During a PAC/PEC sitting for the presentation, scrutiny and adoption of the Public Service Commission report for 2013, Lamin Kebba Jammeh from Illiassa stated: “There has been an improvement in your level of compliance but we as a committee want you to be fully compliant. My only concern is that according to the Gambia Public Procurement Authority, a conflict of interest has been suspected in a procurement contract awarded to Yamm Enterprise whose proprietress happens to be a member of the commission and at the same time the direct beneficiary of the purchased office furniture albeit the offer was the lowest among others.”
Fabakary Tombong Jatta from Serekunda East who is also the majority leader in his intervention said: “The conflict of interest happened at the secretariat and we believe that the secretary should inform the commission and it is our candid view that this is not ethically right. The Public Service Commission sets the standards for entry into the civil service. I am comfortable with the report but we would have also loved to know how many people died during active service. I wish you were going to give us some of the challenges that you people are facing and the recommendations so that together we can overcome them. This will also help you to perform better.”
Earlier, Gabriel Bright, the chairman of the PSC who presented the commission’s report before the lawmakers said: “The commission is mandated to review from time to time the General Orders and the public service regulations and advise government. It is also required to set standard requirements for entry into the civil service, training and promotion. The commission’s responsibility to oversee the civil service is being enhanced by its effort to promote a more effective public service delivery. It continues to maintain the core values of meritocracy, integrity, confidentiality and above all fairness, transparency, accountability and equity. With regard to the procurement contract, we at the level of the commission are not aware of it and it must have been the secretary who awarded it because he is also the accounting officer.”
]]>
