By: Kebba AF Touray
Hon. Sunkary Badgie, member for the Foni Brefet, has stated that the Department of Physical Planning is under resourced.
Hon. Badgie said this on Wednesday 25th November 2020, during the debate on the Finance and Public Accounts Committee’ consolidated report on the 2021 draft estimates, at the legislative house in Banjul.
He said: “We are of the opinion that if the Physical Planning is resourced and empowered they would be able to embark on constant monitoring and ensure that people who are building structures, would comply with the regulations, so as to minimize the rate of compensation that resident dwellers demand, on their lands if government wants to embark on some major construction”.
He said the issue of a Technical, Vocational and Educational Training multipurpose center project in Ndemban has been ongoing, but that the construction of recent has ceased, as such he decried that no significant recommendation or allocations were made in the draft estimate for the completion of the multipurpose center.
He said the monitoring committee has visited the site and they are of the view that the government needs to allocate funds for the completion of the said project.
He explicated: “The project will provide the enabling environment for the youth to acquire skills and become self-employed and reliant using those skills. So there is dire need for the project to be considered and allocated to make it a success.”
He said it is prudent to provide the appropriated funds on time to ensure that the construction is completed, adding that the more time it takes the government to allocate and complete the construction, the more dilapidated the structure will be.
On the Ministry of Lands, he said they were informed that the structures of RDI(Rural Development Initiative), needs urgent and necessary assistance, to ensure that it is functional. He added that it is currently in a poor condition.
Hon. Badgie said: “The issue of land dispute is becoming an alarming issue and it is significant that the Land Commission be empowered to effectively carry out its functions to mitigate the numerous land conflicts and is becoming a major concern in the country.”
