Country Gets $28 Million Assistance to Fight Poverty

from All Africa

FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)

By Bubacarr K. Sowe

The Gambia has benefited about $28 million from the World Bank and the African Development Bank Joint Assistance Strategy (JAS) to support the implementation of the country's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP II) for the period of 2008 to 2011.

According to a release from the World Bank Communication and Learning Coordinator in Dakar, Mademba Ndiaye. The endorsement for the assistance was done by the World Bank Board of Executive Directors on February 26 in Washington, United States.

Madani M. Tall, country director for The Gambia, is quoted by the release as saying, "this JAS is an important step in the process of aid harmonisation because for that small country, more than 15 donors are providing assistance, which is channelled through a broad variety of entities, both governmental and non-governmental, and although most external partners are aligning external assistance with country objectives, they are preparing separate assistance strategies for the period 2007-2011".

Francoise Perrot, task team leader for the Bank noted that the strategy represents the first step of an effort to harmonise donor assistance in The Gambia in line with the Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness.

"It will allow us to align our development programme, avoid duplication of efforts, and combine our technical expertise," Ms. Perrot said.

She said that the joint strategy is prepared on the basis of an estimated $18 million allocation on the World Bank side and $10 million on the AfDB side over the period of 2008-2011.

"These are indicative amounts," Ms. Perrot added.

The release indicates, "under this joint strategy, the World Bank and the AfDB have developed shared-objectives and a common platform for lending and non-lending services under two main pillars. So that the two institutions will support The Gambia to strengthen its institutional framework for economic management and public service delivery, and to enhance its productive capacity and accelerate growth and competitiveness. These will include coordinated contribution to budget support, complementary investments in growth and competitiveness, and joint analytical work in the areas of public finance, civil service reform and governance."

The release states that the Gambian economy has been strong in recent years, with an average annual real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of about 6% during 2003-2006.

It added that the completion of a Millennium Development Goals-based Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper II (2007-2011), the completion point under Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) in December 2007 and eligibility under Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) and indications of increased project aid from development partners provide an opportunity for the country's achievements and accelerated growth.