By Binta Jaiteh
Momodou Camara, Director of Finance Banjul City Council has revealed to the National Assembly committee on Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) that Council’s total revenue collected in 2019 was D76.8 million.
Camara said this was the revenue that the council was able to collect from tax collection and their total expenditure went up to 81.4 million giving them a deficit of 4. 5 million.
He noted that the categories that makeup revenue are divided into Administration revenue, Trade license, partial cost recovery waste, Markets, Car park fees, Grants, and subventions.
“Administration revenue stands at 10.8 million in 2019, trade license 40. 7 million, Waste 1.4 million, markets 10 million, taxes 9.2 million, car park fees 3.8 million, grants and subvention 1.6 million and making expenditure 81.4 million.”
However, he added the council came up with a deficit in 2019 because they spent 4.5 million above their revenue and receivable 10. 9m this is yet to be paid.
Chief Executive Officer BCC, Mustapha Bachilly, also presented the activity report for 2015 to 2019. In his presentation, he highlighted that a pilot project for the lighting of Banjul was commissioned and initiated by the Central Government through the GAMWORKS Agency under the Community-Based Infrastructure and Livelihood Improvement Project (CLIP).
“The project entails the installation of fifty solar lighting systems at Tobacco Road, Ndagan Bi settlement, and the waste collection point at the Albert Market. This exercise started in 2013 and it was based on recommendations from the Department of Physical Planning and Housing in consultation with Banjul City Council after a comprehensive survey of the city of Banjul,” he said.
The Chief Executive officer disclosed that with technical backing from Banjul City Council, the National Disaster Management Agency was engaged and heavy equipment was used to demolish those buildings that were condemned and Banjul council provided the financial cost of the operation.
