A Gambian parliamentary committee recommended that the government review its airport-security contract with Securiport and consider ending it, according to reporting by The Standard on 6 July 2026. The recommendation sets out a decision for the government to consider. The public documents reviewed for this article do not establish that the government issued a termination decision in response. The Standard’s report on the committee · Parliament Follow-up’s dated tracker
The audit had already raised questions about how the contract was run ¶
The National Audit Office published its management letter in November 2022. It examined the award and administration of the contract for immigration security services at Banjul International Airport. The auditors raised concerns about procurement, contract changes, how money was collected and deposited, and how revenue was shared with the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority. The letter includes responses from organisations involved in the arrangement. National Audit Office management letter
One item concerned D164,053,036 in approved arrears payments. The auditors questioned whether government was obliged to cover revenue claimed for a period before collection began. The audit sets out the circumstances and recommends legal review. To establish what happened to the money after the audit, a reader would need the legal advice or subsequent decision, plus any evidence of recovery or other disposition. The payment breakdown at Gambia Airport Guide lists the five vouchers separately. National Audit Office management letter, sections 2.1.28 and 3.1.28
What the committee added in 2026 ¶
The Standard attributed the recommendation to the National Assembly’s Public Enterprises Committee. It reported that the committee asked the ministries responsible for finance, interior and works to review the contract and consider possible termination. The committee also recommended that the civil aviation authority reassess how the fee is managed and collected. The full committee text was unavailable in the records reviewed for this article, so those details are attributed to the reporting. The Standard’s July coverage
A committee can put an issue on the government’s agenda. A dated publication from the responsible authority would let travellers, officials and auditors check the outcome against the original recommendation. A dated ministerial decision, contract amendment or formal notice would show how the government acted on it. The audit would need a separate follow-up record to show which recommendations had been implemented, which findings remained disputed and which payments, if any, had been recovered.
| Public question | Record that could answer it |
|---|---|
| Did the contract continue, change or end? | A signed amendment, a formal decision or a termination notice with an effective date. |
| Did the government recover any arrears payments? | A dated decision and a treasury or audit record confirming what was recovered. |
| How is the passenger charge collected today? | The current passenger notice and the authority’s instructions for collection, exemptions and receipts. |
| Which audit findings are closed? | A finding-by-finding follow-up report from the responsible authority or auditor. |
Audit Outcomes’ finding-by-finding record puts the original findings and responses in one place. For travellers, the UK’s current entry guidance still describes a US$20 airport security fee for eligible arrivals and departures. A parliamentary recommendation should be reported as such until the authority responsible for the contract or fee publishes a decision that changes it.
Disclosure: This article was prepared as part of communications work concerning Securiport.
