Rohey Malick Lowe, Mayoress of the Banjul City Council revealed what she called they have inherited unexplained expenditure over D1.6 M for 2017 alone without any supporting documentation.
The Banjul Mayoress made this revelation as part of press briefing marking her 100 days in office, characterize by outlining of challenges and successes registered since assumption of the office to date.
“Today is 100 days of my administration as Banjul’s Mayoress. When I decided to run for the position under the banner of the United Democratic Party, I got the opportunity to interact with many great Banjulians and many of you invited me into your homes and shared with me your hopes, but also your concerns.
These interactions gave me the energy necessary to take on the challenge to work for the betterment of all Banjulians, not just a few, and to take the steps necessary to revitalize our great City of Banjul. An island city with a long and rich history in which people live and faced a lot of obstacles, including administrative related matters and others”, she said.
She went further and said armed with the desire to help the great people of Banjul, she ran for the position and solicits their support based on her vision, temperament and leadership skills to achieve the desire objectives of improving living conditions of the people of the city and she equally treasured and valued the trust and confidence they have in her as their elected representative.
She added that when she assumed office hundred days ago, she began the process of assessing the fiscal and administrative realities of the great city, saying she and the city council established a taskforce with the objectives of assessing the city’s administrative and financial situation as well as to recommend measures needed for a better governance of the city. She noted that the taskforce has not yet completed its final assessment, but its final report is expected next week.
“I did not have the opportunity of having a smooth transition process from the previous administration. This further convinced me to begin my tenure with a professional assessment of the administration and other important functions, including addressing the financial situation”, the Banjul Mayoress told her audience.
She seized the opportunity and spoke about issues relating to a debt of D8 million owed to several banks and suppliers with interests and overdraft charges therein, the cited unexplained expenditures without supporting documents worth over D1.6 million in 2017 alone, lack of payment of retirement benefits, pension’s liabilities in the sum of D3million, Payment of salaries to about 150 non-or former employees, unjustified daily and monthly allowance of fuel paid to senior managers, non payment of operational license by a number of stores doing business in the city, among others.
According to her, for the past years, the Council has been relying on generators rather than on the NAWEC electrical grid due to non payments of NAWEC bills, lack of archive with appropriate storage system of the administrative documents and other shocking discoveries made by her new administration are some of the challenges she and her team inherited at the Banjul City Council, hence appeals for support from all council members and people of the city towards achieving her desire objectives.
The Mayoress emphasis inherited debts to several banks and have negotiated a way forward, saying they are currently doing business with only one bank with a view to minimize waste and other unnecessary expenditures. She added that the council even stopped all payrolls to non active employees and also stopped allowance payment to directors for sitting in a general council meeting and that the council has reconnected with NAWEC for its electrical supplies, ending costly generator usage.
According to her they are now using a coupon system instead of cash purchasing of fuel for council vehicles to eliminate waste and fraud and this has cut down fuel budget drastically.
A new policy has been put in place to ensure that all loans given to staff members are updated and monitored for application of due interest and to ensure repayment. Lastly, we are taking serious measures to ensure that anyone doing business in our city is expected to pay their license and rent to the city failure to do so will result in a hefty fine or closure of the business, Mayoress Lowe told the city people.
Author Bakary Ceesay