New immigration levy at Banjul Intl. Airport - Bantaba in Cyberspace
The Gambia Government is implementing the collection of the Immigration Security System Levy at Banjul International Airport with immediate effect. Each departing passenger will pay US$20 whilst each arriving passenger will pay US$20.
Archive note: the original publication date could not be verified. March 14, 2021 is an assigned catalogue date for this record.
Editorial note: This archive item reproduces or summarizes third-party material supplied to the newsroom. Allegations remain attributed to the speakers or outlets identified and should not be read as independent judicial findings by this publication.
The Gambia Government is implementing the collection of the Immigration Security System Levy at Banjul International Airport with immediate effect. Each departing passenger will pay US$20 whilst each arriving passenger will pay US$20.
This will be a manual collection from passengers. It is stated that collection booths have been erected at the airport.
Source: GCCA letter of 01-09-2020 (AVJ27/69/01 Part 4()
maybe another reason why not to travel to the Gambia at this point in time. extracting money for what!? what security system?
One traveller recalled that passengers had previously paid a separate departure tax due to airline and tourist operators pressure an agreement was reached where this tax was included in the air fare and passengers were no longer having to pay when leaving.
So this latest "LEVY" is nothing new,only that MAYBE passengers are NOW paying an additional tax if the previous tax is still in existance.
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
If the border security tax was withdrawn in 2018 (pre-Covid & Thomas Cook) following public outcry, why is it OK now when the economic and public health conditions of Gambians pose greater existential threat than ever before. #BanjulBreweries
This is one of several blogposts I wrote back in November of 2018. What is unclear up to this moment is whether SECURIPORT, a Washington DC-based company is still responsible for collecting the tax. We are seeking confirmation or otherwise about the current state of play.
POST SCRIPT: SECURIPORT was copied the GCAA letter and thus will be responsible in collecting the tax.
The decision by the Barrow administration to impose a $20 airport/border security tax on passengers going through Banjul International Airport has attracted immediate negative response from IATA and the tourist operators.
The fact that negotiations have already been concluded and a contract signed with SECURIPORT, a Washington-based security firm has further complicated matters and has posed a real threat to the country's tourist industry.
The contract between The authorities and SECURIPORT was signed on 21st September, 2018 with the Minister of Interior, Mr. Ibrahim Mballow, Director General of Immigration, Mr. Buba A. Sagnia and Cabinet Secretary - Office of The President, Mr. Ebrima Ceesay, all three signing on behalf of the Gambian administration and General Manager, Securiport Gambia, Mr. Luc Keppens, as the sole signatory for SECURIPORT.
The contract is for a period of 5 years, according to sources. The profit sharing formula or any financial aspect of the contract, for now, remains unknown.
Under Addendum IV, the contract is for the provision of Civil Aviation and Immigration Security services and E-Visa Management System services for the Government of The Republic of The Gambia under the Build-Maintain-Transfer modality.
In view of the threats posed by international terrorist groups in the sub region and in order to identify other dangerous individuals such as drug traffickers and other criminals that would use the Banjul International Airport, the government decided to upgrade its system for the screening of passengers entering and leaving to ensure the safety of the air transportation industry.
To pay for the cost of the system upgrade, "government has decided to request the airlines to charge a fee to the direct beneficiaries of the system which are all the air passengers arriving and departing the national territory through the international airports."
The border control fee will be $20 for each arriving and each departing passenger which shall be collected directly by all the airlines operating in The Gambia. The Addendum made reference to ICAO's Doc 9082 which provides the framework within which charges and taxation to aid in the decision making process for the authorities and airlines to arrive at mutually acceptable conclusions based on the four principles of non-discrimination, transparency, cost relatedness and consultation with users.
Effective 15th January, 2019, the scheme is due to be operational with "airlines being 100% responsible for fee collection and its payments made monthly to the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). A late payment fee of 5% will be levied against airlines that will include the impoundment of aircraft and/or the cancellation of landing rights.
Airline crew and staff, children 0 - 2, passengers whose transit time does not exceed 24 hours and passengers whose flights are diverted to the Banjul International Airport re exempt from paying the border security tax.
$20 tax on air travelers is daylight armed robbery by The Gambia Gov’t thru a foreign company Securiport. Corruption at its best. Where is the 10yr contract document? Why hire a foreign company just to check passports & fingerprint? Resist!
Momodou, you have been very busy with reserecting long forgotten ideas for Gambia to raise money from tourists.
For those,like me did not know where this airport was below is the answer.
By Omar Bah on September 9, 2020
The Gambia government has come under strong criticism following the introduction of a new travel law, which imposes charges on air travellers arriving and departing from Banjul international airport.
A leaked letter on social media suggested the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority has written to airlines flying into the country informing them of the new development dubbed, ‘Immigration Security System Levy’, at the Banjul International Airport.
The letter indicates that collection booths have been installed at the airport to ‘manually’ collect the levy from passengers – with each departing and arriving passenger required to pay $20 (D1,000).
“GCAA has no authority to impose any tax on citizens. The so-called security levy of $20 is a rip-off that must be resisted. Gambians are already paying high taxes as reflected on ticket prices. Why should GCAA add any more taxes? For what?” Madi Jobarteh, a rights activist wrote on his Facebook page.
Also speaking on the issue economist, Nyang Njie said government officials have in effect made Leopold Sedar Senghor our main airport.
“There are many Gambians flying in and out of this airport due to the frequency of flights and ticket pricing. The recent tax levied on passengers at Banjul International Airport will be the beginning of the end for an airport that is neither competitive nor sustainable. Sad days ahead in Gambian aviation,” Njie stated on his .
Yes of course this is another 'rip off' for tourists but this will probably not be a deterrent to those Europeans wanting to come to the Gambia when the air corridors open for more flights. In monetary terms another £16 or thereabouts each way on a package holiday costing hundreds of pounds will not deter that many people. If the only other solution is to get off at Dakar and then make your way to the border and then take the ferry the tax doesn't sound too much. Maybe Gambians will take that route but not European travellers.