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I don’t see money – KMC finance boss

Sep 13, 2024, 10:33 AM | Article By: Ali Jaw

Dr Alieu Keita, director of finance at the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC), Wednesday told the Local Government Commission of Inquiry that he saw no money collected, explaining that revenue collectors would deposit their collections to the council cashiers and they would go straight to the bank.

Keita was appointed in March 2020. When he assumed office, he said Sheriff Njie was the acting director of finance but eventually became his deputy. Other employees in the finance unit were First Finance Manager Bakary Dibba, Second Finance Manager Kawsu Janneh and Nyima Gibba, Fatou Jallow, Isatou Camara and Jarra Minteh, who were accounts clerks. There were 3 cashiers.

Keita testified that the cashiers collect money directly from the revenue collectors (rates and licence collectors). He explained that the first finance manager “helps in the operations” while the second finance manager, answerable to the former, “supports”.

He said the revenue line of the council has three revenue units – license, rates and markets.

“All these people, if they collect revenue cash, it goes straight to the cashiers. From the cashiers, it goes to the bank. I don’t see money,” he said.

He stated that the market unit has a manager, assistant manager and market masters, who act as supervisors, and market collectors. He explained that the “market manager is responsible for overseeing all market operations and supervises” all the people working under him with the assistance of his two assistant managers.

Keita further disclosed that the collectors would give money to the market masters, who would deposit the money to the cashiers at the KMC main office. He elucidated that market masters do reconciliation with the market managers to ensure the collection tallies with the receipts, adding that the banks would come to the council to collect the cash and sometimes when the banks delay, the cashiers would take the money to the bank.