We are very much concerned about the attitude of some government officials.
We do receive complaints from many Gambians outside the public service as regards the attitude of some government officials in doing business with their offices.
One complaint is that when you do business with some of their departments, getting your money becomes a challenge.
What does this signal?
Is it that the government is short of cash to fulfill some of its obligations.
The complainants further alleged that some officials are in the habit of delaying their payment.
“I have been following my cheques in many Government ministries and departments for months, but I’m discouraged about the attitude of some of officials.
They are either at a meeting, have travelled or busy or waiting for someone else to sign the cheque,” a complainant said bitterly.
So, with these and other complaints, we are very much worried about the state of our economy, as well as this kind of careless attitude among our public servants.
In order for an office or institution to be respected, it must be seen meeting and fulfilling its obligations to its partners.
Services provided to public institutions by business people in any form are meant to be paid for, and promptly too, since any delay is not good for the business and the larger national economy.
Indeed, to ensure the sustainability of these service providers, they must be paid on time.
What is the essence of collecting invoices, and keeping them for long without paying?
This is very serious, and not encouraging to those doing business.
The bottom line is: services are meant to be paid for, and on time!