Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) is on the brink of finalizing a significant contract with the Turkish consortium Albayrak. Set to be signed this month, the agreement involves the design, construction, financing, management, and operation of the Banjul container terminal and the development of a deep-sea port at Sanyang in Kombo South. This partnership will span 35 years, after which the port facilities will be handed back to the GPA.

In a recent meeting, GPA’s managing director, Ousman Jobarteh, addressed the staff to discuss the forthcoming changes and their implications. Emphasizing the importance of internal communication, Jobarteh stated, “The news, before it goes out there to the public, we the staff are the first people to be impacted by any transformation. So we decided to call this meeting so that we can sensitize staff, allay their fears and also work with the president of the staff association to make sure that the staff understand that one of the non-negotiable instruments in this engagement with the private operator is that staff jobs will be protected and also improved.”

Jobarteh reassured employees that their jobs would be secure and highlighted the benefits of the new partnership. He explained that the model follows a grantor-shareholder agreement, where the government and GPA act as both landlord and shareholder in the concession. A six-month precedent period is included to ensure performance and investment guarantees are met before the contract becomes effective.

“Within the next six months, we are going to negotiate with the investor on what we call the shareholder agreement. This will determine how we relate to the investor in terms of the number of seats we occupy on the board of directors, the management positions that will be available to Gambians and GPA employees, for that matter, and how other staffing matters will be addressed,” Jobarteh elaborated.

Mbai Jagne, president of the GPA staff association, expressed optimism about the project, describing it as a positive transformation for the GPA. He said, “The transformation is for good. We had the opportunity to go to Dakar with our colleagues and we saw how things are done there. A few days ago we went to Ghana and observed their progress. This transformation is positive, and we will support the managing director until we achieve the institution’s objectives.”

The development of the Sanyang port is expected to alleviate congestion at the Banjul port and enhance connectivity with neighboring countries in the region. GPA staff have been assured of job security, with no salary reductions, only potential increments on the horizon.

This ambitious project marks a pivotal moment for the GPA, promising to elevate the standards of The Gambia’s ports and significantly boost regional trade and connectivity.