By: Kemo Kanyi
Ebrima Sillah, the Minister of Transport, Works, and Infrastructure, has disclosed that the government is not selling Banjul International Airport but rather it has concession plan for the airport.
Minister Sillah who is responsible for Works and Infrastructure was speaking on Tuesday during Coffee Time Program over West Coast Radio. He disputed claims that the government was planning to sell the infrastructure.
He states that the government is not selling the strategic assets instead it is planning to place the asset of the airport in hands that can capably and ably run them efficiently and effectively without having to accrue any losses to the State.
He said that at some point, the government was paying the salaries of the Gambia Civil Aviation staff, stating that such issues with State-Owned Entreprises (SOEs) were legacy problems that the government inherited. In such circumstances, the government has no choice but to come up with mitigating factors.
“For the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority, we are doing a decoupling. The Authority should have been the regulator, regulating the operations at the airport so that we would know when there is no electricity, water, or no proper air conditioning system at the terminal, the company that is running the terminal is called to account. But right now, the authority is also responsible for both the running and implementation,” Sillah highlighted.
The Transport and Works minister hopefully stated that within the next two weeks, he would take the cabinet papers to the Cabinet, citing that the draft bills for decoupling have already been drafted by the Ministry of Justice and the consultant. He says that when the papers are approved by the Cabinet, the bill will be taken to the National Assembly for effective decoupling of the Civil Aviation Authority and the Gambia Airport Management Company will be there, which can partner with international players.
He outlined that the GCAA would be there wholly and solely to ensure that there were safety standards and procedures in place, that the airport and terminal were efficiently run and managed, adding that would boost the tourism industry.
“The Gambia Tourism Ministry and the key stakeholders within that industry have been yearning for an all-year-round tourism in this country. That can’t happen when you don’t have an efficient and effective aviation service industry,” he disclosed.
Minister Sillah maintains that as a result, his ministry is working closely with the Ministry of Tourism and partners to see that once the decoupling is done, the government will have a partner with the financial strength, muscle, and experience that can bring in traffic to Banjul so that the country does not only have an all-year-round tourism, but to also make the Gambia a tourism hub.
