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Current Feed ContentNew management for AGIB Friday, October 31, 2008 The Arab Gambian Islamic Bank (AGIB), on Thursday, held a press conference at its headquarters in Banjul. The ceremony marked the inauguration of the new management of the bank, which is now set to operate in partnership with a Nigerian bank, Finbank. Speaking at the press conference, the outgoing managing director of the bank, Mamour Malick Jagne, highlighted the significant role AGIB has been playing in The Gambia’s financial sector since its establishment,12 years ago. The shareholders of AGIB, he said, had considered it appropriate to link up with a strategic partner who would provide additional capital and bring technological and human resource improvements to the bank. "AGIB is lucky to have Finbank as its strategic partner," he said. Finbank, which holds 70% of AGIB shares, according to Africa Business Magazine, is the 30th strongest bank in Africa. The outgoing MD informed the gathering that Finbank would run the bank purely on Islamic principles. He thanked President Jammeh and the Central Bank of The Gambia for their support and cooperation. For his part, the incoming managing director, Zakari Abubakar, declared that AGIB is the most successful Islamic bank in the whole of West Africa. This, he said, prompted their investment in the bank. Mr Zakari also commended The Gambia government as well as the Central Bank of The Gambia for their support. Author: by Bekai Njie VP receives Burundi envoy
Friday, October 17, 2008 The vice president, Aja Dr Isatou Njie Saidy, yesterday, received in her office a special envoy of the Burundian president, Pierre Nkurunzizaat, at State House, in Banjul. The minister of Information, Communication, and Relations with Parliament, Mrs Hafsa Mossi is also the spokesperson of the government of Burundi. She was accompanied to the State House by Mr Sheriff Aidara, The Gambia’s ambassador to the Republic of Burundi, who is also a special adviser to President Nkurunzizaat. In an interview with reporters, shortly after her audience with Vice President Njie-Saidy, the Burundian special envoy told waiting reporters that she was in The Gambia primarily to extend a message to President Yahya Jammeh from his Burundian counterpart, to attend "one of our biggest occasions, the ‘run for peace’". Recalling the effects of the just ended civil war in Burundi, Mrs Mossi told reporters that they had resorted to using sports to heel the wounds that resulted from the bloody conflict that ravaged their country. "We want to overcome that past history," she said, adding that the rest of Africa and the world at large would be instrumental in attaining that goal. "Peace is a real thing in Burundi," she emphasized. Another reason for the visit, according to the Burundian president’s envoy, is to set the pace for an eminent visit by President Nkurunzizaat, in the nearest possible future. According to her, despite being far apart, The Gambia and Burundi share the same history by virtue of being on the same continent. She also said that her visit was part of efforts by the Burundian government to bring together people; something which she said was good. Burundi, she assured the gathering, will like to start getting closer to the people of Africa and the rest of the world. Author: By Kemo Cham ECOWAS concludes training on water resource managementTuesday, September 30, 2008 Participants from ECOWAS member countries, recently concluded a training workshop on water resource management, at the Corinthia Atlantic Hotel in Banjul. The workshop brought together participants from 5 English speaking West African countries: The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. In his closing remark, Dr Rui Luis Silva, the regional coordinator, Water Resources Coordination centre, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, told the gathering that the training session was the second after the one organized in Ouagadougou for West African French and Portuguese speaking countries. According him, next year, priority will be given to the training of trainers at national levels. He thanked The Gambia government for the warm hospitality accorded to them. For his part, Lamin Nyabally, permanent secretary, Department of State for Fisheries, Water Resources and National Assembly Matters highlighted the necessity of water in human life noting that the objectives of the session can only be achieved if the results of the analysis of the evaluation questionnaires which were filled as part of the program given due consideration. He added that it is a duty to participate actively in ensuring water availability and that the knowledge gain during the training should be disseminated within various localities. "We do not have to rely on ECOWAS," he said. He hailed the participants and urged them to disseminate the knowledge gained during training and commended The Gambia government for its immense support. The program included the awarding of certificates. Author: by Bekai Njie PAC’s work going on smoothly -National Assembly declares
Thursday, September 25, 2008 The proceedings of the National Assembly Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the body in the National Assembly tasked with scrutinizing the financial performance of public institutions has been described as ‘going smooth.’ Out of the 51 government enterprises and agencies, 26 institutions have successfully been scrutinized by the committee with 14 agencies presently deferred. This was disclosed to newsmen yesterday at a press briefing organized at the office of the speaker, at the Assembly Chambers in Banjul. Honorable Fabakary Tombong Jatta, Majority leader and National Assembly member for Serrekunda East, said on 25th August 2008, the committee began the process. According to him, the work of the committee is a constitutional requirement, empowering the Assembly to scrutinize government institutions, public enterprises and agencies. He made it categorically clear that the scrutiny process is not a witch-hunt but that it aims to see how best to overcome the obstacles faced by these institutions by providing certain recommendations. He observed though that this had not been happening until the advent of the current administration. "But since Speaker Jahumpa-Ceesay took office to date, she has enforced dramatic changes and provided space for all to participate," he said. Honourable Jatta then recognised the support of President Jammeh in the process. Sedia Jatta, NAM for Wuli West described the level of cooperation from the agencies as fair. He hailed the Office of the Speaker for upholding the dictates of a constitutional requirement, describing it as happening for the first time in the history of The Gambia. He observed that it is a constitutional mandate for people to know how public agencies generate revenue. For her part, Speaker Fatoumatta Jahumpa-Ceesay noted that they already know what they intend to achieve as the process is going on smoothly. She added that the process is good for the country as it will showcase the transparency and accountability instituted by the leadership, which, she said, does not condone corruption. She further noted that it will also help donor countries to have faith in the country and to come over for activities of cooperation. The speaker then revealed that to ensure transparency and accountability, seven external auditors have been secured to audit the 51 agencies. "This is a problem and a very difficult job. But because [of the fact that] President Jammeh is a true Pan-Africanist and we also need to demonstrate our role in the sub-regional integration effort, external auditors are allowed to audit our agencies. Therefore, we successfully scrutinised the agencies last year, and we hope to equally do the same this year," she said. She thanked President Jammeh for his support of the committee, and for having responded to the last report submitted to him. She warned that the PAC is resolved to invoke the constitution on any institution that does not respect the commission. She also hailed the support gained from the IMF, World Bank and the UNDP Support Project of the National Assembly, to build a secretariat for the Public Accounts Committee. Author: by Alhagie Jobe President Koroma felicitates Jammeh Tuesday, September 23, 2008 Dr Ernest Bai Koroma, president of the Republic of Sierra Leone, has sent in Ramadan greetings for the Gambia leader, Alhajie Dr Yahya AJJ Jammeh. The statement reads: It is my fervent belief that this Holy Month of Ramadan will inspire the entire Muslim Ummah to achieve greater solidarity, progress and prosperity in the years ahead. Author: DO Coca Cola CEO meets Jammeh Thursday, September 18, 2008 The chairman and CEO of the Coca Cola Company, USA, E Neville Isdell, accompanied by a six member delegation including officials of the Gambega Company, Gambia Ltd , yesterday paid a courtesy call on President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, at State House in Banjul. The purpose of the visit was to appeal to the president and his government for another tax concession as Gambega (the Coca Cola Company’s representative in The Gambia) plans to expand its business in The Gambia, as well as finding ways and means of easing the hurdles Gambega faces in exporting its products to some Ecowas countries with regards to the regional body’s protocols governing trade and other issues. Speaking at the ceremony held at the Cabinet room, President Jammeh said Gambega is one of the companies that put trust and confidence in his government during its maiden days in office, when others were relocating their businesses to other countries. On their appeal, Dr Jammeh said his government would study the issue and come up with a decision that would be good for both the government and Gambega. He described the relationship as a partnership in which either party can freely talk about constraints encountered, so that both parties will be happy in the end. “Your request is not far-fetched as you are talking about 2010 [for your expansion]. We will look at it on a case-by-case basis, because we don’t want to set a precedence that is not sustainable. In as much as we want to give the best we have, we also don’t want to kill the goose that lays the eggs,” he said. The Gambian leader added that government will negotiate the issue with Gambega to see to it that it does not hurt either parties, in order for the partnership to flourish. He welcomed the company’s plans for expansion, as it is line with the country’s Vision 2020, which envisages the private sector as the engine of economic growth in The Gambia. “If you talk about expansion, I am happy because it means more employment,” he added. He told the group that what he yearns for is to see Gambian manufactured products being exported to other countries. On the hurdles the company faces in exporting products to Ecowas countries, Dr Jammeh told the delegation that The Gambia is not responsible for the problems which are created by certain countries that always defy the ECOWAS protocol even though they are signatories to it. Speaking earlier, the secretary of state for Finance and Economic Affairs, Musa Gibril Bala-Gaye, said the government provides development incentives to companies that operate in The Gambia. According to him, when Gambega started operations in the country in 1995, it enjoyed concessions but he was quick to add that this had a time limit as the government also needs taxes to meet its goals. He said that the government, under the stewardship of President Jammeh, has not increased any tax in the last four years other than that of petroleum, which was done last May due to the unprecedented surge in fuel prices at the global market. SoS Gaye revealed that the government incurred losses even with the increase in petroleum tax as it was only able to collect D11M and D9M in July and August, when its minimal monthly target is D40M. He added that The Gambia is the only country in sub-Saharan Africa that was able to mobilise its tax revenue to between 21- 22 percent of the GDP, thus enabling government to rely on tax revenue for its operations, be it recurrent or development. The government, he went on, has, for the first time, allowed Gambega to assess itself in terms of the taxes to be paid to government on a quarterly basis, but this will be evaluated at the end of the year to ascertain whether the self assessment was correctly done. He also assured the group that the government will consider whether companies that want to expand should be given the same concessions that they enjoyed when they were first established. For his part, Abdou Kolley, secretary of state for Trade, Industry and Employment, said in order for Gambega to get access to the Ecowas market, they need to apply for certification under the Ecowas Trade Liberalisation Scheme. This scheme, he went on, allows companies in Ecowas member states to export quota free to other member countries. He revealed that the scheme has an implementation problem which is attributed to its commencement, but everything has been done to smoothen the situation. “There are Gambian companies that have started exporting and I think Gambega should follow suit,” he said. Speaking on behalf of his delegation, E Neville Isdell, described The Gambia as a good place for business, citing the progress scored by Gambega since its inception here, in 1995. He said their business market is growing in Africa at an annual rate of 7-percent, compared to 4-percent in other parts of the world. He appealed for further tax relief while hailing the country’s fiscal policies. CEO Isdell then thanked the president for receiving them, and assured him of their desire to further work closely with the government. Present at the ceremony were secretaries of state and the secretary general and head of the Civil Service. Author: by Pa Malick Faye Work plan for public service reform Friday, August 22, 2008 A two-day seminar on the Public Service Reform and Institutional Capacity Development Project, wrapped up on Wednesday, at the Corinthia Atlantic Hotel, Banjul, with the adoption of a revised work plan to set the reform on course. The seminar was organised by the Personnel Management Office in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The meeting brought together key stakeholders and donors. Delivering a speech during the opening of the ceremony, Mr Omar G Sallah, the permanent secretary at the Personnel Management Office, who doubles as the project director, underscored the importance of the seminar to the achievement of the goals and objectives of the civil service reform programme. Mr Sallah informed the participants that the project was conceived a year ago, following the government’s formulation of the Public Sector Reform Strategy Paper II and also told them that past administrative reforms were ad-hoc and the small successes achieved short-lived. “In view of this situation and given the absence of a comprehensive approach to civil service reform, the government willingly undertook, with UNDP support in 1999, to design and implement a reform programme directed at public service management, as part of an overall six component national governance programme,” he said, adding that this was followed by the reactivation of the Capacity Building and Economic Management Project (CBEMP) in 2002 and the first Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) 2003 - 2005. PS Sallah, who is also the chairman of the Management Development Institute's Board of Governors, said country assistance strategy process workshops were held in Banjul and Washington on civil service reform. These, according to Mr Sallah, were complemented by the ADB mission study in the same year, on the government profile, which provided baseline data on governance. The PMO boss noted that the issues highlighted in the data pointed to deficiencies in government capacity and effectiveness, which according to him, confirmed the need for comprehensive reform to enhance efficiency and effective service delivery. Sallah observed that the essence of the strategy highlights the urgent need for equitable and sustainable policies to provide a cost effective retention strategy, salary and allowance reform, revised pension scheme, robust performance management system, comprehensive training strategy, effective succession planning mechanism, as well as a competent and efficient public service under the coordination and supervision of the PMO and the Public Service Commission (PSC). As the attainment of the goals of the public sector reform strategy dovetails with the objectives of Vision 2020, the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper II and the Millenium Development Goals, Sallah indicated that the UNDP country office expressed interest to fund part of it. “On the basis of this expression of interest, the UNDP Regional Bureau decided to initially allocate US$1.45 million to fund the public service reform sector component,” he revealed, noting that the government of Spain, through the Democratic Governance Thematic Trust Fund, provided the funds. He stated that with the UNDP’s local contribution of US$350,000, the total fund currently available amounts to US$1.8 million for a three-year period - 2007 to 2010. At the tail of the two-day seminar, PS Sallah commended the participants for their resourcefulness and participation during the course of the seminar and hailed the UNDP for their immense support. Sallah also acknowledged the immense support received from President Jammeh towards the reform process. Author: by Hatab Fadera & Bekai Njie VP RECEIVES SUDANESE ENVOY
Thursday, August 07, 2008 The Sudanese minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Joseph Alkelo, flew into Banjul, yesterday, as a special envoy of President Al-Bashir to deliver a written message to President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, which was received on his behalf by the vice-president, Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy at State House, Banjul. The government of Sudan is seeking the support of The Gambia against the extradition request issued by the Hague-based International Criminal Court, ICC, against President Omar Al-Bashir for alleged war crimes committed in Sudan’s war-torn region of Darfur. The extradition request was issued by the ICC’s chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, on July 14, 2008. Speaking to journalists shortly after delivering the message to Dr Njie-Saidy, Mr Akelo said the content centred on the Darfur crisis which resulted to the ICC’s request for the extradition of President Bashir. To him, the allegations are “false” prompting them to seek the support of The Gambia. “Because we thought if the indictment is carried out, it will wreck all the achievements we [Sudanese] registered in the Darfur crisis,” he said. The way forward According to the Sudanese envoy, his country is of the firm belief that suspending the indictment request and allowing the case to be argued by African lawyers is the best way forward. In addition, he went on, Sudan will continue to pursue the path of peace with groups still reluctant to sign a peace accord with the government. “We are telling our brothers, let us suspend the indictment and give us [Sudanese people] the time to pursue the path to peace,” he stressed. Assurance Mr Akelo who concluded his sixth country tour in Banjul said, “I had strong assurance from all the countries I visited that they would stand by Sudan. This is because it is an African initiative and they say they would support the initiative.” Author: by Pa Malick Faye Stakeholders meet on WTO agreements Wednesday, August 06, 2008 The Department of State for Trade, Industry and Employment, in collaboration with the Agency for International Trade Information and Cooperation, yesterday started a three-day training seminar on the World Trade Organisation’s notification requirements under the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreements, at the Corenthia Atlantic Hotel, Banjul. The seminar will look at an array of issues revolving around the SPS and the TBT agreements. The seminar is also expected to produce a road map for The Gambia to become a full participant in the SPS and the TBT. Speaking at the occasion, Abdou Kolley, the secretary of state for Trade, Industry and Employment, said the training will assist The Gambia in identifying practical ways in which it can effectively make use of its rights under the SPS and TBT agreements to fulfil notification obligations. Part of The Gambia’s obligations as a member of the WTO under these requirements is to effectively notify and respond to enquiries from other WTO member countries by providing information on the legislation and technical regulations applicable to trade in goods. “The notification also enables the WTO members to know what changes are being made, so that the country’s trade is impeded. However, one of the major constraints of meeting this notification requirement is the limited capacity that we have to handle enquires,” said SoS Kolley. According to him, this training seminar will help in building the capacity to better manage notification and ensure that producers and exporters are not only informed on the SPS and TBT requirements at the national level but also of their trading partners. The Trade SoS noted that the impact of SPS and TBT measures on international trade is significant and will continue to grow as consumers in both developed and developing countries strive for increased food safety. Like many countries, he said, The Gambia faces significant challenges concerning quality assurance, in various aspects, particularly for its exports to the European Union. In this regard, he said the government, with the support of the European Union, was able to launch, early this year, the Competitiveness Support and Harmonisation of TBT and SPS Measures Project under the framework of the West African Quality Programme. SoS Kolley challenged the participants to use the seminar to strengthen communication and networking among institutions that deal with SPS and TBT issues. For his part, Panos Konandreas, an expert in commerce at the Agency for International Trade and Cooperation, observed that though The Gambia may be a small country, it has a very open economy that accommodates trade in import and export. Madam Gayatri Kanth, the programme coordinator at the agency, said her agency deemed it necessary to provide technical assistance and collaboration that will enable The Gambia to know its needs and requirements. Author: by Hatab Fadera 19 Cubans bag masters degree Monday, August 04, 2008 At least 19 medical doctors, nurses and health workers of the Cuban Medical Team in The Gambia, on Friday, graduated with master of sciences degrees, at a ceremony held at the University of The Gambia (UTG) School of Medicine, Banjul The graduates underwent programmes in natural and bio-energetic medicine, women’s comprehensive care, children’s comprehensive care, infectious diseases, medical emergency, healthy longevity and dental emergency. Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Suibrto Hechavarria, the head of the Cuban Medical Team in The Gambia, recalled that in February 2006, the Cuban Medical Team started the programme for masters degrees in The Gambia. “It was a goal of our government, to ensure the development of an extensive strategy, to ensure post graduate studies for the professionals involved in the Cuban international medical missions,” he added. Going back to history, Dr Hechavarria said that after five years into the triumph of the Cuban revolution, thousands of medical doctors, nurses and health workers graduated from the Cuban medical schools. “The chief commander, Fidel Castro, was the one behind this idea. He proposed to increase the number of master of sciences and PhDs as a superior stage in the formation of human resources in Cuba,” Dr Hechavarria revealed. “To this end, an academic committee was created in The Gambia. It was responsible for the planning, organisation, control and assessment of the whole process. Nowadays, there are 112 collaborators enrolled in the masters programme and there are 6 modalities for the master of sciences degrees,” he elaborated. Dr Hechavarria told the gathering that the continuity of the masters programme is a great challenge, and that they will do their best to present new and better researches. “Resulting from this graduation, the number of health professionals with masters degree in The Gambia rose from 15 to 39. This is a [source] of great pride, not only because of the opportunities and success that it represents to us all, but also the increase in quality regarding medical assistance to the Gambian people,” he added. “Now, The Gambian health system can count on this task force to accomplish more complex commitments. We are in [the position] of going forward with the community-based doctors programme and supporting the post-graduate studies of our Gambian colleagues,” he noted. Dr Hechavarria thanked the authorities of the UTG and the Department of State for Health and Social Welfare. For his part, Dr Malick Njie, the secretary of state for Health and Social Welfare, said the results of the masters degrees’ first edition, are dedicated to the 45th anniversary of the Cuban International Medical Missions and the 10th anniversary of the comprehensive health programme. SoS Njie said that the graduation is another contribution to the health of Africa, describing Cuba as a true friend of The Gambia. He thanked the Cuban doctors for their contribution to the health sector. The ceremony was also attended by secretaries of state, Dr Ousman Nyan, the provost of the School of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, who also doubles as the deputy vice chancellor at the UTG, and the WHO representative, among other dignitaries. Author: by Assan Sallah |
