From 8 to 11 June 2020, the World Customs Organization (WCO) provided online assistance to trainers specialized in risk management from the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA). The trainers are responsible for training staff from various units within the GRA at its Headquarters in Banjul, Gambia.

The online training was the last among seven workshops conducted by accredited WCO Risk Management Experts and funded, since 2019, by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). It enabled the GRA trainers to demonstrate their skills in delivering high-quality training, based on international standards and best practices. The purpose was to prepare the GRA Customs Department to respond to challenges in the international trade environment.

In his opening statement, Mr. Yankuba Darboe, Commissioner General of the GRA, described the training as an opportunity for the GRA trainers to showcase their capacity building competencies by imparting knowledge and developing the skills of other GRA staff. He thanked GIZ and the WCO for their funding and technical support and expressed his commitment to take all measures required to embrace risk management as part of the organizational culture.

The participants described the training as an opportunity to strengthen and test their knowledge and keep up to date with new resources, tools and techniques in order to gain a better understanding of the application of risk management principles in their day-to-day work.

At the closing of the four-day workshop, the trainers expressed their satisfaction and pointed out that this training was highly relevant and came at an opportune time when the world was facing unpredictable risks.