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Momodou
Denmark
11804 Posts |
 Posted - 12 Feb 2010 : 21:41:19
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1000 Youths Trained and 45 had Access to Loans
By Isatou Bittaye
12-02-10
The members of the National Assembly Public Accounts and Public Enterprises Committees have called for a holistic approach and review of the National Youth Services Scheme (NYSS) in order for the institution to achieve its set objectives.
Members of the National Assembly PAC/PEC were speaking at the Joint sitting held on Thursday 11th February 2010. After hearing the activity and financial reports of the NYSS, the members of the PAC/PEC called for a holistic review of the NYSS for it to be sustainable.
Contributing to the debate, the Majority leader and Member for Serrekunda East, Hon Fabakary Tombong Jatta said the NYSS is a very important institution that is geared towards providing skills to young people of the Gambia. He said, according to the activity report presented by the NYSS Executive Director, the institution trained over 1,000 young people since its inception in 1996, but only 45 of the trainees have benefited from the NYSS revolving loan fund and that is quite unimpressive. The Majority Leader noted that the revolving loan fund should be reviewed to help the youths who are trained by NYSS to have their businesses and be able to sustain themselves. Mr. Jatta further called for a holistic approach to be taken for NYSS to achieve its objectives and be sustainable. On the lack of power tillers and threshers at the NYSS farms in Sapu and Niani Berre, Hon Jatta stressed that it is not convincing. He said in order for NYSS to encourage youths to venture into farming, farming implements should be available to engage them in meaningful food production.
Commenting on the financial report presented before them by the NYSS Financé officer, the majority leader noted that management and spending of government funds should be based on rules and laws and that one cannot manage government funds without knowing the issues. He stressed on the need for those in the public service to be au fait with the General orders and the Financial Instructions in order to better manage government funds. He concluded by calling for proper footing of the NYSS since it is an important institution that can help young people engage in meaningful skills and food production.
The Member for Banjul North Alhagie Sillah also called for the review of the NYSS as it has gone beyond its mandate by giving loans to the Wrestling Federation which is not part of their mandate. He said basic procedures have to be known by public officials when executing their duties and basic facilities must be put in place before undertaking any activity. He further called on the NYSS to improve on their accounts and finances because public funds are for public interest.
The Minority Leader and Member for Kiang West, Hon. Momodou L.K Sanneh stressed on the need for proper mechanisms to be put in place for deducting loans from the salaries of staff who take loans from the institution. He said taking legal actions for loan recovery have some implications because there are bag log of cases in our courts and legal actions will incur some finances because of the need to hire a lawyer by the institution. Hon. Sanneh noted that NYSS should put in place mechanisms to group the trained corps to work together instead of operating as individuals. He added that it is very embarrassing to see officials in top positions in government taking loans without paying.
The Member for Wuli West, Hon Sidia Jatta said it is better to do few things better instead of doing many things without achieving results. He said NYSS is a crucial institution because 65% of the population is made up of young people and NYSS is dealing with the cream of the nation. “Commitment should not only be providing training but also helping the trained young people to be productive,” he said. Hon Sidia called for the teaming of the trained young people and help them with loans to engage in productive ventures. He says “training young people without means of helping them to put their skills into practice is useless”. He noted that NYSS should have a target and put mechanisms to monitor and provide funds to the trainees if not they (young people) will bank on them again as guarantors. The member for Wuli West further urged NYSS to consider the youth who have not gone to school in their trainings as they are Gambians and have a right to training. H asked for NYSS to provide statement of their assessment because they ( NAMs ) are interested in how they are performing. On the NYSS farms in Sapu and Niani Berreh, Hon. Sidia Jatta asked what is being produced in those farms, the people involved in production and what happens to the produce.
The member for Sandu, Hon Abdoulie Kanaji Jawla and the Member for Upper Nuimi , Hon, Cherno Jallow all called for a holistic approach and review of NYSS and proper management of its finances and accounts for it to be sustainable.
Source: Foroyaa
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