By Binta Jaiteh
36 members of the National Assembly yesterday defended the Gambia Public Procurement Authority’s bill 2022 during a debate over it at the National Assembly.
The GPPA’s Bill 2022 which is at the second stage of reading saw 10 members rejected it for the debate to proceed based on standing order (77) (3). The bill will not be adjourned till it reaches the third reading stage.
Speaking during the session, Fa BakaryTombong Jatta, Speaker of the National Assembly said the GPPA bill will be put to a question as a matter under an urgency without debate he said but some of the members disagreement brought commotion which has led to the voting.
Before the announcement of the results, the Speaker quickly intervened and informed the members that he wanted to send an advice to the members that he will not deny any member from expressing his/her will but putting the ambits of our standing orders matters.
He added that standing order (77) 3 which read a bill, which is a certificate of urgency attaches may be proceeded with throughout all its stages the assembly shall not be counted out or adjourned except a motion made by the Vice President or a Minister in charge of a bill until such bill has been read a third time thus the said bill shall be proceeded throughout the stages in the assembly.
‘’On that case ‘am not in the position to accept any dilatory motion or referral as dictated by the standing orders of (77) (3) when it comes to decisions we all cannot agree on the same issue but the best is to respect different opinions,’’ he noted.
Honourable Allagie Mbow, NA member for Upper Saloum said the bill will help to change a lot of things in the way procurement is done in the country simply because what they have at this point of time is that they have the Judge and jury at the level of the authority. He added that they are ones to do the approval and check for compliance and separating them will be good due to the lapses while it will be corrected.
He said they have been talking about corruption “but let us remember one thing 72% of expenditure as a government minus the salaries we pay is all procurement related.”
Honourable Amadou Camara, the NA member for Nianija said The Gambia is listed among countries that does not review its procurement regulations and “we are talking about an act that was enacted by the assembly in 2014 and the Jammeh Commission clear numerous revelations where contracts have been awarded wrongly to companies that are not competent. I don’t want to go into details but it is important to make reference because they are in the public domain and facts.
I beg the indulgence of those members who think the bill should not be debated as a certificate of urgency but reconsider and look at the greater good of the country and all of us joining hands together to fight corruption,” he appealed.
He noted that the country is not working in isolation and is part of the global world and have partners like IMF, World Bank as partners the country is working with and as well having agreement with them.
Honourable Sainey Jawara. a member for Lower Saloum, thanked the people that were in favor of this bill and most especially President Barrow “because I beginning to see that he now listen to the parliament if you check during the SONA most of the members were emphasizing on corruption.”
According to him, “it is a matter of urgency which is affecting the citizens every day and I always speak about corruption so if this bill comes on the table I will support it 100%. So, I thank all the stakeholders who contributed in this bill this is what we need because we all have equal right it doesn’t belong to the President alone.”
Seedy Keita Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs said the Gambia Public Procurement Authority Bill seeks to address and create guidelines in the procurement of big infrastructure projects and to eliminate the abuse of emergency in the application of single source procurements and ensure it is only used when there is danger to life, damage to property or force majeure.
However, “the bill is modern procurement law which addresses the weaknesses of the Gambia Public Procurement Bill Act 2014 , specifically the improvements in this bill focuses on the areas of e-government procurement , open-contracting initiatives and disfavored groups in procurement. This Bill also seeks to consider the procurement of second-hands goods, cancellation of existing exemptions and the power of the Minister to come up with different regulations creating rules of procurement for Central, Local Government, Parastatals
state –owned enterprises, private bodies and other entities managing public funds.”
In essence, he said the bill seeks to address key issues that will bring it in line with International best standards which includes institutional reforms, separation of regulation and control, control directives and to promote the independence of the Gambia Public Procurement Authority.
