Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) of The Gambia’s National Assembly has queried the government over its failure to provide a written explanation on why approval for single-source procurement of rehabilitation work at the State House was only sought after the project had already been completed.
According to the National Audit Office’s 2019 report on government finances, GAI Enterprise was awarded a contract worth D17,488,155.63 for the construction of the President’s Office and rehabilitation works at the State House.
However, auditors flagged a series of irregularities, including the failure of the contractor to implement amendments directed by the Gambia Public Procurement Authority (GPPA) before work began.
The report further noted that approval for the use of a single-source procurement process was sought only after the rehabilitation work had been completed.
It also highlighted that, although contract documents indicated payments would be made in stages, a review of payment voucher 01PV021043 dated 27th May 2019 showed that GAI Enterprise received the full amount upfront.
In response to these findings, FPAC passed a resolution in September 2023 directing the Secretary General at the Office of the President and the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Works to provide a written explanation by 28th September 2023 as to why the approval for single-source procurement was sought retroactively rather than beforehand.
However, updating the Assembly on the status of the resolution, FPAC Vice Chairman and Upper Saloum lawmaker Alagie Mbow disclosed that the Office of the Vice President has yet to provide any update on the matter.
Mbow said the committee is now recommending that the Office of the Vice President furnish FPAC with the requested updates by the end of September 2025.
Under the same contract, FPAC had also resolved in 2019 that the contracts committee and the Secretary General at the Office of the President reimburse D950,000—a contingency amount GPPA had directed to be removed from the GAI Enterprise contract.
However, Mbow clarified that this issue has now been addressed, as the amount was never paid to the contractor.
The FPAC’s renewed pressure highlights ongoing concerns about transparency and accountability in public procurement processes at the highest levels of government.
