By Binta Jaiteh
Following a recent publication in the newspapers on the Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) of the National Assembly urging the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) to fine Jah Oil Company for what they refer to as ‘wilful non-compliance,’ The Director General of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) and its Director of Finance have elucidated and vindicated the company saying Jah Oil Company has “settled it’s fine long since.”
Mr. Mustapha Jobe, the Director General of PURA dismissed the claim published in the newspaper from the FPAC saying the report before the FPAC was an “old report”, citing that FPAC should have contacted PURA for further verification.
Without prejudice, the PURA DG vehemently disagreed with FPAC’s allegation against Jah Oil Company saying FPAC would have contacted the Authority before debating on the report at the National Assembly, because “Jah Oil Company since after it was fined in 2021 by PURA, the company has been compliance with PURA regulations.”
This clarification was made by the PURA senior officials on Tuesday, 24th October 2023 shortly after the presentation of the PURA’s 2021 Annual Report Activity and Financial Statement to the members of the FPAC at the National Assembly in Banjul.
For confirmation, this reporter contacted the FPA’s chairman, Honourable Alhagie Darboe, in his reaction, he said the Committee acted based on the report presented before them which he claimed “was an old report” by PURA.
However, presenting the PURA Annual Report Activity and Financial Statement for 2021, PURA’s DG MrJobe said the growth of the ICT and Energy sectors in The Gambia had continued its upward trend.
“The growth in the ICT sector is attributed to the increased uptake of ICT service marked by increased mobile telephony, Internet, and money subscriptions. With that of the energy sector, it is due to the expansion of the power supply to the ever-increasing customer base and increasing urbanization,” Mr. Jobeexplained.
