By: Bakary Ceesay
Mambury Njie, Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Thursday informed the National Assembly Members that the Internal Audit team recently conducted an audit and confirmed that a total sum of Two Billion and Twenty-Two Million Four Hundred and Forty-One Thousand Dalasi is owed to Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC) by other state owned enterprises and government of the Gambia.
Njie was responding to a question asked by Hon Madi MK Ceesay, National Assembly member for Serekunda West.
The Finance minister further informed deputies that the price increment could be attributed to shortage in supply of cement related to the imposition of an additional tariff of bagged cement importation.
“The objective of the tariff was to promote local industrial production and employment creation,” he said. He stated that the local cement bagging industry couldn’t supply the increased demand due to the boom in construction. As soon as this was observed, the tariff was lifted as it was defeating the intended objectives.
Hon Sainey Jawara, member for Lower Saloum also asked the Finance Minister to tell the august assembly the methods or criteria used by government to dispose-off scrapped or unused vehicles in various ministries, departments and agencies?
The Minister in his response said the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs requested all that ministries, departments and agencies to submit a list of derelict vehicles under their purview. “Then we hired a consultant to assess the state of the vehicles and propose a reserve price for each vehicle.” Based on the report of the consultant, the auction will be conducted and it will commence on March 31st, 2019.
