Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Auditors have raised serious concerns about governance and compliance at the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), warning that longstanding weaknesses remain unresolved despite the regulator posting a strong financial surplus in 2024.
According to the audit report, several issues first identified as far back as 2021 have yet to be addressed. Auditors noted persistent internal control deficiencies and urged PURA’s board and management to designate a specific officer responsible for resolving all outstanding audit queries and ensuring corrective action.
The report also highlighted tax compliance failures. PURA only began withholding tax in December 2023, and an amount of D104,358.24 that was due to the Gambia Revenue Authority was not remitted on time.
Auditors cautioned that such lapses expose the institution to potential penalties and called on management to strictly comply with tax regulations.
Concerns were further raised about the Authority’s classification of certain expenditures. Auditors said PURA has yet to clearly distinguish between Corporate Social Responsibility spending and advertisement or branding expenses, despite repeated recommendations to establish clear guidelines.
A major red flag was also raised over the construction of PURA’s new headquarters. Although 40 percent of the contract sum, amounting to D76,346,558, was paid in 2023 as an advance, the project has reportedly progressed only to the foundation stage.
With completion scheduled for October 2025, auditors questioned the Board’s oversight and recommended that legal advice be sought, including the possibility of recovering part of the advance payment if necessary.
The audit also criticized the board’s committee system, noting that committees expected to meet at least six times annually failed to do so. Some committees reportedly met only once or twice during 2024, weakening oversight and accountability.
Auditors called for stricter adherence to meeting schedules and improved documentation of proceedings.
Additional administrative weaknesses cited in the report included missing personnel records, the absence of performance appraisals for directors in 2024, and the failure to conduct monthly reconciliations of staff loans.
Auditors urged management to enforce proper appraisal processes, particularly before approving promotions or salary increments.
Despite these governance and compliance shortcomings, PURA’s financial performance improved significantly. The Authority’s income rose to D206,434,733 in 2024, and after expenditures, it recorded a surplus of D28,567,694—more than double the surplus achieved in 2023.
