Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL) – The Gambia government is set to address the maintenance and management of over 600 public buildings and facilities across the country, many of which are currently underutilized and poorly maintained. This was disclosed by Mr. Matar Ceesay, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure, during a two-day stakeholder retreat on June 21st.

The retreat provided a platform for stakeholders from various government ministries to review and refine the Gambia Public Buildings and Facilities Authority Bill. The proposed bill seeks to ensure that public buildings and facilities meet the highest standards of accessibility, sustainability, and safety.

“The bill stems from a policy review conducted by ministry officials two years ago,” said PS Ceesay. “We realized the need to conduct an inventory of all government buildings and come up with policy recommendations that would guide the administration of such buildings and facilities.”

PS Ceesay highlighted that the bill would necessitate the reorganization of the Ministry of Transport, Works, and Infrastructure’s Department of Technical Services (DTS) into an Authority, as demanded by the National Assembly. This reorganization aims to clearly delineate the roles of policy, operations, and regulations within the building sector.

Hon. Yahya Menteng Sanyang, National Assembly Member for Latrikunda Sabiji Constituency and Chairperson of the National Assembly Select Committee on Government Projects and Evaluation, emphasized the importance of stakeholder consultation in the legislative process. “When the bill was tabled by the minister, our committee conducted a series of consultations and realized there were contentious clauses that need further discussion with the relevant stakeholders and the ministry,” he said.

Hon. Sanyang underscored the National Assembly’s commitment to promoting laws that serve the public interest. “We want to make sure that we deliver progressive laws, and we cannot do that without consulting the relevant stakeholders and citizens,” he added.

The proposed bill, once adopted, aims to establish a Public Building and Facilities Authority responsible for the construction and maintenance of public buildings, infrastructure, and facilities throughout The Gambia. This initiative is expected to bring much-needed improvements to the management and upkeep of the country’s public assets, ensuring they are safe, sustainable, and beneficial to the community.