MEDIA

Echoes from the field

The ALSF helps The Gambia build its Public-Private Partnerships Framework.

(Group photo, Workshop on public-private partnerships-ALSF © 2022)

 

Banjul, The Gambia, 9 November 2022 – On 9 November 2022, the African Legal Support Facility (ALSF) provided training on Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) for government officials in The Gambia as part of its ongoing support to the country’s PPP Unit.

With the objective of supporting the entry into sustainable PPP transactions in The Gambia, on 9 November 2022 the ALSF brought together approximately 55 Government officials in a one-day workshop in Banjul, The Gambia. The participants received practical training on the PPP project development cycle from project selection, procurement and implementation. The training also provided an overview of the current support of the ALSF to The Gambia including a review of toolkit documentation provided in preparation for upcoming PPP projects. The workshop was facilitated by the ALSF in-house legal counsel, Mr Andrea Stucchi.

PPPs are a critical part of The Gambia’s plan to expand its infrastructure services, reduce poverty and maintain economic growth. In line with this goal, the Government of The Gambia enacted a PPP Policy in 2015 and is in the process of finalizing a PPP Bill. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the workshop, Ms Maude VALLÉE, Division Manager and Head of Operations at the ALSF, highlighted some of the key outputs of the Project including the “review of the country’s PPP legal framework including the National PPP Policy, the draft PPP Bill, which is being reviewed alongside other international development partners and the PPP Operational Guidelines. Several toolkits have also been prepared to ease the work of the PPP Unit in the preparation, procurement, and implementation of projects and numerous capacity building sessions were delivered throughout the project” She also added that “The ALSF has a long-standing relationship with the Government of The Gambia and has provided support on several projects and initiatives in all of the ALSF key areas of operation [...]. In recognition of our longstanding support in implementing The Gambia’s development agenda, the Government contributed to ALSF’s resources up to 100,000 US dollars, becoming the second African country, after Guinea, to fund the institution”.

About fifty-five government officials from various Ministries, Departments and Agencies participated in the training, including staff members of the Ministry of Justice, The Gambia Public Procurement Regulatory Authority and the Directorate of PPPs (DPPP) of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs (MOFEA). Representing the MOFEA, Ms Juldeh Cessay, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Projects and Progams, said that this training is an opportunity to “improve The Gambia’s process of selection, management and evaluation of public-private partnerships and ultimately improve the development of infrastructure and services in The Gambia”.

Going forward, the PPP sector in The Gambia is a space to watch and the ability of Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies to identify, prepare and oversee the implementation of new PPP projects to deliver important public services and infrastructure projects will be a vital component of the future success of PPP projects in the country.

 

About the ALSF

Hosted by the African Development Bank since 2008, the ALSF assists African governments in negotiating complex commercial transactions, providing legal and technical assistance and developing capacity building tools in the key sectors of infrastructure and public-private partnerships, energy, natural resources, extractive industries and sovereign finance.

 

Contact us

Eve Ehoura, Communication Officer : e.ehoura@afdb.org

Nelly Farah Nguegan, Capacity building Coordinator: f.nguegan@afdb.org

ALSF Website : https://www.alsf.int