Bensouda decries gov’t D4M flat-rate allocation to councils, says KMC ‘lost big time’
Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda has strongly criticized the government’s annual flat-rate allocation of D4 million to councils, arguing that the flat-rate distribution has cost his municipality millions in revenue.
He made these remarks in his testimony before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry (LGCI), where he outlined wide-ranging concerns over budgeting, procurement, and local government financing.
Bensouda explained that before the reform, KMC collected more than D20 million annually from car park fees. But after the former president ordered the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) to take over collections, the revenue was pooled and redistributed equally among councils. “KMC lost big time,” he said, stressing that a uniform allocation does not reflect the size, capacity, and financial needs of different councils.
He suggested that while the police should continue overseeing collections for orderliness, funds must be distributed proportionately rather than equally.
The mayor also raised concerns over the current vehicle registration system, which he said distorts revenue distribution. “Almost all vehicles are registered in Banjul, but ninety percent do not operate there. Why not number plate vehicles according to the owner’s residence? That way, councils will collect fairly based on actual operations,” he argued.
Bensouda went on to detail the process of preparing budgets at the municipal level. Since 2021, councils have been required to adopt program-based budgeting under the guidance of the Ministry of Finance. Councillors begin by consulting their Ward Development Committees (WDCs), while directors and departmental heads hold internal consultations. The mayor contributes to major priority projects, and the finance committee consolidates the draft before it is reviewed by management and presented to the general council.
According to Bensouda, councils typically hold two to three budget sessions before finalising and submitting their budgets to the ministry by September 30. But he criticised the ministry’s habit of only responding as late as February of the following year. “This is a problem because you have to start implementing your projects in January,” he said, adding that projects are delayed while councils wait for the ministry’s queries and endorsements.
He further revealed that in 2022 he attempted to introduce a reform to reduce disputes over WDC funds. His idea was for councillors to design projects, while an implementation committee would handle funds and execution, allowing councillors to participate without managing the money directly. However, his proposal was voted down.
Despite these challenges, Bensouda reaffirmed his support for decentralisation. He said he believes in empowering WDCs but argued that councils and communities must be capacitated to handle funds responsibly. “In 2019, we opened offices for all WDCs, hired secretaries, and provided computers and internet access. The idea was to capacitate them over time so that they could directly implement larger development projects,” he explained.
The mayor also addressed difficulties in adhering to the statutory rule requiring councils to allocate 60 percent of funds to development and 40 percent to administration. He noted that while councils respect the principle, implementation is plagued by confusion. “The biggest problem is terminology. What qualifies as development and what counts as administration? Sometimes the lines are blurry,” he queried.
He added that in cases where councils struggle to balance their budgets, revenue figures are often exaggerated to satisfy legal requirements.
Bensouda’s testimony also revisited the management of the KEPT project. He told the commission that in its early stages, KEPT did not fully follow domestic procurement processes. Though they later aligned with the practice of referring transactions above D500,000 to the contracts committee, he said vouchers indicated that procedures were ignored during the project’s first year.
He further testified that donors required two signatories for project cheques, though it was unclear whether this directive was formally communicated to the council. The KEPT director served as the main point of contact with the European Commission and the project’s steering committee, leaving council members with limited direct engagement.
On remuneration, Bensouda said project staff salaries were determined by the EU, and when staff requested increments, the proposal was rejected. “The EU dictates the remuneration,” he stated, highlighting how external actors held decisive control over key aspects of the project.
Throughout his testimony, the mayor underscored the need for systemic reforms to strengthen local government. He argued that decentralisation must be accompanied by genuine empowerment and clear regulations, warning that without change, councils like KMC will remain financially handicapped despite being closest to the people they serve.
“Local governments must be capacitated to manage funds, implement projects, and deliver development. Right now, the structures are weak, the rules are unclear, and the funding mechanisms are unfair,” he told the commission.
Source: The Point
