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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
 Posted - 15 Jun 2017 : 23:16:38
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It would appear from this Editorial in Foroyaa that the Revamped Daily Observer MAY be able to continue if it pays "all the taxes they owe." once again its a money problem.
Where will the Daily Observer get this money from ?
THE CLOSURE OF DAILY OBSERVER – A DENT IN MEDIA PLURALISM
Editor June 15, 2017
Daily Observer has been closed but it is not yet clear whether the company will be allowed to operate if they pay all the taxes they owe. If the proprietors decide to mobilise the finances needed to pay all the taxes due it would be in the interest of media pluralism that the newspaper continues to operate. The state will also be able to recover the millions owed to it.
Democracy thrives when many flowers blossom, when all sorts of views contend, when a wide variety of media outlets are allowed to show their worth.
There is also the issue of employees to be laid off, though not the fault of the state it is a reality. In short it makes more sense to get Daily Observer to pay and retain the employees.
Editorial
http://www.foroyaa.gm/archives/16046
RELATED: Daily Observer ordered to close amid unpaid tax scandal
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 15 Jun 2017 23:18:30 |
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Momodou
Denmark
11644 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jun 2017 : 11:13:22
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Daily Observer closed
By Abdoulie Nyockeh
The Point: Thursday, June 15, 2017
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/daily-observer-closed
 One of the leading newspapers in The Gambia, the Daily Observer, has been ordered by the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) to close down for two weeks, The Point has gathered.
A staff of the newspaper who wished not to be named confirmed the closure, saying some GRA officials with personnel of the Gambia Police Force came to the newspaper’s office yesterday afternoon and ordered the staff to leave and the company to cease publication.
The Observer staff said the company has 99 employees of which 80 are full time staff and 19 freelancers.
A highly placed source at GRA said the closure, albeit temporarily, was a result of Observer’s non-compliance with its tax obligations.
The GRA source said the newspaper owed more than D17 million in accumulated tax arrears as it had not been paying tax for the past several years.
However, The Point has understood that GRA has made an offer to the newspaper that when they pay 30 per cent of the D17 million owed, they will be allowed to continue operations.
The GRA source said the Revenue House would take “the next step” when the two weeks elapsed and the newspaper did not pay anything. The next step, according to our source, is to seek for a court order to forfeit all the assets of the company.
“Leaving Observer to continue operation while it does not comply with its tax obligations is not fair to other newspapers like The Point, The Standard, The Voice and Foroyaa because these papers try as much as possible to pay their dues,” the GRA staff said.
Before the closure order, the GRA source said, the management of Observer was invited to several meetings to discuss possible ways to at least make a commitment and work out a plan to pay its tax arrears. That did not work.
The newspaper company was also served with several sermon letters by GRA for them to pay their tax arrears but they did not pay heed.
In addition, the source said, the GRA had tried several times during meetings with the management of Observer to know who is the principal owner of the company but to no avail.
“The GRA will not allow Observer to be operating without paying tax and its ownership also not known,” the GRA official said.
“Today, the GRA management had a meeting and it was decided finally that they have to take a step to temporarily close down Observer. They contacted the IGP to give them some police officers to go with them to the newspaper to effect the closure.
“GRA is an independent body that operates with transparency and fairness and the closure of Observer has nothing to do with the government. We don’t have the intention to close down any company but all companies must also pay their taxes.”
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jun 2017 : 12:33:23
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From this information published by The Point it is clear that the GRA has bent over backwards to TRY to resolve this issue of non payment of Tax and has been left with NO alternative but to proceed with the action that it has taken.
Gambia is trying to join the REAL world NOW, the Gambia of years gone by where everything was perceived to be "FREE" payment being due on a promise made to pay at sometime in the future no longer applies.
quote:
Originally posted by Momodou
Daily Observer closed
By Abdoulie Nyockeh
The Point: Thursday, June 15, 2017
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/daily-observer-closed
One of the leading newspapers in The Gambia, the Daily Observer, has been ordered by the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) to close down for two weeks, The Point has gathered.
A staff of the newspaper who wished not to be named confirmed the closure, saying some GRA officials with personnel of the Gambia Police Force came to the newspaper’s office yesterday afternoon and ordered the staff to leave and the company to cease publication.
The Observer staff said the company has 99 employees of which 80 are full time staff and 19 freelancers.
A highly placed source at GRA said the closure, albeit temporarily, was a result of Observer’s non-compliance with its tax obligations.
The GRA source said the newspaper owed more than D17 million in accumulated tax arrears as it had not been paying tax for the past several years.
However, The Point has understood that GRA has made an offer to the newspaper that when they pay 30 per cent of the D17 million owed, they will be allowed to continue operations.
The GRA source said the Revenue House would take “the next step” when the two weeks elapsed and the newspaper did not pay anything. The next step, according to our source, is to seek for a court order to forfeit all the assets of the company.
“Leaving Observer to continue operation while it does not comply with its tax obligations is not fair to other newspapers like The Point, The Standard, The Voice and Foroyaa because these papers try as much as possible to pay their dues,” the GRA staff said.
Before the closure order, the GRA source said, the management of Observer was invited to several meetings to discuss possible ways to at least make a commitment and work out a plan to pay its tax arrears. That did not work.
The newspaper company was also served with several sermon letters by GRA for them to pay their tax arrears but they did not pay heed.
In addition, the source said, the GRA had tried several times during meetings with the management of Observer to know who is the principal owner of the company but to no avail.
“The GRA will not allow Observer to be operating without paying tax and its ownership also not known,” the GRA official said.
“Today, the GRA management had a meeting and it was decided finally that they have to take a step to temporarily close down Observer. They contacted the IGP to give them some police officers to go with them to the newspaper to effect the closure.
“GRA is an independent body that operates with transparency and fairness and the closure of Observer has nothing to do with the government. We don’t have the intention to close down any company but all companies must also pay their taxes.”
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jun 2017 : 10:24:16
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A little more about the "ownership" of The Daily Observer can be found in t he link below:
"According to family sources, the Daily Observer still legally belongs to the late Baba Jobe and all the necessary documents of the ownership are with the Jobe family.
However, the family said they do not know anything about the financial issues and management of the newspaper. "
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/is-daily-observer-owned-by-jammeh-or-baba-jobe
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 17 Jun 2017 10:25:56 |
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Momodou
Denmark
11644 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jun 2017 : 15:19:15
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Daily Observer re-opens
The Point: Thursday, June 29, 2017
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/daily-observer-re-opens
The managing director of Daily Observer, Pa Modou Mbowe, has confirmed that the newspaper, which was temporarily closed on 14 June 2017, was re-opened yesterday.
“Today, the management of Daily Observer would discuss the mode of payment which is conclusive, affordable and realistic,” he said.
Observer is said to owe the Gambia Revenue Authority D17 million and they were asked to pay 30 per cent within two weeks.
The paper was first launched on 11 May 1992 and currently; it has 99 employees of which 19 are freelancers.
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jun 2017 : 19:49:51
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Now that agreement has been reached and rare Gambian jobs safeguarded and freedom of the press reinforced by President Barrows administration I am certain that the GRA will keep a very watchful eye on the payment agreement that was negotiated.
I sincerely hope that The Daily Observer runs in the future as a model for all businesses in Gambia,which NOW realise that SOME of them must overhaul themselves and join the 21st Century and no longer live by the "standards" that existed in past centuries. |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Daily Observer to Close ?
