By Binta Jaiteh
Joint committees of the National Assembly including the public account committee have begun scrutiny of The Gambia Public Procurement Bill.
Speaking before the lawmakers on Wednesday, Amadou Ceesay, CEO of Gambia Competition Consumer Protection Commission said “for the first time the law applies to second hand consumer goods under limited circumstances to provide economic and sustainable satisfying procurement.”
“We think is a very good inquisition because when we say value for money it doesn’t have to be something new. It also talks about section (54) 3 of the bill provides for the narration of other approve publication method shall be on the procurement quarter,” he said.
He cited section (24) (1) of the bill which he said prohibits collision agreement which is also in conformity with the GPPA act 2007 specifically section 25 and 26, adding that “21 (2b) which is the exceptions as far as they are on natural monopoly. Under section (22b) of the bill says except for water, gas, electricity and water.”
“There is a need to look at this section better especially the exemptions, is using the word national monopoly and I am not sure whether there is any national monopoly. We have statutory and national monopoly which is not even defined in the bill,” he said
Saloum Malang, Director General of GPPA said: “the consequence will bring down the economy and Gambia is a tax based economy. If we open it blankly, furniture, vehicles will all be purchased under secondhand and it will affect the economy.”
It will also expose the country to a dumping ground, as we all know the health hazard associated with secondhand goods.
Abdoulie Jallow , PS MOF said the observations are key that is important on annual bases, saying
the Gambia Revenue Authority should also conducts dialogue with stakeholders.
“It will help to enrich information between revenue authority and other stakeholders,” he said, adding “
that it is in the act but the problem is information, it is not shared that is where the challenge lies.”
Omar Gaye, DG of Gamworks said the procurement bill is very critical and need scrutiny 96 does have serious implications to the head of any governmental organization. “Which says the head of organization according to the regulations, shall be personally responsible for any lapses in the general supervision and control this is serious”