President Adama Barrow has inaugurate The Gambia conference centre name after country first President Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre.
The fifty million US Dollar (US$ 50m) project, grant-aided by the People’s Republic of China was inaugurated on Saturday in Bijilo.
The magnitude of the project demonstrates The People’s Republic of China’s resolve to link its development plan with development support to The Gambia and Africa as a whole.
“The initiative has unlocked Chinese investments in Africa. In The Gambia, in particular, examples include financing of the Twenty-Five Million US Dollar ($25 million) National Broadband Network Project, the eighty million US Dollar ($80 Million) Upper River Region roads and Bridges Project and this fifty million US Dollar ($50 Million) International Centre Project.
Evidently, the People’s Republic of China is one of our strongest partners. With them, we will continue to explore new frontiers, ranging from cultural exchanges to trade and investment expansion through a South-South Cooperation framework,” President Barrow pointed out.
He added: “Bilaterally, my government will continue to work with the Chinese Government, and remain supportive of the One-China Policy.
President Barrow said, as a tribute to the first President of the Republic, Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, we have opted to name it as Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre.
He added that the construction of this centre was a prioritised project, as it is a pre-requisite for hosting the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) summit in 2022
He also said the facility has also come to fill a long-standing need for a tourism and development niche, as reflected in the National Development Plan (2018-2021).
“It is a new relationship rooted in a mutually beneficial cooperation formula for Africa and The People’s Republic of China. I am pleased to observe, however, that the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre is one of its kinds in the region.
Many will marvel at its uniquely appealing design and the construction techniques that make it so elegant. These aside, its specifications comply with The Gambia National Public Building and Facilities Policy (2018-2027),” he said.
President Barrow said, in addition to various facilities, the fourteen thousand square-metre floor, with a sitting capacity conference hall of over one thousand persons, gives the centre the edge to host major international meetings.
According to him, government opts for an operational management and maintenance mechanism system that guarantees its optimal financial sustainability and proper upkeep, adding that such option is to subject it to a facility management model that best provides such safeguards.
He further said the centre will give The Gambia the opportunity to attract and host meetings, incentive travels, conventions, conferences and exhibitions.
“Besides creating avenues for important decision makers to visit our country, the Centre will surely provide opportunities for employment, open up the tourism industry market, enhance transport services and expose our diversity and culture to the world.
Against this backdrop, we are profoundly grateful to the People’s Republic of China for their support to The Gambia and, generally, for leading an unprecedented alliance to pursue “the Belt and Road” initiative aimed at establishing the longest trade route in the world,” he said.
He said during the 2018 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit, the People’s Republic of China announced eight major initiatives to collaborate with African countries, including The Gambia.
“This historic achievement signals a new era of opportunities, potential prosperity and dignity for Gambians.
Importantly, it is part of a never-ending national effort to facilitate trade and investment, modernise our infrastructure and revive the service sectors,” he noted.
President Barrow said, he noted that the project engaged more than five hundred workers over a two-year period and it provided opportunity for transfer of knowledge and skills to Gambian nationals for the development of local construction industry.
He extended his deep gratitude to the Contractor, Jiangsu Provincial Construction Company, and the Consultant, PMC, for the magnificent work completed ahead of schedule, while he commend the Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure also for the lead role they played in the project.-