NEA report describes agency’s work in financial year

The National Environment Agency (NEA) Wednesday presented its 2013 annual and financial report to the joint session of the Public Accounts Committee and Public Enterprises Committee (PAC/PEC) of the National Assembly in Banjul.

Presenting the report before the assembly’s joint committees meeting, Ndey Sireng Bakurin, NEA executive director, said: “Our environment and natural resources are immensely important to The Gambia’s economy, as well as to the quality of life of all inhabitants.”

She added: “NEA has striven to provide direction in environmental management, so that we all live in the type of healthy environment that we expect and deserve.”

The report, according to the NEA executive director, thoroughly described the work of the NEA during the financial year 2013.

The NEA has continued to receive increasing number of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) applications, Mrs Bakurin disclosed, adding that the agency “closely monitors” Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs).

Twenty-five EIA applications were received and assessed last year, she said, adding that the processing of the number of applications has placed additional demands on the technical and human resources of the agency.

Despite this, she added, a number of new initiatives are being implemented to enhance better service delivery in the applications review process.

The draft EIA regulations was validated and finalised, she also stated.

She further informed the PAC/PEC that NEA had been examining the organizational structure and staffing of the agency in order to identify and implement changes, which would address concerns in respect of the timeliness and efficiency in the provision of the agency’s service.

To this end, and to effect other strengthening efforts in the execution of its mandate, she continued, the NEA started to undertake a comprehensive examination of the organization with a view to implementing appropriate strategies and policies, including the organizational framework that would enable it to effectively perform its responsibilities.