By Ramatoulie Jawo
The Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (TANGO) in The Gambia has expressed reservations about the registration procedures employed by the Ministry of Justice for non-profit and charitable organizations in the country.
This concern was voiced during a meeting with the National Assembly Select Committee on Environment on Monday, January 29, 2024. Ndey Sireng Bakurin, the Executive Director of TANGO, raised these issues while updating the committee on the status of NGOs in The Gambia.
In her address, Bakurin highlighted that the Ministry of Justice registers charitable organizations in The Gambia without proper scrutiny, which she finds worrisome as TANGO serves as an umbrella body for such entities.
“The other challenge we are having is the way registration is done in the Gambia. The Ministry of Justice registers any charitable organization and this is a concern. And when they are registered, the NGO Affairs don’t even know those who are registered and what they are doing in the country. And in this day and age we are in, there needs to be a kind of vetting system for security reasons,” she said.
Bakurin advocated for collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Justice, NGO Affairs, and TANGO to enhance the security landscape and keep track of the activities of NGOs operating in The Gambia.
She pointed out a lack of coordination within the Ministry of Justice, emphasizing that the registration process lacks follow-up measures. Bakurin questioned the effectiveness of the monitoring unit within the Ministry of Justice, revealing that there is only one individual responsible, who is not mobile.
“When you want to register with the Ministry of Justice all they ask you is do you have a constitution, a board, if you have that then that’s fine. You are registered within a day, after that, what next? Maybe you are in their database. Do they monitor them? They don’t have the capacity. The last time we went there to find out there is only one man unit they have for the monitoring who is not even mobile, you can check it,” she stated.
Expressing the need for a monitoring and vetting system, Bakurin stressed that Gambia, being a small country, should prioritize comprehensive oversight. She urged collaboration between the Ministry of Justice, NGO Affairs, and TANGO, proposing an unofficial presentation of the NGO bill to the National Assembly Members to identify and address gaps in the current system.
“We believe that there should be a monitoring vetting system because different institutions might have different agendas to set up. Some set it up for only one purpose, do it, and move, and others are here to add value to what we are doing. And in this day and age of different things happening in the country. I think Gambia, as a small country, needs to do better monitoring and better vetting is a concern for me as a citizen and also working for TANGO. And I always raise these issues at any time and at anywhere we go,” she stated.
Bakurin recommended a vetting system where NGOs could be assessed by TANGO before registration. She underscored the importance of such a system in the country’s interest and emphasized the necessity of improving the current monitoring and vetting mechanisms.
“For example, if someone wants to register they will tell you to go to TANGO, and we have a form we vet you, and we can recommend to the government and say we believe this is a genuine thing we think they can be registered in the country, but that doesn’t happen. As an NGO affair, we can form a committee and do the vetting. There needs to be a vetting system because it’s in the interest of the country,” she highlighted.