By LaminNjie
An assessment team established by the Gambia Government has expressed satisfaction over the operational and technical management of the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre after two years of service.
The team led by the Director of Technical Services at the Ministry of Transport, Works, and Infrastructure, Mr Matar Ceesay and other senior officials from the Ministry, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in The Gambia, Management of the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre, and the contractor JPC .
The exercise is geared towards assessing the level of transfer of skills and capacity to the local team for appropriate and proper upkeeping of the facility and equipment.
The Conference Centre is managed by The Gambia OIC Secretariat with support from relevant government agencies; such as Ministry of Information and Communication Infrastructure (MOICI), GAMTEL, Gambia Police Force, Gambia Fire and Rescue Services, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, among others.
The team concluded that the conference centre is generally in good shape, except for a few minor defects.
The Director of Technical Services, Ministry of Transport, Works, and Infrastructure, Mr Matar Ceesay described the exercise as significant, adding that it accorded them the opportunity to have first-hand information on the state of the centre to be able to put in place repairs and maintenance programme.
“We need to have a schedule of training activities which will help us know what kind of training activity is due; whether it is Information Technology or any other kind of training so that we can identify the right personnel,” said Mr Ceesay .
He further placed emphasis on the need for more training for the Gambian team on the ground which is stated on the framework of the technical contractual agreement which lasts for another year.
Ms Tina, head of JPC team , expressed satisfaction with the level of management and proper care of the centre. She however acknoewledged that some few minor issues are identified during the inspection which will be fixed as soon as possible.
The Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre commenced operations in June 2020 and has since hosted numerous events both local and international. The Centre is set to host the OIC Heads of State and Government Summit slated for this year and will help position The Gambia as a conference destination.
The Centre is a grant-in-Aid project supported by The Government of the People’s Republic of China, which was handed over in January 2020 as The Gambia prepares to host the OIC 2022 Summit.