The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) is one of the biggest employers in the country with hundreds of employees working at different branches across the country, but what many people don’t know is that securing employment there is largely based on nepotism.

As a result of the prevalence of corruption and personal favours, many believe that is the more reason why GRA vacancies are rarely advertised in the newspapers.

According to an insider at their main office in Banjul, Commissioner General Yankuba Darboe alone has more than ten relatives working at different branches.

“It’s the same with some of our managers. They also have their relatives working in GRA’’.

Meanwhile, some of the employees have expressed disappointment with the way they are treated, especially those with no relatives at the top.

“Some of us went to university to further our education, but the management is still refusing to elevate our position. It’s frustrating, but we have no choice because job opportunities in the country are limited,” one of them lamented.

In an earlier interview with GRA’s Deputy Commissioner General, Essa Sowe, he revealed that sometimes promotion is not only based on academic accomplishments but one’s ability to handle a broader range of responsibilities. He argued that most of their former Commissioner Generals never went to university but they were extremely good at their job.

GRA might undergo some major reforms after the Commission of Inquiry where their Commissioner General gave testimonies about their past dealings with the former president. It is widely believed to be one of the most corrupt public institutions in the country.