By: Fatou Krubally
Saihou Jawara, Administrative Director, and Pa Nfansu Darboe, former CEO of the Kuntaur Area Council, have told the Local Government Commission of Inquiry that weak internal checks and revenue assessments could see the council lose out on millions of dalasis in potential revenue.
Appearing before the Commission on Monday, the two witnesses explained how revenue collectors often underreport what they collect, which reduces the council’s earnings each year. Jawara admitted that while there are annual assessments, these are mostly carried out by the same collectors tasked with gathering the money raising the risk of suppression and under-declaration.
“If a single revenue collector suppresses D119,000, and you have two doing the same, that is already half of what government gives in subvention for the whole year,” the lead counsel pointed out during the session. The Commission heard that government subventions to Kuntaur Area Council have stood at about D500,000 since 2018, which the witnesses agreed was too little to cover rising capital and development costs.
Darboe also revealed that under his leadership, revenue collections increased from about D3 million in 2010 to D7 million in 2020, thanks to stricter monitoring and the use of task forces to check licenses and local taxes. However, he admitted that in many cases, there was still no independent team to verify how much revenue could realistically be collected each year.
Both witnesses agreed that an independent task force or external data collection could help councils know what to expect and better plan development projects. They also noted that poor mobility, lack of vehicles and low business activity in the area make revenue collection more difficult.
The Commission is continuing to probe how councils manage public funds and whether recommendations for better accountability are being implemented.
