Mr. Samba J.B. Tambura, the Director of Compliance and Practices at the Gambia Public Procurement Authority (GPPA), on Thursday, continued, in his testimony, to expose non-compliant issues of the local government councils across the country.
In his fourth appearance before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry at the Djembe Hotel, Senegambia, Mr. Tambura, in his testimony on the compliant report for the Kanifing Municipal Council said the “Gambia Public Procurement Authority reviewed the report as of 2021 gave KMC 72% compliant regarding it as ‘Mainly Compliant.’ In 2019, KMC scored 64% and in 2020, KMC scored 67%”.
For the 2019 Procurement Compliant report of the KanifingMunicipal Council, Mr. Tambura outlined the transactions details as follows: “1 transaction open tender amounting to Eight Million Five Hundred Thousand Dalasi (D8,500,000); 3 transactions of Restricted Tendering amounting to Eight Million Nine Hundred and Nineteen Thousand Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dalasi (D8,919,650); 258 transactions of Single Sourcing amount to Fourteen Million Six Hundred and Seventy-Six Thousand Nine Hundred and Twenty-Eight Dalasi (D14,676,928). And 393 Request for Quotation transactions amounting to Forty-Four Million Five Hundred and Eighty Thousand Six Hundred and Sixty-Six (D44,580,666).”
The total transactions for 2019, he said, was Six Hundred and Fifty-Five amounting to Seventy-Six Million Six Hundred and Seventy-Seven Thousand Two Hundred and Forty-Four dalasi (D76,677,244).
He added that the 2020 compliant review report: one (1) transaction was made using restricted tendering worth Two Million Four Hundred and Ninety-Six One Hundred Dalasi (D2,496,100); Two Hundred and Forty-Seven (247) transactions were made through single sourcing worth Fourteen Million Two Hundred and Ninety-Two thousand and Twenty-Three Dalasi fourty-four butut (D14,292,023.44); and 164 transactions were made using Request for Quotation worth Seventeen Million, Six Hundred and Forty-One Thousand Six Hundred and Twenty-Four Dalasi and nine butut (D17,641,624.09).
He went further that the total for 2020 transactions was Four Hundred and Twelve transactions worth Thirty-Four Million, Four Hundred and Twenty-Nine Dalasi Seven Hundred and Forty-Seven Dalasi Fifty-Three Butut (34,429,747.53).
“For 2021, there were Eighty-Seven (87) transactions of single sourcing amounting to Nine Million Six Hundred and Ninety-Seven Thousand Nine Hundred and Fifty Dalasi Eighty-Five Bututs (D9,697,950.85); One Hundred and Fifty-Eight transactions were done through Request for Quotation amounting Twenty-Eight Million Two Hundred and Ninety-Eight Thousand Nine Hundred and Seventeen dalasi twenty butut (D28,298,917.20). There were Two Hundred and Forty-Five transactions in 2021 amounting to Thirty-Seven Million Nine Hundred and Ninety-Two Thousand Eight Hundred and Sixty-Eight dalasi (D37,992,868),” he told the Commission.
Meanwhile, Director Tambura said they observed that non-members of the procurement were conducting procurement transactions.
He explained that once that happens, it raises eyebrows and the issue of transparency and conflict of interest comes into play as it compromises the whole process. He said the people in the procurement unit should conduct procurement.
“Transparency is a fundamental principle of procurement and a fundamental objective of procurement law – the law requires that there is transparency – if not publicized, you are stopping other economic players from participating,” he said.
He said they also observed the issue of the absence of receipt notes. “It means the goods were not delivered or supplied,” he said.