Seedy Keita, the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, said that the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC), via its subsidiary, the Gambia Transport Service Company (GTSC), purchased 70 buses for a total expenditure of €9 million.
Minister Keita explained that the government did not participate in any financial dealings with SSHFC or GTSC, but simply recommended that SSHFC acquire the buses to tackle transport issues in the country.
“When that transaction was completed, which amounted to approximately nine million euros, we learnt that it equated to 70 buses.” Currently, transport strikes were frequent in this country, and school buses were not consistently available. Moreover, there are underserved communities. Government primarily focusses on delivering services. That is why, in his wisdom, President Barrow directed that Social Security be utilised to purchase the buses. “Since this is a subsidiary that you are managing, and they operate in the transport sector,” Minister Keita explained.
He also mentioned that prior to this transaction, GTSC had independently acquired buses and offered transport services. Nonetheless, their fleet fell short of fulfilling public demand.
“That is the reason the government effectively recommended that Social Security proceed with this, resulting in 70 buses for 9 million euros.” The situation is that they mentioned the government has taken out a loan. This transaction does not involve any financial exchange between the government and Social Security or GTSC. “The resources are solely from Social Security to GTSC for the procurement of bosses, with the government merely acting as a big brother overseeing the process,” Minister Keita stated in an interview with West Coast Radio.
