By Mahzouba Maya Faal
The United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator, Mr. Karl Federick Paul; United Nations Development programme (UNDP )Resident Representative, Ms. Mandisa Mashologu, and delegation, recently met with the Vice President of The Gambia, His Excellency Mohammed B.S. Jallow, to discuss progress on the development of an Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF) for development financing in The Gambia. As part of a global initiative piloted in several countries, The Gambia’s INFF framework was crafted and validated with input from stakeholders such as Gambia Revenue Authority, the Ministries of Finance and Trade and The Gambia Bureau of Statistics.
A governance framework is proposed to establish a dedicated secretariat to drive implementation. The Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs leads this initiative. In another engagement, Cornerstone Group, a team of investors, also met with the Vice President of The Gambia, His Excellency Mohammed B.S. Jallow, to express interest in collaborating with the Gambian government to rehabilitate and manage dilapidated government properties. The group is prepared to finance the initiative and support management efforts for renovated sites.
Having visited two Gambian government-owned properties in Dakar, they are keen about similar properties within The Gambia; such as the AU Villas, Mile 7 and the Quadrangle. The Vice President welcomed their interest, indicating government’s openness to collaboration, and promised to review the proposal soon.
