NEWS BANJUL THE GAMBIA (MB)- The maiden National Assembly donors’ roundtable conference to mobilize resources and solicit donor support for the successful implementation of the Strategic Development and Investment Plan (SDIP) 2010-2014 has ended with ample pledge from only local and individuals’ donors, while for the bilateral and international donors they have not made any pledge during the meeting, all what they did was just to make statement saying that they are in support of the project but without pumping money.
The high-level aid conference gears to mobilize resources and solicit donor support for the successful implementation of the Strategic Development and Investment Plan (SDIP) 2010-2014, and was held at the Kairaba Beach Hotel outskirt of Banjul on the 16th February, 2010. .
The conference was organised by the National Assembly of The Gambia in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP. The pledges include on the day of the conference was made through by local and individuals’ in front of the organisers based in The Gambia.
When the floor was open for pledges, Gambian Justice Minister Edu Gomez was the first person to make a pledge amount of D5000.00. Gomez made a similar pledge of D10, 000.00 in March 2010 when the Young Journalists Association of The Gambia (YJAG) organised training on Media Laws, but at the time of writing this piece, Gomez still did not fulfilled his pledge. The Managing Director of National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC), Mr. Momodou Jallow also make a pledge of D500, 000 annually on behalf of the company, but what is amazing is that the company in in-dire need of finance, these was revealed by NAWEC boss a recent public hearing.
The Bankers Association of The Gambia pledges D500, 000.00 annually; Social Security and Housing Finance Cooperation (SSHFC) D300, 000 for the year 2011, and the coming years, Mr. Tumbul Danso said that the cooperation will discuss with the government to allocate budget for the project. Action Aid International-The Gambia on behalf of their country coordinator Dr. Kujejatou Manneh make a pledge of D100, 000.00; for Pro-Poor Advocacy Group D500, 000 for a capacity building programme, their pledge was made by Mr. John Charles Njie saying that for the coming five years, “ we pledge an amount of D500,000.00 for training and we will continue our cordial relationship with the National Assembly recalling that for the past years, they have engaged National Assembly Members in their capacity building programmes.
Mr. Mass Axi Gai, Gambia’s Ambassador to Guiana Bissau made an individual pledge of D2000.00; Kanifing Municipal Council Mayor Yankuba Colley D2000.00 and for Mr. Matarr Baldeh of Education for All Campaign (EFA) an amount of D1000.00 for five years and promise to sell the Strategic Development Investment Plan to possible donors.
The Gambia Teachers Union Credit Cooperative Union, Mr. Babucarr Joof told conference members that GTUCCU will contribute immensely in all their training programmes, and Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) on behalf of Mr. Muhammed Alex Da Costa pledge to support the National Assembly with institutional and technical capacity in the area of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and communication facilities through consultations with the service providers in the country in the area of internet connection..
However, it is possible for a donor to participate both in the Basket Funding Initiative option and yet identify and fund an activity directly, say Honorable Tombong Jatta Majority Leader while chairing the conference.
The indicative resource mobilization allocation stands Donors US 14,388,097 that is 55 percent, and the government of The Gambia US 11,665,715 which equals to 45 percent.
The ration behind the donors’ conference was to raise the 55 percent but the Dollars turns to Dalasis as the conference gains D5, 114,000.00.
The first strategic development and investment plan for the National Assembly of the Republic of The Gambia. This strategic plan has been developed within the context of a United Nations Development Programme project aimed at strengthening the capacity of the National Assembly to deliver its core functions.
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