By: Sandally Sawo
The former CEO of Mansakonko Area Council said lodges in the Lower River Region have been refusing to pay taxes to the council and he pleaded with the Local Government Commission of Inquiry (LGCI) to help in finding a solution to the issue.
According to Section 21, subsection 2 of the Local Government Finance and Audit Act, levies, fees, and taxes payable in the TDA shall be paid to the GTBoard.
However, according to the former Mansakonko Area Council CEO Pa Sait Ceesay, the law is being misinterpreted. Mr. Ceesay told the commission that he felt the law does not state or suggest that hotels or lodges should not pay taxes to the councils.
“All the councils are facing this problem. The lodges and hotels are refusing to pay taxes to them,” he told the commission.
Earlier on, Ceesay testified that the Mansakonko Area Council has not been producing financial statements due to capacity constraints. He explained that he requested financial statements from the finance director but he failed to do so. Ceesay tendered a letter to the commission in which he requested cash books, journals, ledgers, bank statements, checkbooks, and deposit slips. The letter was titled “Reminder.” The second letter that he tendered to the commission was dated 7 May 2020, and according to the witness, it was sent to the finance director after a request by the National Assembly Select Committee on Local Government for the financial statement to be produced. The witness said he had other letters he had written to the finance director, requesting financial statements.
“My assessment after six months confirmed to me that the director of finance lacked capacity and this was why I could not confirm his appointment,” ex-CEO Ceesay testified.
He explained that the council lacked a proper record-keeping system because it had no records unit.