By: Kebba AF Touray
The Brikama Area Council (BAC) has tasked the government, to fulfill its obligation by paying its 25 percent budgetary support and other fiscal commitments to the council.
BAC made the task on the government, during its appearance before the Local Government Committee of the National Assembly, for the presentation of its activity reports and financial statements.
BAC decried that the challenges confronting the council, includes but limited to erosion of the major revenue base of the council, such as car park fees, sand mining, cattle tax amongst others, limited competency with regards to capacities of local authorities (decentralized structures), weak fiscal decentralization, to ensure effective and efficient service delivery.
“The priorities of the council are waste management, feeder road construction and rehabilitation, capacity development, provision of safe drinking water and women and youth empowerment initiatives”, underscored the Brikama Area Council.
The Council invests a total of four hundred and eighty five thousand dalasi (D485,000), for the procurement of a rate management software matrix solutions. The software as explicated by the council was expected to transit council from the age long manual record keeping to a modern, more user-friendly computerized system.
“The system would capture all details of the tax payer including name, addresses, contacts, payment history and arrears. The Specialized Procurement Unit (SPU) was involved in the acquisition of internet facility from GAMTEL. SPU was also involved in the framework contract for the supply of fuel with the Gambia National Petroleum Company Ltd”, BAC Informed LG Committee.
The mission of the BAC is to enhance the quality of life and the social cohesion of the inhabitants of West Coast Region, by embracing the best practices of good governance, socioeconomic justice and citizen based focused service delivery.
“Our vision is to be a vibrant and environmental friendly council that provides the right conditions for the effective involvement of various actors in the economic and social life of the region”, stated BAC.
BAC told lawmakers they would like “All revenue sources (sand, mining, cattle tax, sign and billboards, car park royalty fees) assigned to the government agencies by the previous regime, be reassigned back to the council. All the Chiefs and Alikalolu to assist in recovery arrears owed to council.
