By Bakary Ceesay
Mr. Matar Ceesay, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure has disclosed that the government has over 600 buildings and facilities across the country. Noting that most of these structures are not properly maintained despite having commercial value.
PS Ceesay made this disclosure, on Friday, 21st June at the opening ceremony of a two-day stakeholder retreat on The Gambia Public Buildings and Facilities Authority Bill.
The two-day retreat scheduled for the 21st and 22nd of June 2024 was held at Bakadaji Hotel, Kotu.
The objective of the retreat as stated by PS Ceesay was to provide a platform for stakeholders from various government ministries to review and refine the bill. “This will ensure public buildings and facilities meet the highest standards of accessibility, sustainability, and safety,” he said.
Discussing the Bill, the Permanent Secretary disclosed that the bill stems from a policy review that was conducted by ministry officials two years ago.
“We realize a need to conduct an inventory of all government buildings and come up with policy recommendations that would guide the administration of such buildings and facilities,” he said.
PS Ceesay informed the gathering that the bill’s adoption establishes the requirement to divide the roles of the building sector’s policies, operations, and regulations. He noted that the National Assembly demanded that the Ministry of Transport, Works, and
Infrastructure’s Department of Technical Services (DTS) to be reorganized and turned into an Authority.
Hon. Yahya Menteng Sanyang, National Assembly Member for Latrikunda Sabiji Constituency and Chairperson of the National Assembly Select Committee on Government Projects and Evaluation, said when the bill was tabled by the minister, his committee conducted a series of consultations and realized there were contentious clauses that need further discussion with the relevant stakeholders and the ministry.
Meanwhile, “We want to make sure that we deliver progressive laws, and we cannot do that without consulting the relevant stakeholders and citizens,” he said.
Honorable Sanyang added that the National Assembly is here to promote laws that are in the interest of the people and not to ‘take away people’s jobs’.
The bill, he went on when adopted, seeks to establish a public Building and Facilities Authority to adequately guide the construction and maintenance of buildings, public works infrastructures, and facilities in The Gambia.
