Banjul, 16th June 2025: His Excellency President Adama Barrow, on Friday, 13th June 2025, officially launched the 47. 7 million-dollar Gambia Public Administration Modernisation for Citizen Centric Service Delivery Programme (PAMP), funded by the World Bank.
In his remarks, the President described the programme as a transformative initiative, developed in collaboration with the World Bank. He said the move is part of his government’s resolve to establish a stronger, more efficient, and better-structured public service.
“The project marks a pivotal moment in our nation’s journey towards a transparent and citizen-focused public service. In this context, the PAMP represents a crucial cornerstone for achieving our national objectives of consolidating democratic governance, accelerating green economic and social transformation, and building resilience against future shocks,” President Barrow remarked.
Mr. Franklin Mutahakana, World Bank Country Representative in The Gambia, said the project is a landmark cooperation as the first programme for results, one of three financing instruments available to support the national development agenda.
He explained that the other two instruments are the Investment Project Financing (IPF) and the Development Policy Financing (DPF).
“The success of this operation is to transform the blueprint orientation to the World Bank to support the government of The Gambia. The World Bank is committed to building and strengthening The Gambia,” he stated.
According to Mr Mutahakana, the institutions in The Gambia were assessed, and the results of this assessment provide the results for the World Bank support. He called for strengthened collaboration across all sectors to ensure that results are achieved.
“This operation focuses directly on The Gambia’s public administration with emphasis on service delivery, and with a view to improving public sector work, budgeting, and deployment in a manner that is responsive. It also aims to support The Gambia’s resource mobilisation efforts, which is critical to the country’s sustainability efforts,” he stated.
He highlighted that the project conveys transformational potential in the area of transparency and civic engagement, a key priority for the Government of The Gambia. This, he added, would be tested in the education sector first.
The World Bank Rep said effective and efficient public service delivery for prosperity is key and provides an enabling environment for sustainable development, including private sector development.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Service, Pateh Jah said the programme not only marks the beginning but also the start of a new chapter in citizen engagement, building trust in government institutions and enhancing innovation in public administration.
The PS informed that the PAMP will be implemented using local systems and processes as the project reflects a shared commitment to transparency, accountability and modernisation to ensure that the public sector is responsive, inclusive and advancing.
By Lamin Kujabi
