By: Alieu Ceesay
The Basse Area Council in the Upper River Region of the country is facing a serious financial crisis, which has resulted in staff members not receiving their December 2024 salaries. This delay is attributed to multiple financial challenges the Council is currently confronting. The Council alleged that it inherited nearly empty accounts from the previous administration, severely impacting its financial management capabilities.
Concerns related to revenue collection and allegations of embezzlement involving council resources compound these issues. Sources reveal that some revenue collectors have been implicated in corrupt practices, which have further deepened the Council’s financial difficulties.
The inability to process salary payments has been primarily linked to revenue collectors’ failure to meet their obligations, thereby affecting the generation of necessary funds. Although the Council does not possess the authority to terminate employment directly, it can suggest actions to Local Government officials if certain individuals’ performances are lacking.
Despite these challenges, Foday Manneh, the Council communication officer, told TAT that the outstanding salaries would be paid before the end of the week. ‘The Council is actively addressing these issues and improving its operations to ensure timely salary payments moving forward.’
According to Manneh, the Council’s depleted accounts and alleged corrupt practices by some revenue collectors have hampered its ability to meet financial obligations. Despite these setbacks, the Council remains optimistic about resolving the issues and paying salaries soon.
“We would like to confirm the delay in salary payments for December 2024, which is primarily due to the underperformance of our revenue collectors. The CouncilCouncil had set a revenue target of D59 million for the year, but unfortunately, only D24 million was collected.” Manneh said
A council that heavily depends on local tax to pay staff and perform duties as expected is struggling with financial stability, thus Ensuring the region’s certain development from the CouncilCouncil.
Manned added that, Historically, the Council has relied on ‘overdrafts’ to meet end-of-year salary payments. Noting that the ongoing reforms and enormous debts with financial institutions are no longer a sustainable solution for the CouncilCouncil.
He added that the councilor’s salaries would only be paid strictly from the revenue generated by the CouncilCouncil. “Those responsible for revenue collection must ensure that there is sufficient income to cover their salaries. We cannot continue to pay salaries with overdrafts that the taxpayers have to pay back again.” He emphasized
“We remain committed to improving our revenue generation and service delivery, and we are actively working on resolving these challenges in the future,” Manneh stated.
Several affected staff told Alkamba Times that the delay had caused immense suffering for them and their families. They relied solely on their salaries to pay bills and manage household responsibilities.
They urged the Council to address the issue by developing new strategies to prevent future problems.
The Basse Area Council has faced recent corruption and financial mismanagement issues. According to an internal audit report covering 2020 to 2022, Lamin Suso, the Council’s former Finance Director, was found to have deposited over six million Dalasi into his personal account instead of the Council’s account.
These funds were meant for council activities, but no evidence was provided to show they were used for such purposes. The situation was highlighted as a high risk of fraud and mismanagement, leading to recommendations from the local government commission for further investigation and the return of the funds to the Council’s account.
Moreover, the broader context of governance in the Upper River Region shows ongoing challenges with corruption. Due to limited digitalization and administrative capacity, the Basse Area Council has been noted for its vulnerabilities to corruption, particularly in public processes. The IMF’s Governance Diagnostic for the Gambia pointed out these issues, suggesting that public processes are susceptible to bribery and uneven decisions.
