By Kebba Ansu Manneh
Fara Shams, Managing Director of Construct Limited has exclusively spoke to The Voice Newspaper over the weekend clarifying issues surrounding an agreement between Construct Limited and Gambia Tourism Board (GTBoard) as regarding construction of offices for the later.
The agreement led to the construction of the Tropic Shopping Mall previously earmarked to house the office of the GTBoard but now turned to a shopping centre was officially opened last December.
Giving detail of the ownership of the Tropic Shopping Mall, the Managing Director of Construct Limited disclosed to The Voice Newspaper that his company applied for ownership of the Fajara Water Front from the Gambia Tourism Board earmarked for development by Construct Limited. And in order to be granted ownership GTBoard decided that Construct Limited should rather build new offices for the GTBoard and the Ministry of Tourism and culture than making six million dalasis (D6million) cash payment for the Fajara Water Front.
In addition to that, he said, the GTBoard also requested that the Construct Limited should also build a new craft market for vendors at the seaside. According to him, after the completion of the Tropic Shopping Mall and after an inspection conducted by current Minister of Tourism and Culture, a decision was reached to build a separate building that will house only the offices of GTBoard and Ministry of Tourism and Culture.
Fara Shams added that this change of decision to separate the Shopping Mall from the offices of Gtboard and Ministry of Tourism and Culture led to a new agreed that avail GTBoard to identify a new site for their Headquarters.
He revealed to The Voice Newspaper that the new site for the construction of the headquarters of Gtboard has been identified closed to Palma Rima Hotel, noting that Construct Limited has already started working on the building of the three storey building exclusively designed to house only GTBoard and its Ministry.
MD Fara Shams continued to dispel allegations levelled against him that he dashed out cash to some former officials of GTBoard including its former Managing Director, Abdoulie Hydara, in exchange for the prime land located just before Spy Bar Football field. He considered the allegations as mere ones without substance but only meant to derail the progress been registered by his company.
He also denied any additional payment done by the GTBoard as regarding the construction of the three storey building which his company is currently building for its clients, affirming that no single butut was paid by either the GTBoard or the Ministry of Tourism and Culture towards the cost of the new GTBoard Headquarters.
“No single dalasi have been paid by GTBoard towards the cost of this new three storey building. Even though that this building could cost us, (Construct Limited), closeer to D50million (fifty million dalasi). We are committed to fulfilling our part of the agreement which is a reason we don’t waste any time to start building the site,” Fara Shams, Managing Director of Construct Limited owners of Tropic Shopping Mall revealed.