By:Kebba AF Touray
Mamburey Njie, the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, revealed to the Members of the National Assembly that the Social Security for Housing and Finance Cooperation (SSHFC), is the sole owner of The Gambia Transport Service Company. Njie said this in response to a question asked by Member for Jarra East Sainey Touray, on behalf of Member Kombo South and Majority Leader, Kebba K Barrow, on the question of who the shareholders of GTSC were.
“It is hundred percent owned by SSHFC and there are no shareholders”.
In a question on the total amount disbursed to staff of SSHFC as loans and the amount recovered, as well as the balance outstanding to date, raised by the Jarra East NAM, Njie responded that from 2008 to June 2018, the total loan disbursed to the staff of SSHFC is D136, 324, 651.03; that the total amount recovered is D9,081,550.04 and the balance outstanding to date is D127, 243,100.99.
In a supplementary question asked by the Member for Upper Nuimi, Omar Darboe on plans to recover this loan from the staff of SSHFC, Njie said: “it is not the responsibility of the Ministry Of Finance to recover the loans, but SSHFC have Senior Management and as far as I know, the loans are being paid, and they did not report any default or something like that. So it is not our responsibility, but the Senior Management of the Corporation.”
When asked why the outstanding amount by the MP for Bakau Assan Touray, Finance Minister Njie said it was due to repayments, as the loans are deducted directly from their salaries.
Finance Minister Njie said that a total of eighteen million, three hundred and nine-teen thousand, six hundred and sixty seven dalasi, has been spent on the President’s just concluded dialogue with the people tour.
Njie disclosed this yesterday in response to a question asked by Majority Leader, Kebba K Barrow.
On how much has been generated in terms of savings from the vehicle policy from July 2018, a question raised by Amadou Camara, the Member for Nianija Constituency, Njie said Government has spent D52.7 million and more, on motor vehicles, in terms of expenses (purchase and maintenance) this year, than last year at the same period.
“Expenditure on purchase of fuel and lubricants went up by D7.4million, whereas expenditure on purchase of Motor Vehicle increased from D60 million, to D113 million this year, (January to July)”, he said.
On the rationale behind cutting travel expenses on business class, except for Ministers and the cost of the each budget on travel, Njie said the rationale is to reduce travel expenses; that because the ratio of cost of the business class ticket to that of the economy class, is about 3:1.
On the total value of debts assigned to AMRC, a question raised by Alagie Mbow, the Member for Upper Saloum, Finance Minister Njie said as of August 2018, total value debts assigned to AMRC, is D 1,429,637,530.00 and the outstanding balance stands at D1,083,860, 537.94.
