The Daily Observer (Banjul)
Hatab Fadera
22 October 2009
The Gambian leader, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh yesterday received in audience top officials of the World Bank (WB) and the African Development Bank (ADB) at separate engagements at his office at State House in Banjul.
Both officials who were accompanied to State House by the minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Abdou Kolley, discussed with President Jammeh an array of development issues as well as challenges with a view to paving the way forward.
First to speak to the journalists shortly after his discussion with the Gambian leader was Habib M Fetini, World Bank regional director for Africa. He told reporters that he led a mission from the World Bank to the country to review their programmes and to also assess the strategy of assistance to The Gambia, issues, which he said, were revealed to President Jammeh.
The top World Bank official shared with journalists, his impression about the country's development and observed that The Gambia is performing very well in many areas, notably in the area of Education For All Initiative, which he said is advancing very well and very satisfactorily.
Fetini described the country as a very beautiful one, which has a tremendous potential in tourism, adding that it also has the potential to develop lot more projects and strategies that can make the highest value in the tourism status of the country.
A lot more progress, according to him, has also been made in the agricultural sector, energy, as well as foreign direct investment mobilisation areas. The World Bank Africa regional director described his discussion with the president as fruitful and stated that the views and opinions raised by President Jammeh will go a long way in charting the way forward. Also speaking to journalists shortly after his audience with The Gambian leader, Franck Perrault, director at the African Development Bank (ADB), indicated that they had a very interesting and fruitful discussion with the Gambian leader. The closed door discussion according to Perrault, touched on a number of issues regarding the Bank's activity, the country's performance, as well as other regional issues.
The ADB director went on to observe that there are lots of committed people in the country who are ready to be responsible to achieve progress, a trend he said, is the basis for success. He expressed his resolve to visit the country again soon and assess the progress that have been made so far.
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