The National Environment Agency (NEA) has handed over advanced refrigerant identifiers to the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) to strengthen detection of prohibited and falsely declared refrigerants at the country’s borders and boost efforts to protect the ozone layer.
The handover ceremony, held at the NEA headquarters, brought together officials of the NEA, GRA, the University of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology (USET), and members of the media. The initiative is supported by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).
Speaking at the ceremony, the Executive Director of the NEA, Dr Dawda Badjie, described the handover as a critical step in strengthening The Gambia’s capacity to identify refrigerants and other controlled substances entering the country.
He explained that the equipment will enable customs officers to verify the actual contents of refrigerant cylinders and detect cases where products are mislabelled or contain substances different from those declared.
Dr Badjie warned that the appearance and labelling of a cylinder do not guarantee that its contents are genuine or compliant with regulations. The identifiers, he said, will provide officers with a practical tool to test suspicious products at designated entry points.
He stressed that the equipment must be deployed at the borders and put to effective use, not stored away.
“These instruments are meant to be at the border. They are not meant to be stored,” Dr Badjie said, underscoring the need to train officers to properly operate and maintain the devices.
He described ozone depletion as both an environmental and social issue with far-reaching implications for humanity, commending GRA for its longstanding collaboration with NEA beyond ozone protection to include control of chemicals and hazardous materials.
He further expressed appreciation to UNIDO for supporting the initiative and called for continued cooperation among institutions involved in environmental protection and enforcement.
For his part, the Commissioner of Customs and Excise at GRA, Alhagie Mbye, reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to supporting environmental protection through effective border controls.
He explained that Customs’ mandate extends beyond revenue collection to include protection of society and facilitation of legitimate trade, including controlling goods that post risks to public health and the environment.
Mbye noted that GRA and NEA have maintained a strong working relationship, with customs officers benefiting from training and capacity-building programmes facilitated by NEA.
He said the new equipment will strengthen officers’ ability to verify refrigerant declarations, identify misleading consignments and enforce environmental regulations.
He assured NEA and its partners that GRA will ensure the equipment is properly deployed and responsibly used, while emphasising that continued training, technical guidance and proper maintenance will be essential to maximize its benefits.
Earlier, in his welcoming remarks, Director of Technical Services Network at NEA, Omar Sey, welcomed participants and acknowledged the contributions of GRA and other partners to the implementation of environmental programmes in The Gambia.
The ceremony also featured a practical demonstration of the refrigerant identifiers by Mr Momodou Mendy, an instructor at USET, alongside fellow instructor Mr Tele Baldeh, to familiarise participants with the equipment and its operation.
The programme forms part of broader national efforts to strengthen the capacity of customs officers and stakeholders to control ozone-depleting substances and fulfill The Gambia’s international environmental commitments under the Montreal Protocol.
The handover is expected to reinforce NEA-GRA cooperation, improve verification of imported refrigerants, and contribute significantly to protecting the ozone layer and safeguarding public health and the environment.
