By Adama Makasuba
Sino Majilak, a local firm is contracted to dredge The Gambia Ports Authority to help expand the port’s capacity in maintaining availability of water for ships to safely dock.
The dredging is contracted at a sum more than D64 million which is equivalent to 1.1 million euro. In 2018, an international firm dredged the seaport at a sum nearly D100 million [1.7m euro].
Speaking to journalists at the seaport, The Gambia Ports Authority’s Harbour Master, Kulay Manneh said: “this problem exists as long as harbour exist because of the hydroxyamino risk. So, after period of time you will have accumulation of this sediment which reduces the available water for ships to come and duck.”
“In ports, ships make money and the efficiency of a port is determined by ships coming in and going out. So, to improve on that you need to do continuous services,” Mr Manneh added.
Proprietor of Sino Majilak, Dr Omar Jagne commended the management of The Gambia Ports Authority for their trust in his firm to dredge the ports and assured they give the best dredging to the nation’s ports.
“Our intention and what we going to do is to do an impeccable job because we are on examination now – we have been trusted and we have been challenged by Gambia Ports Authority,” Dr Jagne said.
He said the motivation of Sino Majilak is to make a difference in The Gambia, adding “I personal my whole motivation has been to be able to come and do something and make difference in my country.”
Meanwhile, Manka Manneh, an official of the firm said: “we are going to be doing sand dredging and that sand is coming from the sea so that we can mitigate the damage been done to our coast.”
He added on that “we are very, very excited about this and there is a lot more in the pipeline and we will be doing our job professionally and ethically, in a socially just fashion, economically viable way.”
