By: Momodou Justice Darboe
The CEO of TAF Africa Global, Mustapha Njie, has said the NPP government is the only dispensation that fails to deliver housing estate solutions for Gambians.
According to Mr. Njie, the past governments of Sir DawdaKairaba Jawara and Yahya Jammeh were able to build housing estates in Kanifing, Bakoteh, and Jabang and urged the government of President Adama Barrow to step up to the plate to end the housing woes of some citizens.
“This is the only government [NPP] that does not have housing estates. They didn’t just take up responsibility. It’s their responsibility. Some people need to be housed and they need to really do something. We haven’t heard from them for a while,” Mr. Njie said in an interview with Coffee Time With Peter Gomez on Thursday.
“If you want to solve some of the housing challenges, one of the initiatives you can take is the Public-Private-Partnership. And today that is our specialty. Over time, we have successfully executed a Public-Private-Partnership housing project in Port Harcourt, which was launched in 2012 and was successfully delivered… 1200 units. In terms of volumes, big money but it was on a Public-Private-Partnership. So, the Government normally comes in with the land and with certain initiatives,”
The TAF Africa Global CEO stated. He went on: “Under that project, the government of Nigeria gave me what they called a Pioneer Status, meaning I would not pay taxes… they would waive this, they would do that. A lot of other facilities to bring the price down but there was a condition that a certain percentage of the houses could only be bought and sold to this[identified] category of people. So, there is always a condition to it.
So, that is our specialty. In doing a Public-Private-Partnership, one most important… is understandingthe legal structure, and this we have gone through and we built a lot of experience, knowing how to structure a Public-Private-Partnership deal. So, in Sierra Leone recently, we just structured one for 5000 houses. It’s a Public-Private-Partnership. So, the government owns the lowest part of equity, which is the land and the remaining is done by Taf Africa Global.”
He lamented that his Public-Private-Partnership housing initiative in The Gambia could not see the light of day.
“In The Gambia unfortunately, it’s been tough. We tried one when Manjang was in Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation. We signed an MoU but somehow, it got derailed,” explained Mr. Njie.
He continued: “And my experience in The Gambia…that is my problem. We find it very difficult for the government to speak with one voice. That’s my major problem. I am very successful in Nigeria and I will say this loud because in Nigeria today, I am doing 20,000 houses under the same Public-Private-Partnership with only one State. In Nigeria, I deal with only one state.
The governor’s office takes the lead. The last one I did before was done by the Bureau of Public-Private-Partnership. They take the lead and others will follow. But what I found very difficult in this country is that when you are dealing with government ministries and departments, they speak with different voices. Whilst you conclude with one, others will come in and say something different and it’s quite frustrating and I would want to advise the government to speak with one voice, especially on investment. We know that GIEPA is the office responsible for investment but that’s not the reality.
They should empower GIEPA. Investment promotion is the responsibility of GIEPA. For example, as an investor, I should not be talking to the Ministry of Lands. I should not be talking to the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Environment. GIEPA should be equipped so it’s a one-stop shop. That’s what you do in investment promotion. Timely delivery. Remember, we are competing with other countries. The investor has his money and they would only go to places where doing business is simplified.”.