By: Kebba AF Touray
The Banjul City Council (BCC), is due to reappear before the National Assembly Select Committee on Local Government. This agreement between the BCC and the NA Committee was reached on Monday November 19th 2018, following the failure of the city council to lay its 2015-2016 Activity Reports and Financial Statements earlier.
Monday’s proceedings, like previous once, also suffered a setback as the BCC could not present its aforesaid documents before the NA Committee for consideration and adoption.
According to the officials of the BCC, since their last meeting with the NA Committee, they have done all the requisite works and preparations, but could not lay their report before the Committee; that the report is not complete for submission. The BCC however assured the NA Committee that by 20th of December 2018, they will be fully ready for presentation of their reports in line with their agreement.
The NA Committee advised the BCC to make all efforts to ensure that Monday’s agreement is fulfilled, to avert any further postponement.
In the same but separate engagement, the Public Enterprise Committee of the National Assembly on Monday adopted the 2015-2016 Activity Report and Financial Statements of the National Food Security processing and Marketing Corporation, which came high on the heels of a marathon day long scrutiny and interface, with PEC officials.
Meanwhile the National Agency Against Trafficking in Persons dubbed NATIP, could not lay their reports before PEC. NATIP Officials informed PEC that their activity report was ready for submission, but at the time the National Audit Office was conducting their audit exercise, they could not make presentations, but assured PEC that once the audit exercise is complete, they will duly submit the report to the Committee.
Halifa Sallah, the Chairperson of PEC, put it to them that the engagement is for the governing authority and the board to cause management, the auditors, or executive director, to speak on their behalf.
