X. GOVERNANCE ISSUES

Mr, Speaker,

• The Gambia’s increasing attention to issues of governance is an important part of our efforts to promote equitable and sustainable development. We are cognisant of the fact that good governance is an essential complement to sound economic policies. As defined by the World Bank: "Good governance is the manner in which the social and economic resources of civil society are managed".

• Governance is vital for economic development and certainly government has not turned a blind eye to good governance, accountability and transparency, as evident in the establishment of the office of the Ombudsman, the IEC, coupled with mutual settlement with West Coast Air inherited from the previous government, and the settlement with Alimenta.. However, there is still some room for improvement. As one commentator puts it: "There is a time in the life of every problem when it is big enough to see, yet small enough to solve" (Mike Leavitt). Therefore, the role of our development partners, donor community, civic society and NGOs, is crucial and highly desirable to creating a conducive environment. We cannot do it all alone, that’s why we need the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders in societal development.

Mr, Speaker Sir,

174. In keeping with Government’s declared objective of bringing justice closer to the majority of Gambians, the Department of State for Justice and the Judiciary this year established and inaugurated the Divisional High Court in Brikama. I am pleased to inform this august body that plans are well advanced for the construction of a High Court and residences for Judges in both Brikama and Basse.

175. This will, in addition to taking justice to the doorsteps of our people save much needed human and financial resources on the part of the majority of Gambians who have hitherto had to travel long distances and spend valuable resources to gain access to justice in Banjul, particularly during the rainy season. The benefits to accrue both to Government and the people in terms of poverty alleviation are immeasurable.

• Mindful of the growing need for revenue generation to match the increasing need for public expenditure, Government has embarked on a re-structuring of the Registrar General’s Department into a semi-autonomous business-oriented organisation as opposed to its present service-oriented activities. The functions of the Registrar General’s Department include the registration of business, Deeds, Titles and Agreements among others.

• Presently, the services provided for businesses and individuals are grossly under-valued and therefore subsidized from Government revenue. Therefore, the service of a consultant has been requested to revamp and restructure the Registrar General’s Department into a semi-autonomous and revenue-generating Department. The revenue to be generated in the future will no doubt be substantial.

• In the pursuit and in preparation for decentralisation, we embarked on a series of activities, through the Poverty Alleviation and Capacity Building Programme including the identification of properties in growth centres of Local Government Areas. The identification process will facilitate a valuation exercise of rates to be properly assessed, with a standard national framework in order to enhance the finance resource generated by the Municipalities and Local Government Administrations. The process is now complete and a total of above nineteen thousand properties have been identified in Banjul City Council and the various local councils across the country.

i. Civil Service Reform

• Through the Personnel Management Office (PMO) we strive to develop and sustain a well-trained and highly professional civil service that is efficient, productive and responsive to national goals and objectives. This we are pursuing through the divisions of Personnel Management, Management Service, Human Resource Development, National Records Services (NRS), and the Human Resources Information Systems Units. The ADB funded Capacity Building Project in this vein complements the efforts of EMCBP and CBEMP towards an efficient civil service.

• On the development of human resources, we have tried to train as many civil service staff as possible from the centralize vote; and supplement this with multi-sectoral and bilateral donor agencies principally the Commonwealth Fund and Technical Cooperation (CFTC) in the receipt and dissemination of training awards. We intend in the coming year to develop a Training Policy for the Civil Service and commence English Language and Office Practice courses for Secretaries on an annual basis.

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