Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The government has rejected a recommendation by the National Assembly to reprimand the Gambia Tourism Board (GTBoard) over its decision to award all contract lots for the eco-lodges project to a single bidder, an approach lawmakers previously said contravened procurement guidance.
The government’s position was outlined by the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Abdoulie Jobe, in an official response to the Assembly’s report and resolutions stemming from a petition filed by concerned GTBoard staff.
In its earlier resolution, the Assembly recommended that GTBoard be reprimanded for allocating all contract lots to one bidder, arguing that the move went against guidance from the Gambia Public Procurement Authority (GPPA), which had advised that the lots be distributed among different contractors.
However, the government rejected the recommendation, maintaining that the tourism board had secured approval from the procurement authority and that supporting documentation exists to justify the decision.
Investigations and Sanctions Endorsed
Despite dismissing that proposal, the government accepted several other key recommendations arising from the Assembly’s review.
Among them is a directive for the police to investigate the chairman of the contracts committee, Ousainou Senghore.
Lawmakers alleged that Senghore presented an inaccurate financial analysis of the contractor, LERR Group, which may have influenced the scoring and evaluation process during the award of the contract.
The government agreed that the matter warrants investigation and that Senghore should be prosecuted if found guilty.
Authorities also endorsed a recommendation directing the GPPA to ensure strict compliance with its procurement guidelines by all public institutions.
In addition, the government backed a call for the Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) of the Assembly to investigate who authorised the construction of a hotel project in Barra that was later abandoned after reportedly costing millions of dalasis. The committee is expected to report its findings to lawmakers.
On payments to suppliers for materials intended for the eco-lodges project, the minister told the Assembly that the government had accepted legal advice from the Ministry of Justice to terminate the contract with the LERR Group.
He added that GTBoard has been instructed to initiate legal proceedings against the contractor as part of efforts to address the company’s alleged underperformance. The same legal advice, he noted, will guide future decisions on the project, with the government maintaining its position in favor of termination and legal action.
The government also accepted recommendations for police to investigate broader contractual arrangements linked to both the eco-lodge project and the proposed Sir Dawda Kairaba Hotel in Barra.
Further measures include requiring the Gambia Revenue Authority to provide evidence that Value Added Tax (VAT) was paid on funds disbursed to the contractor.
Additionally, FPAC has been tasked with probing the rationale behind the approval of a lots arrangement that enabled a single contractor to handle multiple components of the project.
Meanwhile, the government confirmed that LERR Group has been blacklisted from participating in future public contracts, noting that the decision aligns with an earlier cabinet resolution citing the company’s serious underperformance on the eco-lodges project and other government works.
The eco-lodges controversy emerged following a petition by GTBoard staff, prompting the Assembly to scrutinize procurement processes, governance issues, and contractual arrangements within the tourism board.
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