The Public Accounts and Public Enterprises Committees of the National Assembly has issued a final ultimatum to public enterprises and agencies who are yet to submit their annual reports and financial statements to the Public Accounts and Public Enterprises Committees of the National Assembly before August 15, 2007 to do so immediately without which parliament will proceed to take appropriate legal measures against all defaulting agencies and enterprises.

This ultimatum was issued yesterday by Hon Fatoumatta Jahumpa-Ceesay, Speaker of the National Assembly and Chairperson of the joint Public Accounts and Public Enterprises Committees of the National Assembly, while addressing permanent secretaries of the various government departments and their deputies, heads of public enterprises and other top government officials at a joint session of the Public Accounts and Public Enterprises Committees of the National Assembly, at the National Assembly Chambers in Banjul.

According to her, the collective resolve and commitment of the National Assembly Public Accounts Committee to ensure that, who ever exist on taxpayers monies must be socially, financially and politically accountable to the taxpayers through their elective representatives in parliament. “It is not a witch-hunt against the public enterprises,” she noted.

The PAC Chairperson added that, the new dispensation of both sides of the parliament doesn’t mean that they are out to “witch-hunt” any public enterprises, but discharging a statutory duty without fear or favour, affection or ill-will, in accordance to the Constitution and other laws of The Gambia.

According to her, the principal objective of this statutory exercise is to perform lawful checks, scrutiny and oversight on public enterprises and agencies and the public service delivery system, with a view to ensuring that the government of The Gambia and its public service delivery systems, institutions, enterprises and agencies are all collectively and jointly accountable to the Gambian people, being a government of the Gambian people, by the people and for the people.

“Therefore, the government of the Gambia in nurturing and promoting our democratic values and gains, does not only want to stop at holding free and fair elections on time, but would also want to ensure that the meaningful and significant social, political and economic developments we have so far attained, are even further protected and cherished. Equally, we as elective representatives of the Gambian people, are all out to complement the good efforts of our government by ensuring that we meet the Millennium Development Goals particularly in the social priority sectors of education, health and agriculture as enshrined in The Gambia incorporated Vision 2020, PRSP-SPA and the Silicon Valley vision” she said.

She noted that, the current dispensation in parliament shall never shy-away from its statutory responsibilities, nor shall it be found wanting in the discharge of these duties.

Speaker Jahumpa-Ceesay then recognised and acknowledged with esteemed appreciation, the abundant goodwill of President Yahya Jammeh, the Gambian leader, for his un-parallel regard and support for the effective functioning of the National Assembly and its various committees for the good of society. “It is President Jammeh’s personal resolve and determination as chief servant of the Gambia people that we owe so much. Equally, we in Parliament are also very appreciative of the goodwill and support the National Assembly and its committees have received from various quarters of Gambian society be it the public service, civil service, judiciary and security services, UNDP and UN agencies, Diplomatic missions of the Gambia’s friends, local and international NGOs, the media and civil society.” She emphasised.

According to her, as members of the National Assembly, it is their collective resolve and desire as elective representatives of the people of The Gambia that, they support the good efforts of the Executive by helping to restore greater public and donor confidence in governance by making government and Public Enterprises and agencies socially, politically and financially accountable to the Gambian people through their elective representatives in parliament.

On the roles of the procedure at joint sessions of PAC/PEC, she noted that it shall include, as per the standing orders of the National Assembly made under the 1997 constitution of the Republic of The Gambia, as per precedence set-forth by previous PAC best practices and sessions, as well as to be resolved by two-third majority of the join committees.

On the scope of business, Speaker Jahumpa-Ceesay noted that, it shall include key witnesses and witnesses from each public enterprise and agencies namely, Chief Executive and  or their deputies, Chairperson of Board of Directors, heads of finance and external auditors of each public enterprise and agency. She added that, the public accounts committee shall be aided by the Auditor General, Permanent Secretary - DOSFEA, Solicitor General & Legal Secretary DOSJ, Permanent Secretary - DOSFA & National Assembly Affairs, Inspector General of Police, Director - PAU, Director General -GPPA or their representatives and three subject- matter specialists recruited by the public accounts committee.

Regarding the conduct of business at each session, she revealed that, the joint public Accounts Committee and Public Enterprises Committee shall sit in public to receive and consider annual reports and financial statements of all Public enterprises and agencies of the government of the Gambia starting Tuesday July 10 to Thursday 30 August 2007.

“The external Auditors of each public enterprise and agency accompanied or supported by the chief executive and chairperson, and finance directors of each public enterprise and agency shall present formally the reports, accounts and financial statements of their respective enterprises and agencies. After each management’s presentation, the join PAC/PEC shall thereafter, proceed to consider the report, accounts and financial statements so presented. They shall receive testimonies from these key witnesses of management and any other witness they may consider necessary. All honourable members of the PAC/PEC, supporting witnesses of the committees viz: permanent Secretary - DOSFEA, Auditor General, Director General - GPPA and the three subject matter specialists shall jointly or severally asked questions, raised issues or call for any information thereto or thereof,” she clearly pointed out.

The PAC Chairperson then announced that, the aforesaid joint committee after due consultations with both sides of the parliament, have appointed Mr. Alhagie Kabba M.A. Jallow - (former president of The Gambia Association of Accountants), Mr. Augustus Prom- (chief executive of the Augustus Prom auditing and management firm), Mr. Jeffery Reiner - (chartered accountant & current president of The Gambia Association of Accountants), as subject matter specialists to assist the Public Accounts Committee / Public Enterprises Committee during and on their considerations of the various reports, accounts and financial statements from all the public enterprises/ agencies; as per the provisions of section 108 (1) and (2) of the 1997 constitution of the Republic of The Gambia.

She then acknowledged with gratitude and appreciation the extra-ordinary goodwill and efforts of the eighteen public institutions and enterprises who have done everything within their means and powers to comply and conform strictly with the constitution of the Republic of The Gambia and submitted their reports, accounts and financially statements to the National Assembly on time for statutory consideration of scrutiny by honourable members. These institutions include, Permanent Secretary, DoSFEA, Auditor General- National Audit Office, Central Bank of The Gambia, Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation, Gamtel, Gamcel, National Water and Electricity Company, Gambia Ports Authority, Gambia Investment Promotion and Free Zone Agency, Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, Gambia International Airlines, Gambia Tourism Authority, Gambia Public Procurement Authority, Gambia Civil Aviation Authority, Gambia Public Transport Corporation, Gambia Postal Services, Office of the Ombudsman and the Independent Electoral Commission.
She described the move as a big achievement, as these public enterprises have demonstrated their resolve to submit themselves to parliamentary scrutiny as required by law.

Similarly, Speaker Jahumpa-Ceesay also called on the remaining twenty-four Public enterprises and agencies who have not yet submitted their annual reports, accounts an financial statements to parliament, to do so without further delay and in any case, not later than 15th August 2007. The enterprises and agencies are; the National Planning Commission and GRA. NADA and Gambia Bureau of Statistics are exempted for this year. She then reiterated that The Gambia government under President Yahya Jammeh’s leadership has demonstrated abundant goodwill and resolve to be socially, politically and financially accountable to the citizenry through parliament and stated that they will not compromise with anybody or management of any public institutions or agencies in fulfilling its lawful duty to submit itself to public scrutiny.
Mr. BM Kebbeh, Clerk of the National Assembly chaired the session.