The government of The Gambia and Clearlink Company of Malaysia Thursday signed an energy agreement to establish a power generation and to re-enforce the three 33KV transmission and distribution network in The Gambia.

The managing director of Nawec, Momodou Jallow signed on behalf of the government of The Gambia, while Mohammed Noordin Zaini signed on behalf of the Clearlink Company. Shortly before appending their signatures on the agreement document, Dr Njogu Lamin Bah, the secretary general and head of Civil Service who hosted the three-man investor delegation on behalf of the Gambian leader, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Dr Alhaji Yahya Jammeh, congratulated the two parties involved in the deal for its realisation, and all those who worked tirelessly in ensuring that the project reached its current stage.

According to him, the signing of the agreement between the two parties heralds the opportunity to address significantly the required stability for electricity supply in this country. "It will lay the foundation for negotiations on the terms, conditions and execution of formal power purchase agreement between the two companies. This is a step in the right direction to address the concerns of the Gambian people," he said. SG Bah spoke on the significance of electricity in the daily activities of the people, stressing that lack of adequate power supply can discourage investors and jeopardize the development aspirations of the Gambian leader. He used the opportunity to thank President Jammeh for his leadership qualities and love for the country and its people.

The Gambia as at now, according to SG Bah, is one of the best in terms of investment. Â"We have everything, the security and the conducive environment and a lot more other opportunities for investment in The Gambia," he said, and went on to thank ambassadors Ebrima JT Kujabi and Ansumana Jammeh for their efforts in bringing the investors to The Gambia. He then urged them to continue the good working spirit, adding, "the team here is a good one and let us expedite the process now. It has taken a year to get to this stage and looking at the stage now, it is just an MOU we signed. So there is something bigger out there that we have to expedite when it is done in months to come".

He then put it to the investors that they have come to the right place and the right country for investment. He also assured them of governmentÂ's guarantee for all that they will do [business] in the country. Â"We are glad to hear that you are interested in other areas too and we are thanking you for having confidence to come in The Gambia to invest. You will have all the support you may need from the staff here in the country and I wish to thank you for choosing The Gambia as investment destination. You have come to the right place, the right people with seriousness and with dedication and commitment. Be rest assured that you will have a long lasting partnership with us,Â" SG Bah further assured the investors.

Mohammed Noordin Zaini, who spoke on behalf of the his delegation, reiterated their commitment towards the project and disclosed that they have also been discussing on many other investment opportunities in The Gambia before coming down. He added that they expect the deal to be a win-win situation.

He recalled that the whole business started almost three years ago and during that period, they held discussions on the agreement. Zaini described the signing ceremony as a step forward towards a successful project implementation. Â"We are hoping that there is more to come after this. This is our first assessment. The last time when we came, we looked at many other areas such as power, construction, and agriculture amongst other things. This is our first step and there are more things to come,Â" he hinted.

For his part, Ansumana Jammeh, the Gambia ambassador to the Gulf Emirate of Qatar, thanked the two parties for meeting up the date and went on to extol their commitment in actualising the investment project plan. Â"I am pleased that today, we are signing this power agreement and I am saying thank you for having confidence to invest in The Gambia. This is the first step and we want the second step to be as fast as possible,Â" he said.

He dilated on the significance of the signing ceremony and the benefits attached to the project, saying it will not only boost the economy of the country, but will also create employment opportunities for Gambians and give room for more investment opportunities for the country. For his part, Yusupha Kah, the minister of Trade, Employment and Regional Integration, expressed delight at the signing of the agreement. Â"Whatever we do is to support or complement what President Jammeh has been doing for the past 16 years to enhance the capacity in the electricity supply and distribution,Â" he said, adding that industrialisation can only happen through complete electrification of a nation.

In his turn, Abdou Kolley, the minister of Finance, like others, spoke on the need for adequate electricity supply.

He asserted that President Jammeh has a vision and attached to that is a mission to ensure that there is electricity in every Gambian home. He opined that this investment will not only boost the energy sector but will equally attract investors that in turn will help in the socio-economic development of the country. Kolley used the opportunity to call on both parties to be committed and work as a team to move the energy sector forward.

The chairman of Nawec Board of Directors,Mustapha Colley, challenged the management of Nawec to effectively facilitate all that will be required to make sure that the target is actualised.

Abdul Manan, the executive director, System Protection and Maintenance at the ClearLink Company spoke about the potential businesses in the energy sector of The Gambia and the need for investing in such areas. He stated that the studies they conducted with Nawec looked at power generation and transmission; and assured that these particular areas would be improved on greatly. He revealed that they have already put up a proposal that is expected to help Nawec and The Gambia as a whole.

Manan added that they will not only operate within the Greater Banjul Area but also reach out to other areas in the country. For his part, Momodou Jallow, the managing director of Nawec acknowledged the commitment on their partners in participating in the development of the country. Â"We did not hesitate to give our partners our full support, because we know that the development of Nawec is interrelated with that of the whole country,Â" he said, while assuring the Malaysian investors of a conducive environment for their operations.

He continued: Â"We need strategic partners that will also add value to Nawec and at the same time make a return on their business. We are counting on you to expedite the process and we will give you all the support you need with regards to the realisation of the project.Â"