As Witness Exposes Cash Discrepancies
By: Fatou Krubally
A revenue collector at Banjul City Council (BCC) has made startling revelations at the Local Government Commission of Inquiry about inconsistencies in cash handling and record-keeping at the BCC.
Testifying before the commission on Wednesday, Matarr Ndaw, who has been collecting revenue for the council, detailed how financial records failed to account for certain funds, raising concerns about possible mismanagement.
Ndaw’s testimony centered on the cash books, covering trade license and market daily collections from 2017 to 2023, which were submitted as pieces of evidence. He confirmed that while he collected revenue, he often handed over the money to the director of finance without receiving an immediate receipt, a practice that led to discrepancies in financial records.
The commission learned that a taskforce was formed annually to recover outstanding trade license fees, but it operated with little oversight. Members of the taskforce worked separately in different zones, collecting funds individually before submitting them to the finance department. There was no centralized recording system, and no official register was maintained to track working hours. Ndaw admitted that there was no fixed rate for overtime payments, with workers being paid arbitrarily.
When pressed about missing funds, Ndaw claimed that some of the money was used for overtime payments. However, an internal audit later flagged financial irregularities, showing that collected funds were not properly accounted for. He admitted to confronting a finance official about the missing money but was assured it would be “sorted out.”
Several General Treasury Receipts (GTRs) issued between 2021 and 2022 were submitted to the commission as evidence. The commission acknowledged the receipts but questioned why financial gaps remained in the records. Ndaw insisted that he had followed standard procedures but admitted that he only realized the discrepancies after the audit report exposed them.
Despite handling large sums of money, Ndaw stated that he had never directly deposited funds into the bank. Instead, he handed over collections to finance officials for safekeeping until the next day. He only requested receipts in the morning, by which time discrepancies had already occurred. This lack of immediate documentation raised concerns about accountability.
The commission is now reviewing the submitted financial records. While Ndaw has been discharged for now, he may be recalled as investigations continue into the suspected mismanagement of revenue at BCC. The revelations have raised serious concerns about financial oversight within the council, prompting calls for stricter controls and transparency in revenue collection.
