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| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 08 Oct 2018 : 13:14:57
By Tabora Bojang
Banjul mayor, Rohey Lowe, has said financial abuses and administrative mismanagement have been the major impediments to Banjul’s development.
Lowe who became the capital’s first elected female mayor was speaking at the MacCarthy Square in Banjul marking 100 days since her election victory in May.
She said the absence of a smooth transition process from her predecessor and past failure to impose financial controls and policies in managing the council’s funds convinced her new administration to begin tenure with “a professional assessment of the financial and administrative” situation of the council.
“We have identified a debt sum of D8 million owed to several banks and suppliers with interests and overdraft charges accumulating all the time. We have unexplained expenditures without supporting documents worth over D1.6 million; non-payment of employees’ retirement benefits and pensions liabilities in the amount of D3 million; and payment of salaries to about 150 ghost or former employees,” Mayor Lowe revealed.
“These [people] have been acting like a cancer; they have plagued the council for decades, leaving the city nearly bankrupt. This situation prevented the city from doing its business properly, which is to serve Banjulians with the good governance they deserve so that the city can meet its duties and obligations towards them.”
According to the UDP-elected mayor, the discoveries are “shocking” and gave her administration the impetus to conduct the city’s business differently in a more transparent way to bring much-needed development to the city.
She averred that the council is working on innovative strategies to maximise revenues to address the needs of the city to improve the lives of Banjulians.
“We are engaged in a robust consultation with relevant stakeholders such as the GPA, NRA, and Gamworks for the reconstruction of Hill Street, Orange Street, Anglesea Street, Cameron Street, Picton Street, Leman Street, Wellington Street and Blanc Street just to name a few.
“Funds have been committed for the total rehabilitation of our sewage and drainage systems along with our roads. We are due to receive garbage and sanitation trucks that have already been shipped from China with an additional 3,000 garbage bins, 1,500 of these bins are due to arrive in the next four weeks, to ensure that all garbage are placed in secured bins, which should reduce insects that brings illnesses.”
According to Mayor Lowe, the construction of a new container terminal about to commence should bring in an estimated 200 jobs for the youths of Banjul.
“I stand here today with great pride that after 100 days, the council has managed to put the city onto a more fiscally and administratively responsible path towards good governance.”
http://standard.gm/site/2018/10/05/mayor-says-financial-abuse-impeded-bcc-for-decades/ |
| 1 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 26 Oct 2018 : 15:35:21
“I am very disappointed with the Banjul City Council. Banjul as the capital City of the country, cannot provide the National Assembly with a proper financial report,”
A very clear appraisal of the current position of the BCC with the N.A.
Is something amiss I ask myself 
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By Yankuba Jallow October 24, 2018
The National Assembly Select Committee on Local Government, gave the Banjul City Council a final ultimatum to produce all the necessary Financial and Activity reports to the Committee.
The Financial Report that was previously submitted according to the National Audit Office, is not proper and that Council has a lot of issues to adjust.
In her statement, Ya Kumba Jaiteh, the Deputy Chairperson of the Committee, stated that this is not the first time the BCC has failed to meet the requirement of the Committee, to produce the required reports.
When the sittings commenced, the CEO of BCC Mustapha Bachilly, told the Committee that there is a new activity report submitted to them for consideration; that the first one should be disregarded because it does not have Management’s letter. “The first one we sent is deemed by us as incomplete. That is why we sent a new activity report which is more comprehensive than the previous one,” he said. Deputy Chairperson Jaiteh indicated that the National Audit Office told them that the Financial Report of the BCC is incomplete.
“This is not the second time you did this. The last time you came, you were asked to go back and provide us with the accurate report. This serves as an obstacle to this Committee regarding our oversight functions,” she told BCC representatives.
Bachily, the CEO in his response told the Committee, that this should not be seen as a contempt to the Committee from their side.
Pa Majagne Ndow of the National Audit Office told the Committee, that BCC is required to prepare a financial report which will be in consonant with the Financial and Local Government Manuals but the report presented to them by Council, does not entail this information.
For his part, the member for Bundungka Kunda Constituency in his intervention said the attitude shown by BCC, cannot continue; that they expected the session to continue; that they should consult people if they do not know what to do; that they can even consult the National Assembly on what to do and their doors were open for them.
The Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly who is also a member of the Committee, suggested to the Committee to work with the National Audit Office. Billay G. Tunkara, the Member for Tumana Constituency, said BCC should not see the action of the Committee as a witch hunt. “We have a duty to fulfill,” Tunkara said.
Honourable Sunkary Badjie, the Member for Foni Berefet Constituency, said Council should respect the Financial and Local Government Manual when doing their work; that they should do as much as possible not to fail to produce the needed documents before the Committee, failure of which will grant the Committee to exercise their powers as enshrined in the Constitution. He suggested to them to consult the Ministry of Local Government and Lands on this issue as provided under Section 148 of the Constitution; that the Ministry has an oversight function over Councils.
Alagie Sowe, the Member for Jimara in his intervention, expressed disappointment to the BCC.
“I am very disappointed with the Banjul City Council. Banjul as the capital City of the country, cannot provide the National Assembly with a proper financial report,” he said.
Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe was represented by the Deputy Mayor Omar BJ Touray, and Mustapha Bachilly, the CEO.
http://foroyaa.gm/national-assembly-gives-final-ultimatum-to-bcc/ |
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