A familiar source with the matter has claimed that the country’s health ministry owes the company some D13.6 million. However, the ministry through its permanent secretary denied such reports, claiming the amount owed to the company is not up to D13.6 million.
A senior official of the company who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “We are not going to supply the ministry with any oxygen cylinders until we are fully paid our arrears. We have been supplying the ministry with oxygen cylinders since the ministry and our us signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 22nd July 2021,” the source added.
Banjul Oxygen Company and the Ministry of Health, the sources added, signed this agreement at a time when the coronavirus cases in the country were on the rise.
“We were running this company 24 hours just to make sure that we supply the ministry with oxygen cylinders they requested. As a matter of fact, we started supplying them with oxygen cylinders in March of 2021. However, in July 2021, the ministry prepared an MoU between us and the ministry. Unfortunately, since things died out, we are finding it very difficult for the ministry to pay us.”
“What’s even worrying is the fact that we are approaching the fourth wave of the deadly pandemic. I am quite sure if we stop supplying the ministry with the oxygen, then there will be disaster at the Ndemban Treatment Centre. In fact, right now as I am speaking to you, I don’t even think that the ministry has oxygen at the treatment center for the covid-19 patients. Again, we are also not willing to supply the ministry until they meet their obligation,” the source posited.
“The ministry is aware of these pending unpaid monies and the doctors at the Ndemban Clinic are also aware of what’s happening. Surprisingly to us, the ministry is now asking us for documents which are not relevant for the fact that we already signed an MoU and the documents which they are asking for are not specified in the MoU,” the source added.
Asked what kind of documents the ministry is requesting from them, the source claimed that the Ministry of Health is requesting Tax Clearance and other documents. “This has never happened because we are supplying all the hospitals in the country. As a matter of fact, during the time of former President Yahya Jammeh, he (Jammeh) once told them to waive all GPPA protocols and others. In fact, he (Jammeh) said he was going to allocate a certain amount of money for oxygen supply. Therefore, we just can’t understand these rules coming from the ministry of health,” the source stated.
The source claimed that by the GPPA rules and regulations, the company is under no obligation to register with them, while further adding: “If we are not registered, then don’t do business with us, because that’s the first document they should have asked for. If they want, let them buy it from us or leave it, but they can’t bring those conditions to us after taking our supplies.”
“The truth is, when we asked them about our money, they say there was no money. They again promised to pay us when they receive an amount of money they were expecting from donor partners. We made a lot of investment in the company especially at the time we were supplying them with oxygen cylinders.”
According to the source, during the covid-19 period, they invested over 4 million dalasis to provide a generator and step-down transformer with the objectives of keeping up with the demands at the time. “Therefore, that can’t be an issue now.”
“I can assure you that if the ministry failed to settle us, then we will hold back our supply. For us to continue the supply, we have to make an investment for this oxygen. I want to let them know that without oxygen, it’s almost in possible to run these hospitals.”
Muhammed Lamin Jaiteh, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Health, who was contacted for comments, said: “The ministry is aware of the issue and we are working tremendously in ensuring that we settle the company. However, according to our records, we don’t owe them D13 million as I saw in the media reports.
“As far as we are concerned, we have to do some verification of the figures so that it could tally with invoices and other relevant documents. These are government procedures, and they have to go through some procedures and channels for verifications. However, as a matter of urgency, we are working tirelessly in ensuring that the company is paid their money. Again, people need to understand that the verification process couldn’t complete before we could be able to pay them. But we are working on that and we will pay them as soon as possible.”
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