Finance and economic affairs, fisheries and security took precedence at the Barrow administration’s fourth cabinet meeting Wednesday.
Led by President Adama Barrow, Cabinet reviewed progress on the four priority areas from its last meeting a fortnight ago, namely communication, energy, infrastructure, agriculture and education. Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Amadou Sanneh spoke to his colleagues about the global challenges discussed at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings in Washington earlier in the year, and their implications for The Gambia. They covered such issues as inflation, debt and unemployment.
Minister Sanneh also briefed his colleagues on the USD15 million support available to improve livestock rearing, energy and the promotion of healthcare service from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB). He said this was part of the new IDB strategy to help member countries address their challenges.
The Minister explained that the African Development Bank (AfDB) was also using a similar strategy to support African countries, focusing on five critical areas, all of which resonated with The Gambia’s development needs. They are: electricity, food security, industrialisation, regional integration and improving people’s quality of life.
The Cabinet also discussed several agreements presented by the Finance Minister. They related to financing for integrated financial management information system (IFMIS) and the results for education achievement and development projects; the Airport Improvement Project phase II.
