As Gratuity Payment Rises to 25%

Members of the National Assembly at the second meeting in the 2007 legislative year on Monday, 4th June, amended the National Assembly Members Salaries and Pensions Amendment Bill 2007.

The bill, which seeks to amend act number nine of 1997 in an upward movement, has revised the existing rate of payment of gratuity to members of the National Assembly from 12.5% to 25% per annum.

In moving the motion before members of the National Assembly, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs who is also responsible for National Assembly matters, Hon Bala Garba Jahumpa, said that the government having realised the need to amend the act for the payment of pensions and gratuity to National Assembly Members for their membership of the august body, decided to initiate the amendment bill.

“The objective of the bill”, he said, “is to cater for adequate remuneration for National Assembly Members as befits their status after a successful term of service,” he stated, adding: “As members of the National Assembly the honourable members serve not only their constituencies but the Gambian people in general.”

Secy Garba Jahumpha further elucidated that when one ceases to be a member of the National Assembly, he or she should be able to continue to be a honourable member of society.

According to the Foreign Affairs Secy, the effect of the bill is retroactive, deemed to have come in to effect on the 30th January 2002.

In response to the mover of the bill, Hon. Sedia Jatta, Member for Wuli West, described the bill as nothing new. “This is not anything new. It is meant to regularise an anomaly that exists. Others were granted 25% and we the members of the National Assembly were granted 12.5%. That is irregular and that is what is being regularised now,” he said, explaining that it is not an increment of the National Assembly salaries.

For his part, the Majority Leader and member for Serrekunda East, Hon. Fabakary Tombong Jatta, said that the bill is a further indication that the government listens to the plight of not only the citizenry but the National Assembly Members as well. “We must think of the record that for the past 10 years of this National Assembly, members of this august body have sacrificed for the welfare of The Gambia people,” he said.

Speaking earlier, the Minority Leader and member for Kiang West expressed the need for the Secretary of State to come up with a bill in the near future that would make special arrangements for un-elected former National Assembly Members, so as to avoid the wastage of their experience.