By Lamin Njie
The Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs has revealed that the ongoing rehabilitation project of Banjul has now entered its final phase.
Honorable Seedy Keita made this revelation during the presentation of the 2024 budget before Members of the National Assembly.
“The rehabilitation of roads, sewage and drainage systems in Banjul is in its final stage of implementation. The Project seeks to rehabilitate the pump house at Bund Road and install new pumps to evacuate storm water during the rainy season. Currently, 98 percent of the road’s components in the initial scope and 87 percent of those in the additional works have been completed as of the end of September 2023,” he said.
On aviation, Minister Keita revealed that the government has also embarked on an exercise to reform the aviation sector to make it more efficient and viable which involves the separation of regulatory and service provision functions in the industry in line with international standards and recommended practices.
“The decoupling process is ongoing and will culminate in the establishment of a new airport company and a civil aviation Authority (CAA) which will focus only on regulatory oversight. In addition, the government plans to enter into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) in the operations and management of the Banjul International Airport.
It is envisaged that such reforms will enhance the performance of the aviation industry and its contributions to the development of the country,” the Finance Minister stated.
