By Binta Jaiteh
The National Assembly Public Enterprises Committee (PEC) has reviewed the Auditor General’s report on the Performance Audit on cargo management by The Gambia Port Authority (GPA).
The audit detailed among other issues inability of the Port of Banjul to accommodate the current rate of cargo due to growth of traffic inflow without a corresponding terminal expansion.
Honorable Halifa Sallah, chairman of the Public Enterprises Committee (PEC) said the activity as a new pace for the committee through a practical engagement in monitoring a particular sector in the operation of a public enterprise.
According to him, what has been done in this instance is to subject an aspect of the operation of the Ports Authority to what is called Performance Audit”, he said.
However, the task was considered a necessity because of the importance of the institution to the Government. Meanwhile its availability is crucial hence the audit aimed to look at the operations of Gambia Ports Authority. This is to identify the areas where the Ports Authority has its major activities. Its core operational areas and the core operational areas to performance audit in order to identify the strengths and weaknesses make recommendations, he added
Karamba Touray, the auditor-General, National Audit Office pointed the potential risks of Banjul Port losing its trade competitiveness to other competitors.
He said his office recommended increased berth capacity to accommodate more vessels and thus reduce ships waiting time at the anchorage and achieve faster ship turnaround time.
“Basically, accepting the recommendation the management of GPA noted that it had commissioned a new Master Plan 2019-2038 and Business Plan 2019-2023, which has recommended the extension of the new Banjul wharf northwards of its present location by 345m as one of the urgent components,” he said.
“The GPA has recruited Royal Haskoning of the Netherland as Consultants to assist in the preliminary design, tender process and identification of a construction contractor through an EPC project “he added.