By Sheriff Saidykhan
Lare Sisay, retired senior manager at UNDP and a leading voice of the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) has criticized the government’s lack of transparency and accountability, amid ‘opaque contracts’ with foreign contractors in the country.
He made these remarks on Thursday on the popular Coffee Time Show with Peter Gomez.
“The gov’t made an announcement some time back that they have sign a contract with a Norwegian company to explore the art minerals. It falls into the same path of lack of transparency. They have not yet told us who that company is, what are those conditions into that contract they have sign with the Norwegian company. And they have not told us whether an environmental assessment impact has been done?” he quizzed.
The Trans-Gambia contract with Africa 50 and the port of Banjul he went on was done without a proper concession.
“The Trans Gambia contact with Africa 50 that bridge was profitable. It was making money. There’s no need to concessioning it out. They should have had at least a minimum 300 million dollars from that concession. They should got 1 million. They still have not told us where that 1 million has gone. The port was built. It was making profit for years and paying dividend to government. They lease that to Albayrak and Albayrak gets 80 per cent and the government gets 20 per cent. The revenue sharing part of the contract. They have not release the sharing part of the contract. The revenue concession was 96 per cent for Albayrak and 4 per cent for the government.” he added.
Ebrima Sillah, the Minister of Transport, Works and Infrastructure phone in on the Coffee Time show saying, “let me clarify some of the misinformation that he is putting out there. These contracts were negotiated openly by all stakeholders in the government and after contacts were finalized, negotiations were held with critical stakeholders that are not in the government” he said.
The ensuing deflection of government ministers according to Lare, shows governments lack of transparency and accountability.
“Instead of sticking to the issue, they go personal. No deflection, no personal attacks. Let them bring out these contacts.”.
