The need for the expansion of the Port of Banjul on the landside is the most feasible and cost-effective technical solution as recommended in various studies since 1984. Banjul is a tributary which attracts siltation with the ebb and flow of the tide. Thus, reclaiming the sea for expansion is not technically advisable due to the hydro dynamics in the estuary of Banjul.
Studies have also considered the relocation of the Port along the southern coastline of the country at locations between Bijilo and Tujereng, but it is not cost effective based on the traffic forecast. To construct the breakwater alone to have the sheltered anchorage would cost in excess of $500 million, not mentioning the required jetties, terminals and ancillary civil infrastructure. This is why the decision factor was to expand the Port in its present location in Banjul for the next 20 years.
The KGV or Banjul Mini Stadium is not being acquired. The approximately 38,000 square metres contiguous zone within the main Port premises citing residential properties, have been earmarked for acquisition following a Cabinet decision in 1993. The land and the structures are owned in perpetuity; thus, the acquisition is through negotiations with the beneficiaries after valuation is prepared. The owners are accorded financial compensation for both the land and the structures and alternative plots allocated at Bakau Katchikally are meant to facilitate the relocation of family residences for heritage purposes.
The Muslim High School and VTC, the GTTI Banjul Annex were proposed for sale by the various Schools’ authorities and owners, following studies indicating that enrolment figures have dropped significantly and some of the buildings no longer had the required structural integrity for their intended purposes.
Therefore, the GPA as a responsible institution has partnered with Banjul City Council (BCC), Kanfing Municipal Council (KMC) and West Coast Region (WCR) and has benefitted from a grant support to the tune of $3 million from the AfDB and is currently implementing the Integrated Port City Development Plan as well as the Spatial Planning of the Greater Banjul Area.
Government is equally working with Development Partners on the Coastal Resilence project, which includes flood protection for Banjul City and sustainable development to address the potential impacts of sea level rise that Banjul may be prone to suffer from, according to predictions.
Meanwhile, the empty container terminals at Bund Road are private property that the GPA has rented from their owners for use as storage sites for an overwhelming volume of cargo that could otherwise not be stacked within the already congested space available within the main operational zones.
Finally, the GPA Management wishes to reassure the public of its unwavering commitment to the realization of the Authority’s mission ‘to excel as a leading maritime center for trade, logistics and distribution.’
GPA Management
