By Landing Colley
The National Assembly Members have referred the Ministry of Finance’s additional load agreement between the government and Saudi Fund for Development to house committee for scrutiny.
The agreement signed by the government of the Republic of The Gambia and the Saudi Fund for Development is for financing the completion of ongoing rehabilitation work at Banjul International Airport.
Honorable Mambureh Njie, Minister of Finance told lawmakers that “the additional financing is SAR45,000,000 equivalent to USD$12, 000,000. The loan is priced at 1% per annum on the principal amount of the load which can be outstanding from time to time as the principal amount reduces as repayment starts after the grace period, with tenure 30 years and a 10-year grace period.”
He added that “the project aims to complete the additional civil works and supply furniture and equipment for the Banjul international airport, as it is the only airport of entry for the air traveler,” he added.
He noted that one of the key benefits of the project is that capacity of the airport will be increased handling up to half a million passengers (500,000) per annum which represents an increase of 43%, and it will also increase the capacity to handle up to 500 passengers in a peak hour.
According to him, the maintenance is highest important to the nation as it serves as the first point of call for investors, diplomats, tourists, and other travellers coming to The Gambia.
He explained that “the supplementary funds to continue the ongoing works at Banjul international airport include building VIP Lounge at the Airport, and will ensure that Banjul International Airport meets certain requirement such as availability of X-rays and body scanning equipment including explosive detection system as per International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standard.”
According to him the additional fund seek will focus on other two main part and one is civil works, supply and installation of furniture and equipment.
This includes rehabilitation of service roads at the airport inclusive of the roads surrounding the terminals, completion of internal and external works of the terminals, supply and installation of equipment and devices, including baggage detection devices, safety and control systems, drilling water well, providing it with the necessary pumps, and establishing an upper water tank with water lines linking the well and tank, and replace the pipes between the water company and the airport with diameters greater than the current one.