By Binta Jaiteh
The Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, HonourableSeedy Keita has presided over the launching of the African Solidarity Fund (ASF) which aims to build the economic growth of African countries. The launch was held at Coco Ocean and Resorts on Friday.
The African Solidarity Fund (ASF) established in 975 with is headquartered in Niamey, Niger is a pan-African multilateral development institution that provides guarantees to the Member States, the banking and financial system, and the private sector.
The Honourable Minister speaking at the launching explained that the fund assists member States, the banking and financial systems including entrepreneurs.
The ASF has flown in a high-powered delegation and mission to the Gambia for this launching to welcome a prospective country, he noted.
The objective of the mission, according to him, is to discuss with Gambia authority and meet the private sector and stakeholders to identify potential areas of cooperation and intervention.
He lamented that the institution urged ministries and private sector agencies to discuss possible areas of cooperation. “We thanked the delegation to the Gambia and the participation of ASF in the development of Gambia serves as a testimony in the confidence of development partners,” he informed.
The ASF Head of the Delegation in The Gambia and Central Director in Charge of Strategy and Operations, Nkurunziza Jean Berchmans said the current dynamic of the ASF is to carve out the entire African continent.
Noting that ASF is currently working on a package of 69 projects that will contribute will continue through sub-standard infrastructure to the intervention of the economies of African states.
“This event is a historic moment for the ASF and The Gambia, as it marks the beginning of translating into concrete action the Fund’s commitment to deploy its intervention tools in The Gambia for the benefit of economic growth, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development in its member countries,” he stated.
As a reminder, he said, their mission is to contribute to the economic development and social progress of African Member States by facilitating through our various intervention techniques, access to the financial resources necessary for the implementation of investment projects and other income-generating activities.
He went further that they can’t do it alone, they need the participation of all, the private sector, banks, and other financial institutions, and all those who share their vision of building a prosperous Africa – “The Africa we want together, we can build a prosperous Africa where every individual has the opportunity to achieve their dreams and live with dignity and peace.”
However, “today, we want to usher in a new era of development activities, an era of opportunity, growth and prosperity in The Gambia. Together, we are opening the door to a future where boldness and innovation are encouraged, dreams become realities, and success is within everyone’s reach,” he expressed.