The GPPA Act provides for the functions and powers of the Gambia Public Procurement Authority, and for the “basic principles and procedures to be applied in the public procurement of goods, works and services, and to make provision for matters connected therewith.”
Thus, all public bodies are obliged to abide by it in their procurement activities and transactions.
However, for the Kerewan Area Council, the GPPA official told the Commission: “In general, they did not abide by the Act.”
The witness affirmed that for the period 2020-2021, Kerewan Area Council paid 10,440 dalasis through single sourcing to Abdoulie Jallow for building materials, a similar finding made during previous reviews.
“Do you think these institutions take GPPA seriously?” Counsel Gomez asked, who observed that some of the councils copied and pasted their responses.
“It is interesting that there are serious flaws. Section 23 makes provision for the conduct of the procuring organisation (Area Council) and what we are seeing is contrary to what is required of them. It is serious,” said Phoday Jaiteh, Director General of GPPA who was also testifying jointly with Ebrima Sayang.
