By: Adama Makasuba
Organizers of Gambia First International Economics Investment Forum have said the forum which is due in October 2019 in Spain is meant to raise grants for the National Development Plan (NDP).
They said a team is due in Spain next week (this week) to ‘pave a smooth way for the forum.’
Speaking at press conference on Friday at State House in Banjul, Alhagie Nyangado director general and strategic policy and delivery department said: “one good thing about Spain is…Spain is very much into agriculture and the backbone of this country is agriculture, so we are going to Spain to be able to see how they are doing things differently and raise the additional grants that is needed for us to implement the NDP (National Development Plan).”
He said they will discuss with both government and private sector from the two nations, adding that in which they would help in issues of their needs.
He said this forum is not a retreat for the government but that it is an activity to be able to raise additional fund for the government which he said “has inherited a very difficult economy, very difficult economy.”
He said the forum is not limited to only Spain but that their aim is to cover many countries across the world saying “this is all part of efforts to raise the needed additional resources to be able to implement the NDP.”
“The key critical infrastructure that government needs to embark on that comes through loans or government’s own grant is not possible as I stated we are in a very difficult circumstance. The only avenue we have is to improve our activities on grants, and this particular forum is going to help us again to be able to discuss with our counterparts in Spain particularly the diaspora,” he added.
Ali Sowe, forum general manager for First International Economics Investment, said the Spanish government is committed to helping the Gambia saying “this is why we actually negotiated with the Spanish government with other private investors really available to support the Gambia and