UN General Assembly
1995

has been gathering since its creation, and it will submit its report soon. By all accounts, the findings so far of the Commission of Inquiry into the Financial Activities of Public Corporations are also earth-moving. Strenuous efforts are being made to recover everything stolen. But the important thing is the lesson drawn from all these Commissions, which, basically, is that public office is essentially for the service of one’s country, and not to be used as a vehicle for self- enrichment. Even members of the general public are now more responsive to their tax obligations, as evidenced by the record tax collections since the setting up of the Commissions to which I have referred. More important, 11 General Assembly 22nd plenary meeting Fiftieth session 13 October 1995 the principles of accountability, transparency and probity in public life are gradually taking root in Gambian society. All these facts speak for themselves, and we now understand why the Gambia is poorer today than it was at the time of independence. The country’s meagre resources, which should have been utilized for development purposes,