A resident of the community of Sanchaba Sulay Jobe, Zanu Williamz, has called on the people of Sanchaba to rise and demand transparency and accountability on the taxes the community has been paying to Brikama Area Council, threatening that the community will exit the council and start collecting its own taxes.
According to Williamz, no member of the community has benefited from scholarships and other benefits the council has been giving to people in the region.
”To date, no student from Sanchaba has been awarded these scholarships. Sanchaba has no solid road network, no community center, and no clinic. Yet we are being taxed for development that never reaches us.”
Williamz stressed that a total of 120% tax increase has been placed on the community and yet remains the dirties and least developed, calling upon residents to unite and demand accountability on their taxes.
He stated that the people of Sanchaba have a right to know where their money is going, officially requesting the annual report of the council detaining the total amount of taxes collected.
”We officially request an annual report detailing:
The total amount of local tax collected annually from Sanchaba Sulay Jobe.
The total amount of state tax collected annually from Sanchaba.
A line-by-line account of how much of this money is returned to Sanchaba and exactly what projects it was spent on.”
He said this year alone my family paid close to 100,000 in tax for both GRA and Brikama Area Council and are never included or see any major developments in their area.
“No hospital, no major road, no community park, no library, no scholarship, no football team. Nothing. Dara.”
Brikama Area Council has budgeted D8 million for scholarships in 2025. The council has spent millions for the students of University of The Gambia, Gambia College, International Open University, Islamic University of Ihsan etc.
