Mr. Speaker, Sir, On Governance

vi. GOVERNANCE

108) The Alternative Dispute Resolution Act 2005 was passed by the National Assembly in June, 2005. The promulgation of this Act, and the commencement of the work of the Secretariat in January, 2006, will add another significant feature in our overall strategy to encourage economic growth and development, engender investments, jobs, and provide the legal environment conducive for economic activities. The Secretariat, together with the international provisions in the ADR Act, will make The Gambia one of the hub centres for international arbitration. A Director, with a core staff of four, will head the Secretariat.

109) There are also plans to establish the Local Government Service Commission in each Council, in accordance with section 118 (1) of the Local Government Act 2002. When established, the Commission will be in charge of recruitment of staff in each Local Government Area, and its standards will be the same as those established by the Public Service Commission.

110) On financial governance, the Government Accounts from 1991-1999 have been audited and submitted to the National Assembly. The 2000-2002 Government Accounts have been closed, and will soon be submitted to the National Audit Office.

-end.