By: Kebba AF Touray
The Ministry of Works and Infrastructure has appealed to the Parliamentary Committee on Monitoring and Implementation of the Government’s Projects, to reschedule or adjourn the scheduled consultative engagement with the committee, on the bill titled ‘Gambia Public Building and Facilities Authority Bill,’ 2021.
The meeting brought together officials from Finance, Agriculture, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and Works Ministries among other stakeholders to share ideas and views with the committee on the said Bill.
Commenting on the Bill, the representative of the Permanent Secretary, Abdoul Karim Cham, Principal Engineer at the Ministry of Works, told the committee that the Ministry earlier wrote to the committee requesting for the adjournment of the said engagement, “so that on the rescheduled or adjourned date, the senior management will be present during the meeting.”
During the discussions, Ebou Serign Gaye, Head of Construction, at the Projects Coordinating Unit at the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, told the Monitoring Committee that they have already submitted their position paper to the committee outlining their comments and what needs to be looked at. He said that though they are fully committed to the rescheduled date, “we have tight schedules, such as meeting with MCCA and our engagement with Faraba Bantang which is slated for Thursday, and as such the rescheduled date will not be convenient to them.”
As the Ministry is the custodian of the Bill, the request was deliberated on by the members of the Monitoring Committee.
Member for Lower Nuimi, Hon. Tamsir Cham, said “Since they are the custodian of the Bill, we will accept their request and move a motion to reschedule the interface to Thursday, 6th of June 2024.”
The Motion to reschedule the said consultative dialogue with the Ministry of Works and other stakeholders on the Bill was seconded by the Member for Jimara, Hon. Essa Conteh.
A member of the Committee who deputized the Chairperson of the Committee, Hon. Musa Cham, Member for Serekunda, said: “The purpose of the interface is to engage the stakeholders in a consultative platform, to obtain their views on the bill entitled Gambia Public Building and Facilities Authority Bill, 2021.”
The views shared with the committee during the meeting, he said “will form part of the report of the committee on the engagement with the stakeholders on the Bill to be presented before the plenary.”
He added that the interface he outlined was to avail the stakeholders the avenue to highlight their objections and position on the Bill to the committee.
