Audit exposes missing millions in NA constituency development fund
An audit report on the National Assembly’s 2022 financial statements has raised concerns over how millions of dalasis under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) were managed, with auditors flagging missing approvals, absent delivery records, stalled projects and unverified expenditures across several constituencies.
The Auditor General’s report revealed that project proposals and activities worth over GMD2.6 million were carried out without endorsement or approval from the Office of the Clerk, despite the National Assembly being the contracting authority for the projects.
Auditors warned that projects lacking official approval could not be considered genuine or properly funded under Assembly procedures.
The report described the issue as a high-risk governance failure and questioned why projects were initiated without formal clearance from the Clerk’s office.
Although management said internal controls have since been strengthened to ensure future approvals are properly documented, auditors maintained that the matter remains unresolved and will be revisited in future audits.
The audit also uncovered that payments totalling more than GMD3.5 million for CDF projects and activities were made without delivery notes being kept on file. While the items were reportedly delivered physically, auditors said the absence of documentation made it impossible to fully verify receipt of goods and raised concerns about possible diversion or misuse of public resources.
Management admitted the failure to demand delivery notes from suppliers was an administrative lapse but argued that an internal Monitoring and Evaluation team had conducted post-implementation checks.
Auditors, however, insisted the issue remains unresolved pending verification.
Field inspections by auditors exposed further troubling findings in several constituencies. In Banjul Central, a constituency office was established inside a National Assembly Member’s family compound instead of the approved location. In Serekunda West, fencing works at the Bakoteh football field remained incomplete long after the project timeline had expired.
The report further stated that milling machines purchased for constituencies including Lower Nuimi, Lower Fulladu and Basse remained uninstalled and non-operational nearly two years after procurement. In Jokadu and Lower Fulladu West, additional milling machines worth hundreds of thousands of dalasis had been installed but were still not functioning more than a year later.
In Kiang Central, auditors could only verify 35 out of 40 solar lights procured for Medina Angelle and Jatta Kunda, raising fears of possible loss or misallocation. Meanwhile, projects in Old Jeshwang and Sanementereng valued at GMD600,000 could not be verified at the time the report was finalised.
Auditors warned that weak monitoring systems within the National Assembly risked misuse, underutilisation and non-completion of constituency projects funded with public money.
Source: The Point
