Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, the Gambia) – The Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) of the National Assembly on Monday intensified its scrutiny of the Auditor General’s report, grilling the Accountant General’s Department, the National Audit Office (NAO) and officials from key ministries over unresolved issues ranging from missing personnel files and salary anomalies to unrecovered government loans.
Chaired by Hon. Alhagie S. Darboe, the session was marked by repeated reminders to institutions of their statutory duty to fully cooperate with auditors by providing complete and verifiable documentation.
Central to the deliberations was the Auditor General’s finding that 69 personnel files were missing from a sample of 200 requested across various ministries.
Missing Personnel Files Under Spotlight
Accountant General Agnes Macaulay told the committee that the files were available, but NAO Director of Audits Babucarr Jallow disputed this claim, stating that 50 files remained outstanding.
The discrepancy remained unresolved during the session, with the bulk of the missing files traced to the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education.
A representative of the Ministry of Health told FPAC that the situation had improved significantly, insisting that fewer than 10 files were outstanding and that the ministry was in the process of digitizing all personnel records with support from the World Bank.
However, NAO countered that 21 Health Ministry files were still missing. FPAC subsequently directed all affected ministries to submit the outstanding documents by February 25.
Salary Increments and Grade Discrepancies
The committee also examined salary increments amounting to D4,415,694.48 that were reportedly not supported by promotion letters. While the Accountant General maintained that the promotion letters existed, auditors confirmed that one file, belonging to an officer identified as Ali Touray, was still missing.
NAO further flagged grade inconsistencies in the files of two Ministry of Health staff, Fatima Dibba and Alieu Joof, where grades recorded in the NASDNA payroll system did not correspond with their promotion documents.
NAO clarified that although the initial amount flagged exceeded D4 million, subsequent verification reduced the unresolved sum to D480,738.
In response, Mrs. Macaulay explained that some officers had been regraded after acquiring new qualifications or through sector-wide restructuring exercises. She assured the committee that all supporting documents would be submitted by the February 25 deadline.
Allowance Irregularities and NASDNA Concerns and Unrecovered Loans
Allowance payments also came under sharp focus. NAO reiterated that under the General Orders, only officers on Grade 9 are entitled to both transport and basic car allowances.
Despite earlier clarification from the Personnel Management Office (PMO), auditors said discrepancies persisted, partly due to outdated records in the NASDNA system. FPAC instructed PMO to provide comprehensive clarification on the matter by February 25.
Another contentious issue involved D2,430,668.32 in unrecovered 1/6 loans across several ministries.
The Accountant General informed FPAC that the loans had been fully recovered, but NAO said it had not received documentary evidence to substantiate the claim. The committee demanded that proof of recovery be submitted within the stipulated timeframe.
Dual Salary Payments Still Unresolved
FPAC also revisited the issue of dual salary payments to seconded officers, amounting to D215,866. Mrs. Macaulay told lawmakers that she had contacted the affected officers and was pursuing recovery, warning that failure to refund the amounts could lead to police action or summons before the committee. NAO, however, maintained that the matter remained unresolved.
Closing the session, Hon. Darboe stressed that compliance was non-negotiable, warning that failure to submit all outstanding documents by February 25 would attract further action. FPAC is expected to reconvene after the deadline to assess compliance and determine the next steps.
