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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 23 May 2019 : 16:07:42
"....not publicly tendered because the Gambia Government has no money for this project and it is being pre-financed by the contractor Gai Enterprise." Hmmmmmmmmm
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By Lamin Cham May 23, 2019
Councillors and members of the Banjul City Council led by Mayor Rohey Lowe yesterday confronted Works minister Bai Lamin Jobe alleging that they were snubbed over details of the Banjul roads reconstruction. The BCC officials further contended that as the elected executives of the municipality, the council deserves to at least know something about the US$37 million roads project.
In a short but charged explanation, Mayor Lowe told the minister who was touring the project as part of a nationwide inspection of road projects that it was both “unimaginable” and “flabbergasting” that the “BCC knows virtually nothing” about the project apart from the “mere invitation” to attend its launching.
“I have been inundated with questions from both my councillors and the general public and media as to the nature of the project but I cannot find any answers because I simply don’t know any aspect of the project. I have, since coming to office, been knocking on doors about this project, for example, having meetings with the contractor Hadim Gai and the minister himself over this project. But here we are, we don’t even know anything about the project as I have not even seen the project document. As the BCC, the direct representatives of the people of Banjul, we deserve to know at least the details about the project such as how much money is involved or which streets are to be paved etc,” the Mayor complained.
She demanded that the BCC be involved or at least shown the project documents, arguing that even though it may be a central government project, the beneficiaries are Banjulians. The mayor was supported by the councilors who wanted to know which streets would be paved or built from the more than 30 kilometre road project.
In response, Works Minister Jobe said he did not expect to be publicly confronted like that arguing that the mayor could have gone to his office to raise these issues. He however subsequently assured the BCC councilors and officials that they would be able to access any information about the project during the normal stakeholders meeting on updates on the project.
He explained that the roads project was not publicly tendered because the Gambia Government has no money for this project and it is being pre-financed by the contractor Gai Enterprise.
“Once the government conceived the desire to build the roads, the technical papers were prepared and the government then looked for a contractor who will pre-finance the works to the right specifications, observed by an international consultant, and be paid five years later. Gai Enterprise agreed to prefinance the works. This is the true story of this project. It is different from the normal projects which go to tender because the employer already has the money, ” the minister said.
https://standard.gm/mayor-and-works-minister-clash-over-banjul-roads-project/ |
| 2 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Momodou |
Posted - 27 May 2019 : 10:32:46
Related topic: BCC Should Lead and Coordinate Road Rehabilitation
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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 25 May 2019 : 14:46:39
Friday, May 24, 2019
The minister of Transport, Works and Infrastructure has clearly stated that the government does not have money to fund the construction of roads in the city of Banjul.
Bai Lamin Jobe made this disclosure on Wednesday following an outdoor meeting by councilors and members of the Banjul City Council led by Mayoress Rohey Malick about the reconstruction project of roads in the city of Banjul.
BCC officials on Wednesday confronted the Transport minister at the Banjul Seaport while coming from a nationwide tour, claiming that they were sidelined over the details of the Banjul reconstruction project.
The mayoress of Banjul, Rohey Malick Lowe, told the minister that her council (BCC) did not know anything about the project apart from being invited to attend its launching.
“I have been asked questions about this project several times both by my councilors, the media and the general public, but I cannot find any answers because I simply don’t know anything about the project.”
She indicated that she has been knocking on doors since coming into office about the project and has had meetings with the contractor Hadim Gai and the minister himself about the project
“Being a representative of BCC, I should at least see the project documents so as to know a detail about how much money is involved or at least which streets are to be paved.”
“I inaugurated a committee that will be assisting both Hadim Gai as the contractor and the ministry but in response, the ministry wrote to the BCC asking us not to be involved because it not our business and it is the central government project and should be controlled by the Ministry of Works.”
Responding, the minister of Works said that they did not tender anything about the project because the client which is the government didn’t have money for the project.
“We did our technical documents to come out with the cost of the project and we went around to look for contractors who are willing to pre-finance the project without asking for money for one year, in which we will be paying in five years,” said Minister Jobe
Transport minister further indicated that there is no money to award someone the contract, but stated that the project is been pre-financed by Gai Enterprise with an international consultant to supervise the work.
“If we tender this project, it means the government is financing the project. This project is called EPC contract which means that someone wants to do something but don’t have money for it,” he divulged, adding that “This is why we did the technical documentation and invited whosoever wants to come and invest and be supervised by an international consultant,” he explained.
He finally assured the BCC councilors and officials that they would be able to access any information about the project during the normal stakeholders meeting to be updated on the project.
Author: Arfang M.S. Camara
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/no-funds-to-reconstruct-roads-in-banjul |
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