The Public Utility Regulatory Authority (PURA) came under sharp scrutiny on Monday morning, 23 February, 2026, as the Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) of the National Assembly convened to review the authority’s overdue audit reports for 2022, 2023, and 2024.
The session was marked by pointed questions regarding statutory breaches, persistent internal control issues, and the absence of a national fuel testing laboratory.
According to the PURA Act 2011, annual audit reports must be submitted to the Auditor General within a stipulated timeframe. However, as Director of HR, Malamin Dabo opened the meeting, he acknowledged, “Here we are in 2026, and we are only now looking at 2022. From the act and also from the constitution itself, this is a big breach. We need to understand why.”
Senior Finance Manager Amadou and Risk and Control Manager Basidou Cham echoed concerns over the delayed reports.
“PURA has been ready for a long, long time on these reports. We were waiting for the National Assembly,” Amadou explained. “We treat statutory reporting as an institutional responsibility and have strengthened internal government processes to prevent recurrence.”
However, committee members challenged this explanation. “You don’t wait for the National Assembly. You just go with the dictates of the law. You prepare and then submit,” one Honourable Chair asserted. “This is a serious breach—not only of the Constitution, but your own act.”
Records revealed that while PURA’s 2022 report was printed and submitted in 2023, it was not signed until 2024, raising questions about procedural compliance.
“There was no way possible that you submitted earlier than 2024. We cannot continue to receive reports on events four or five years ago. Sometimes, it becomes useless by now.” Chair Lamin S Darboe noted
PURA pledged timely submission moving forward. “It will be submitted on time this time around,” Amadou responded. The committee urged, “Let’s ensure that you submit on time so that the Auditor General can take a look at it.”
The session then turned to recurring governance issues. Internal auditors flagged unresolved control weaknesses, some dating back to 2021.
“We try to track the issues raised by internal audit, those points which are not clear to add weight to it,” said Cham. “Management confirmed several improvements, including the resolution of fuel classification and advertisement procedures, but acknowledged persistent gaps.”
A major point of contention was the lack of an accredited fuel testing laboratory in The Gambia, forcing PURA to rely on Senegal for quality assurance.
“The Petroleum Products Act requires tests to be done from an accredited lab, which we don’t have in the country,” explained PURA’s Director. “We collect samples and take them to Senegal, which is better than not testing at all, but it’s very expensive and not sustainable.”
Efforts to attract private investors and collaborate with the Standards Bureau have so far failed, the officials said, largely due to the small scale of operations and lack of local infrastructure.
However, hope now rests on the SIGPA project, which aims to establish a national lab. “There is an agreement that has already been signed. The structure is in place, but the critical equipment is still needed,” a Standards Bureau representative confirmed.
Oversight committee members pressed PURA to set deadlines and include progress in the 2026 report.
“As a regulatory body, you are mandated to give directions as to when and how it has to be done. As an oversight body, we are directing you to ensure that it is done before the next report,” the FPAC said.
Despite the backlog, PURA expressed optimism. “We are very hopeful. With the SIGPA project, they have already identified a place for the lab and are moving towards getting the equipment.”
The meeting concluded with a call for greater accountability and adherence to legal mandates.
“We urge you to look at the act and present based on the laws of this country. When we report next, we need to see the lab operational,” the Chairperson Darboe concluded, signalling a new era of oversight and reform for PURA.
