By Omar Bah
The Minister of Lands, Hamat Bah, has announced the cancellation of land allocations to businesses at Kamalo Industrial Layout Phase 2. This decision follows a presidential inquiry that exposed severe irregularities in the allocation process. In September 2023, the Ministry of Lands suspended all land development activities at Kamalo Proper and Kamalo Extension Industrial Layouts along the Banjul-Serekunda Highway.
In response to public outcry, the government promptly established a multi-sectoral task force to review the boundary and allocation processes at the layout thoroughly. This proactive measure was initiated following concerns that the allocations did not adhere to due process. Minister Bah, speaking at a press conference on June 5th, disclosed that the task force had uncovered numerous irregularities in the allocations, including approvals by the minister without due process.
Hon. Bah mentioned that the task force uncovered instances where individual businesses were assigned multiple plots. In contrast, others received allocations without providing the necessary registration certificate or receipt demonstrating payment of the D50,000 application fee, which goes against the provisions of the Act. He pointed out the need for more justification for businesses being assigned multiple plots, raising questions about the criteria used for these allocations. He also highlighted several instances of allocations being made to ineligible applicants without the minister’s approval and with missing documents from the applicants. Additionally, he noted the absence of evidence of environmental impact assessments for the allocations.
Minister Bah, in a firm stance, stated that the task force had recommended the revocation of a specific allocation to a particular business due to irregularities. The business owner has already handed over the documents to the task force. The minister reiterated that all 28 allocations for the Kamalo area needed to follow due process, as there was no evidence of environmental impact assessments conducted by either the ministry or the allottees before the allocations. As a result, it has been recommended that all the allocations proven to have not followed due process be forfeited to the state. Minister Bah, in a clear statement, affirmed that the ministry fully accepts the task force’s recommendations and intends to implement them, which includes nullifying all the plots in question.
