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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
 Posted - 10 Aug 2011 : 11:54:57
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DAILY NEWS Naming & Shaming NAWEC’s Debtors
 "Picture NAWEC Boss Momodou Jallow
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Gambia government ministries, parastatals and some influential economic operators in the country have plunged the state-owned water and electricity supplier into what seems to be an unendurable financial difficulty.
“We do not see a way out, if the necessary steps are not taken,” Mr Alhagie Jallow, the finance director of NAWEC had earlier told a public hearing that failed to get the public sympathy for tariff increment even though tariffs were eventually increased.
The financial status of the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) is in jeopardy as the government and its parastatals, as well as some private institutions and individuals continue to default in paying their water and electricity bills.
As at 21 June this year, NAWEC is owed over two billion dalasi by these powerful public and powerful institutions.
For instance, the office of the president together with eleven ministries owed to NAWEC an exorbitant amount of over thirty-two million one hundred and twenty thousand dalasi, according to authoritative records. The Ministry of Defence has the highest debt among the lot.
Government-related accounts and parastatals, including the national broadcaster - GRTS, the Green Industries, and the Presidential Villa, also owed to NAWEC over fifty million dalasi. GRTS’ owes over D14, 000,000.
The seven area councils in the country combined owed to NAWEC over one hundred and twenty-five million, three hundred and seventy-six thousand dalasi. Brikama Area Council owes the highest.
Some private institutions and individuals including Amadou Samba, Mustapha Njie, Ocean Bay Hotel, Kanilai Farms, and Taf Constructions owed to NAWEC almost eleven million dalasi.
Earlier on, the finance director of NAWEC, Alhagie Jallow, has said the company will do everything within its ability to recover these arrears to help the institution to provide the services it should be providing.
However, the company has taken an initial step to recover the debts by sending a comprehensive list of its debtors to the National Assembly so that the legislators can use the powers recover in full all debts due and outstanding to NAWEC”.
The Public Accounts and Public Enterprises committees had scheduled to convene extra-ordinary session on 11 and 12July inorder to put measures in place to help NAWEC recover its debts.
However, a press release from the National Assembly published on 8July, states that the extra-ordinary session has been postponed till further notice. No reason was advanced.
NAWEC has incurred an operational loss of more than seven hundred and sixty-one million dalasi between 2008 and 2010, which has impeded the revenue base of the company and continues to affect its operational obligations.
Due to this huge drawback in revenue and the continued rise in debt owed to it, the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) is facing serious difficulties in paying its suppliers.
As at the end of 2010, the company owed to its major suppliers D830 million, up from over D378 million in 2008.
To assuage its predicament and meet its operational obligations, NAWEC has recently increased its electricity tariffs despite public disapproval.
Author: Lamin Jahateh"
ALSO RELATED FROM DAILY NEWS National Assembly Shouldn’t Shamefully Blink This Time Around
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Edited by - kobo on 10 Aug 2011 12:03:52 |
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Momodou
Denmark
11717 Posts |
Posted - 10 Aug 2011 : 16:02:07
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National Assembly Shouldn’t Shamefully Blink This Time Around
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
 Although a little too late, yet it was a very bold and wise move on the part of the state-owned supplier of water and electricity to seek the backing of the country’s legislative and oversight arm of government with a view to have its debtors pay their bills to prevent it from falling on its knees.
Besides, the National Assembly’s publication of the comprehensive list of debtors on the local newspapers and naming the defaulters is as well quiet a commendable move.
The Assembly’s Public Accounts and Public Enterprises committees (PAC & PEC) had scheduled to convene an extra-ordinary session on 11 and 12 July inorder to put measures in place to help NAWEC recover its debts.
However, its sudden cancelling of that session and postponement of it for ‘further notice’ – unspecified date – without any explaination advanced for its decision is worth worrying.
We hope that the National Assembly will not ‘shamefully blink’ this time as it disappointingly did on the resolved Gambia National Olympic Committee saga by apologizing Gambian president Yahya Jammeh after squeezing the officials of the sports ministry, including the Sports Minister.
And it has been stated that the Office of the President is among the defaulters, alongside twelve ministries. Several other parastatals are named. Some influential economic operators and well-to-do people in Gambian society, surprisingly, are also found wanton.
Infact, the caliber of people and institutions – public and private - named in the list and the exorbitant sums of money they owed suggest that NAWEC should not have gone to the risk of increasing tariffs for its services and products.
It was very clear to NAWEC that the previous tariffs for its services were already considered high, thus increasing it will be highly unwelcomed by the public. It is not helpful and the timing was bad because prices of basic commodities have been skyrocketing.
Nonetheless tariffs have been adjusted despite public disapproval and decry. The poor and ordinary Gambians who would owe to NAWEC a few thousands of dalasi would be hardly given a second chance and negotiations would often immaterialise whilst the indebted rich and influential individuals and institutions continue to enjoy, most probably, interrupted water and electricity supply at the expense of both NAWEC and ordinary people in Gambia. That is not fair!
NAWEC’s financial situation is very volatile. It requires swift and uncompromising action as the life of our own is at stake.
The National Assembly cannot afford to capitulate to the desires of individuals at least for this time around. As an elected autonomous representative body, it owes its obligation, first and foremost, to the public.
The National Assembly should be reminded that in their world, public interest should ride roughshod over personal interests. In fact that is cardinal. Therefore, it must be observed, once more, at least this time around. Else NAWEC is bound to fall on its knees. And when that happens, neither the government nor the people of The Gambia will be spared by the consequence.
Source: Daily News |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 12 Aug 2011 : 00:40:57
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The government of Yaya Jammeh is due for resignation in honour. They don't have to drag on to face disgraceful exit from power. This is the highest level of negligence and mismanagement.
How much people in public position abuse power is up to the extent that the leader condones it. In Gambia, so long as you praise sing for Jammeh, do whatever you like and all is fine. This NAWEC debt case is typical example. |
Karamba |
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toubab1020
12311 Posts |
Posted - 12 Aug 2011 : 15:20:54
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| There we are , I have been blaming NAWEC for many things,that they should have done better but the reasons why they have not performed better is the usual Gambian one NO MONEY,why no money,? very simple they are owed huge debts that are uncollectable , according to The Daily News,welcome back on line . |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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