By Binta Jaiteh
The Gambia Investment Export Promotion Agency has listed its challenges to lawmakers as its officials appear the MPs with the Institution’s reports.
Yankuba Dibba, deputy chair of GIEPA said: “we face a lot of challenges in 2020 due to two main reason, he said this statement to the Public Enterprise Committee the 4th February 2021 and the challenges include the demise of their late CEO and the covid 19 pandemic also impacted to the failure of submitting 2019 financial statement and activity report of the year ended 31st December 2019.”
“I thank the committee for allowing us to state our reason why the report of 2019 on time, as far as the 2017 and 2018 report are concern, the only pending report is 2019 report. this made US to delay of report submission, due the two main reasons demise of our CEO and the covid 19 pandemic,” he said.
Halifa sallah, chair of the national assembly public enterprise committee said: “the constitution deems it fit to provide instrument governing the operations of public enterprise in the country, adding that section (175) states very clear that, public enterprises would have the authority to comprising people who are mature in judgment. The institution that is before us today is the Gambia investment and export promotion agency is established to serve such a purpose.”
“it is evident under section (5) of the act that the agency shall promote the creation of conductive business environment to spur investment and export growth, support the sustainable develop of local enterprises in order to build their capacity to effectively contribute to employment economic growth and wealth creation. section 109 sub section 3 of the constitution states for the purpose of effective performing of its functions each of the committees shall have the powers rights and privileges as are vested in the high court at a trial,” he said.
In respect of attending the witnesses and examine on the law, as the institution writes to get the understanding as what was requested was work in progress but in terms of parliamentary procedure that is simply a paper sent to the clerk and when we meet the paper will not speak, submission and presentation are different. On that note no question will be put, that the activity report and financial statement of the year ended 31st December 2019 is in progress and they are not here to make a presentation and request for extension,” he said.
GIEPA will submit its financial statement and activity report of the year ended 31st December 2019 on or before 15th February 2021.