Members of the National Assembly last Monday enacted a bill entitled “The Cabinet Members Payment of Gratuity Bill” tabled by the vice-president, Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy.

According to the provision of the bill, any cabinet member who serves for a period of not less than 12 months shall be paid a gratuity of 25% of his/her annual salary and allowances.

However, the bill does not cater for cabinet members who resign voluntarily.

Presenting the bill before National Assembly Members for enactment, vice-president Isatou Njie-Saidy said the enactment of the bill would go a long way in registering The Gambia as a model worthy of emulation among nations.

The bill was highly welcomed by the National Assembly Members.

In a related development, members of the National Assembly on Monday enacted the National Planning Commission Bill 2006, also tabled by the vice-president.

Vice-President Njie-Saidy told members of the National Assembly that the “bill seeks to address the non-existence of a national co-ordination office for regional as well as sectoral strategies”.

The then absence of such a bill, she said, immensely reduced the benefits and outputs of essential public and private investment in the country.