Gambia Armed Forces Spokesperson said on Sunday that they are concerned about the delay in the payment of course allowances of their personnel in China and Turkey.
Major Lamin K Sanyang told Foroyaa: “We are concerned about the delay in payment of their allowances. They are comrades that we have been working with amicably in the Armed Forces. We are definitely working on getting their payment sorted out with the Personnel Management Office.”
Sanyang’s comments came on the heels of reports that GAF personnel in China were complaining the delay in the payment of their course allowances.
He said: “The delay in payment of course allowances does not only affect our students in China, some of our students in Turkey are also affected.”
According to Sanyang, these GAF personnel in China left the Gambia in phases, saying some of them left in July and some in August 2019. He was quick to add that some of them have returned home.
Sanyang said the Armed Forces received a letter from the Government sometime last year indicating that effective 1st January 2020, payment of course allowances would be handled from the Personnel Management Office.
He added: “Our finance department was working with the Ministry of Finance and the Personnel Management Office towards the implementation of this new directive. The director of Finance at GAF Lt Colonel Musa Jammeh normally communicates with their course senior Colonel Paul Arthur Gomez regarding how far we (GAF) have gone in pursuing their allowances with the PMO and the Ministry of Finance. He (Musa Jammeh) also normally communicates with Lt Colonel Abdoulie Jatta (their senior officer) regarding the efforts they are making at this end for the course allowances of the junior officers in Turkey to be paid by the Ministry of Finance.”
He clarified that the GAF personnel were paid their September, October and November allowances.
Sanyang said the delay in payment of course allowances is probably caused by the transfer in authority between the Ministry of Defence and the Personnel Management Office.
