Thank you Mr. Jeng for your very interesting contribution to the current
debate about the 2002 budget. You have eloquently dealt with an issue that
has bothered me for a very long time. For what seems like eternity, the
local area councils have preyed on the very poor people, collecting all
forms of taxes only for the E.Os (Executive Officers) to plunder most of the
money with impunity.

You wrote:

"There should be a refocus to the role of Municipalities, Area councils and
City governments in terms of giving them significant roles, It is over due
to start holding these offices accountable for development initiatives. It
is time to remove functional illiterates and replace them with effective
Administrators.  Unless Municipalities, Area councils, Cities and Towns
start to play a significant role in our development challenges, the average
Gambian would continue to find this whole National budget ritual meaningless
and would always questions its impact to their social and economic lives. I
was born in Kaur, and have heard of an office call the Area council, of
course like many Kaurians; we have always expected the National Government
to bring in the electricity, the roads and other infrastructure
developments. Well, we are still waiting. I have never heard of the annual
budget of the Kaur Area council, Its annual revenue flow, whether in terms
of Government subvention, taxes collected? Or annual development projects
within the area. Ok maybe, I am expecting a little bit too much because Kaur
is just a Town in the rural areas, and most of the real organization and
structures are concentrated within the colony. I have also spent my adult
live in Banjul, and cannot recall the city buzz with the annual budget from
the BCC. The Annual budget for the city of Banjul would most likely have a
direct impact to the daily lives of the people in the city. It would be
interesting to review the 2001 budget for the city of Banjul, in terms of
tax collections and infrastructure development layout plans. What strategic
plan does the Mayor of Banjul has to bring Bathurst back to its heydays?"

I sincerely hope that government looks into the points that you've raised
and seriously address them. I know that there have been some improvements
lately, but these are, in my opinion, not as drastic as I would have wanted.
I also believe that people should be adequately sensitized to understand
that the revenue collector that collects D5.00 from you and gives you a
D0.50 ticket is a criminal that he/she should be exposed. I fully remember a
serious row I once had with a revenue collector on the way to Janjangburreh
from Kuntaur over the issue of issuing wrong value receipts. The guy was
collecting, I believe, D3.00 from drivers and giving them 50 Butut receipts
because, according to him, he had run out of D3.00 receipt books. I insisted
that he gave each driver six 50 Butut receipts or the drivers would not pay
him a single Butut.

Have a good day, Gassa.



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