By Binta Jaiteh
Kuntaur Area Council draft report, which has been pending due to the emerge of COVID-19 Pandemic as the National Audit Office claims is under finalization, though sitting on the yet to complete draft report has been adjourned indefinitely by the NA select committee on Regional Government and Lands, Ombudsman and IEC.
During the presentation, Ousman Sambou, CEO of Kuntaur Area Council informed the members that audit has been done for the year ended 2019 and 2020 financial year by the Auditor General.
He said, as at now they have just completed the auditing one month ago and they are finalizing the draft which will be sent to the council and the council will answer to the quarries and the council will have the opportunity to submit that draft to the committee of the Assembly.
Meanwhile, he added that they are waiting for the auditor’s report to be submitted this is what is holding the management of the Kuntaur Area Council
Bakary Trawally, director of audit at the Municipality and Area Councils (NAO) said: the audit team has just concluded the auditing exercise for the year 2019 and 2020 while they are now working on the draft.
He noted that the delay was due to the COVID-19 pandemic hence the audit team was not able to travel far because they were working in isolation or remotely but only give priorities to the councils that is KMC and Banjul.
He confirmed that they are auditing the 2019 and 2020 together and also working on the draft.
Honorable Amul Nyassi, chairperson of the committee said they heard the explanation from the management of the council as to why their report is not submitted and is confirmed by the National Audit Office. The only document that should have been here is the management letter.
The committee cannot finalize since the audit report is not finalized and members has adjourned the sittings till further notice.