Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Seedy Keita, The Gambia’s Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, has denied allegations that the government used pension funds from the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC) to purchase 100 buses.

Speaking on Coffee Time on Thursday, Minister Keita refuted claims that the government had “deepened its hands” into SSHFC’s finances for the transaction. He clarified that there was no direct financial transaction between the government, Social Security, or the Gambia Transport Service Company (GTSC).

According to Keita, the government played an advisory role in the investment but did not dictate SSHFC’s decisions. “It is purely between Social Security, GTSC, and procurement. Government is only sitting there as a big brother. Whatever profit GTSC makes goes to Social Security,” he stated.

He further explained that GTSC is a wholly owned subsidiary of SSHFC, making their relationship one of a parent company and its subsidiary. “Government, in its oversight role, can identify gaps in the economy and advise entities like Social Security, but that does not mean dictating decisions,” he added.

Minister Keita also noted that the initiative to purchase the buses came from President Adama Barrow. He emphasized that the acquisition—70 buses bought by GTSC and 30 by the government—has helped stabilize public transport, reducing the frequency of commercial vehicle strikes.