By Kebba AF Touray
Photo: Speaker Denton
The Speaker of the National Assembly, Mariam Jack Denton, has on Monday 6th September 2021 disclosed to the legislature that the draft budget will not be submitted this year.
Speaker Denton, while delivering her remarks at the opening of the Third Ordinary Session of the National Assembly in the 2021 Legislative year, said during the session, the assembly will consider important state matters and other parliamentary businesses.
“Similarly, but most importantly, I wish to inform the assembly that the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, in accordance with standing orders 81 and 82, was supposed to submit a draft of the budget during this third ordinary session ahead of the normal annual estimates.
“However, the Ministry has asked for the deferment of this clause for this year, citing the fact that it is an election year and as such the Ministry is already working tirelessly to complete the entire budget process before elections, and in particular for this year’s budget session to be brought forward much earlier than the traditional November December time frame.
“Essentially the Ministry has asked for deferment of this application (standing orders) until next year and that accordingly the Ministry has written to the Office of the Clerk to this effect and the assembly is being put on notice that a draft budget will not be submitted this session, as envisaged by the relevant standing orders,” she told the lawmakers.
She said under section 77(1) of the 1997 constitution, the President is mandated to at least once a year attend the sitting of the assembly and address a session on the conditions of the Gambia, the policies of the government and the administration.
“In compliance with the above cited section of the constitution, the President will attend a sitting of the national assembly and address the session on Thursday 9th of September 2021 at 10:00am,” she said.
She said the assembly during the previous ordinary session passed and assented to by the President the undermentioned bills as follows;
The Gambia Nationality and Citizenship Amendment Act 2021 passed on the 17th June 2021 and assented to by the President on the 7th July 2021.
The Births/ Deaths and Marriage Registration Amendment Act 2021 passed on the 17th June 2021 and assented to by the President on the 7th July 2021.
The Domestic Violence Amendment Act 2021, passed on the 17th June 2021, and assented to by the President on the 7th July 2021.
The Access to Information Act 2021, passed on the 1st July 2021, and assented to by the President on the 8th August 2021.
The Tourism Offences Amendment Act 2021 passed on the 1st of July 2021 and assented to by the President on the 26th July 2021.
The National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority Act 2021 passed on the 28th June 2021 and assented to by the President on the 25th July 2021.
The Petroleum Commission Act 2021, was passed on the 28th of June 2021, and assented to by the President on the 25th July 2021.
The Persons with Disabilities Act 2021, was passed on the 6th July 2021, and assented to by the President on the 25th July 2021.
The National Assembly Services Act 2021 was passed on the 27th July 2021 and assented to by the President on the 2nd August 2021.
The supplementary appropriation Act 2021 was passed on the 29th July 2021 and assented to by the President on the 2nd August 2021.
She expressed the commitment of all the assembly members and the Office of the Clerk in the execution of their parliamentary responsibilities and appealed to them to keep up the momentum and be guided by the common good.
“I wish to recognize in high esteem the efforts of the executive in introducing the National Assembly Service bill under a special procedure to ensure that it was passed with expedience. This is a testament of the executive’s commitment in strengthening the institution of parliament for the general good of democratic governance,” she said.
