subscriptions and advertisements as part of the payment for the debt.
He added that they also offered a one -year front page advertisement for the revenue authority estimated at D1 million to cover some of the debt.
“We made this offer to them since January but they just laughed at us,” he said in an interview with West Africa Democracy Radio.
Commenting on the ownership of the newspaper, Mr Mbowe said while he was appointed to manage the newspaper by former President Yahya Jammeh, he don’t know the true owner of the newspaper.
He added the owner of the newspaper was not making a profit from it. He said whatever the newspaper earned from sales, subscriptions and advertisement was used to pay salaries for staff buy newsprints amongst other things.
Describing the newspaper as an institution where many high-profile Gambians have learned their trade, Mr Mbowe said he will do all he could to bring it back to the newstand.
One solution: The coalition should place an advert in the Standard Newspaper asking the owner to step forward within 30 days; If the owner does not step forward; The Observer should be allowed to go public and offer shares in the Observer; This would offset the back taxes; The Daily Observer would then fall under the scrutiny of its shareholders; This is a totally acceptable democratic solution;
Just a suggestion/
It will be illegal to do that. Given the level of silly and unnecessary noise being made as a result of the legal and legitimate closure, especially by the likes of Yerro Jallow, Madi Jobarteh, GPU et al, you can imagine what the noise level will be if the paper was to be expropriated.
Mr mbowe refused to say the owner you can fool people’s sometimes but not all the time. The owner is Yaya jammeh .even the child who born today knows the owner because of your actions and styles but you now put your hands on it . well done GRA.
Kemo Touray, “well done” but who are the real loosers? Definitely not Yahya!
It is just frightening the way some Gambians make fun of themselves. Listen to a Managing Director blaming the tax authorities for giving the Observer Company time to pay its tax debts whilst admitting that he has not been paying since December 2006. A Managing Director who does not know the shareholder(s) of his company and yet recruiting his family members in high positions. No wonder GRA was laughing at your proposal. With a simple arithmetic, D125,000 would have taken you 11 years and 4 months to settle the tax arrears, interest and penalties and current tax obligations aside. That is a mockery of tax authorities. I hope now the the truth is surfacing, Yerro Jallow and Madi Jobarteh and all those supporting the Observer Company in their non compliance will come to their senses.
Listen to the new breed of sycophants brewing witches with spiders legs. So no one suffered then>> it was all a mistake. So much for repair. Only sticky plaster and patchwork. All are guilty while the guilty one grows hairy caterpillars in his new backyard. Those who have left that bed are now chasing his victims. So what’s fresh.
If you had brains you’d be dangerous.
Simply put, I like Mike Scales’ take on the issue. Enough Said.
Grim reaper, if not that dictator then tell us who?