The National Asset and Government Properties Commission (NAGPC) has highlighted challenges that the Commission is facing and the unprecedented neglect of its activities over the years.
Abu Hindolo Moseray, Chairman of the Commission said the Commission is an Agency under the Office of the President, established by an act of Parliament in 1990 to make provisions for control and identification of National Assets and Government Properties, and for monitoring of their use or disposal.
“Undeniably, there have been abandonment in the management of government assets throughout the country. Government entities have failed in respect of their responsibilities to report and update the Commission on the status of government assets under their purview.” Abu said.
He further highlighted instance whereby public properties have been deliberately destroyed, damaged or stolen by both government officials and the ordinary citizens especially when regime change surfaces.
Executive Secretary of NAGPC, Victor Kamara disclosed some of the narrow gains and achievements done by the Commission under their watch in five years, since they assumed office in 2018 to present.
Ranging from revenue generation, monitoring of assets, development of national register (Master Register), and the fixed Assets Policy, Abu confirmed that the Commission has embarked on a robust revenue-generation drive from rental fees accrued from Government Confiscated Property mechanism and has so far raised over one billion leones.
“We have an operationalised Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Ministry of Lands and other line ministries for Investigations and implementation of polices and laws. Pursuant to section 7 (b) of the NAGPC Act (No.2) of 1990, the Commission has launched an 880 short code toll free line to directly receive info on issues relating to the misuse, abuse or disposal of government and protection of identity of informers’ state properties,” he explained.
The Executive Secretary outlined mammoth of trials the commission is experiencing over time, sporadically from human resources, non-compliance, budget allocation, logistics and technical support.
He further suggested that the Ministry of Finance must ensure timely disbursement of budgetary allocations, concluding that the government Commission must provide technical and logistical aid including vehicles to enable the commission to accomplish its mandate and responsibilities.
At the moment, the Commission can only boast of a single vehicle attached to the Chairman of the Commission quite recently.