By Tabora Bojang
The Minister of Gender, Children and Social Welfare has refuted claims that the recently launched D50M women enterprise fund launched by the ruling National People’s Party NPP is the same as the Women’s Enterprise Fund managed by her ministry.
According to Minister Kinteh the two are different. “The Women Enterprise Fund is a government initiative and it came through a national legislation with operational modalities different from the one launched by the president on Saturday. The one under my ministry is funded by the Government of The Gambia and every year, we receive D10 million, and it was only last year that we got up to D15 million, We have a board and committees in all the regions to assist the application for the women groups before anything is done,” Minister Kinteh said.
She said the NPP one is D50M funded by the president himself and it is “no way near” the Women Enterprise Fund under her ministry.
Madam Kinteh said she is surprised with suggestions that the NPP Fund is from state coffers, even after clarifying this in her statement at the launching.
