Africa-Press – Gambia. Officials of GAMTEL and GAMCEL Wednesday faced questions from a parliamentary committee over unpaid pensions, staff layoffs, and delays in implementing planned activities.
Members of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Public Enterprises raised the questions during a review of the companies’ 2022 annual activity reports, financial statements, and management letters.
The review highlighted gaps in implementation, attributed mainly to staff attrition and an ongoing restructuring programme that limited recruitment across the institutions.
Officials said several activities scheduled for 2022 were not completed within the year and were rolled over to subsequent periods. They were unable to provide immediate figures on the extent of the delays.
The committee was informed that the restructuring process involved internal reorganization to strengthen capacity and a broader social plan aimed at workforce rationalization. While the first two phases of the social plan have been executed, management acknowledged that the programme remained incomplete.
Officials said the ambitious 2022 work plan, coupled with the departure of key personnel, affected full implementation. Priority areas have since been reassessed by management and the board subcommittee and incorporated into subsequent operational plans.
Lawmakers also questioned outsourcing arrangements introduced under the reform, particularly for security and customer care services. Officials said affected staffers were encouraged to establish private companies to bid competitively for outsourced services, a measure they said helped maintain service continuity while preserving livelihoods.
The issue of pensions dominated deliberations, with lawmakers raising concerns about former employees reportedly struggling to access retirement benefits. Some cited cases of long-serving workers unable to retrieve contributions from Social Security, warning that unresolved cases could lead to legal disputes.
Management clarified that the World Bank-supported programme underpinning the restructuring focused on workforce reduction and did not cover pension liabilities. Government and company officials are engaging Social Security authorities and the Ministry of Finance to negotiate a settlement framework for outstanding obligations.
Committee members urged swift action, noting that delayed payments could erode staff morale and public confidence in the reform agenda. They called for clearer timelines and stronger coordination among stakeholders to ensure affected workers receive their entitlements without undue delay.
