President
Adama Barrow has said his government intends to construct a bridge over the
Banjul-Barra crossing point, which serves the crucial link from the city to the
north of the country.
“We
will bridge even the Banjul-Barra crossing,” he said, adding that the so-called
bridge builder that The Gambia had was probably fake.
“I
will be the new bridge builder,” he laughed, as the gallery, comprising
officials and journalists, cheered him up during the press conference yesterday
at the State House in Fajara.
He
said this in relation to questions about ongoing works at the Trans-Gambia
crossing point. The Yelli Tenda-Bamba Tenda crossing point serves as crucial
trade and communication route for Senegal and other neighbouring countries.
“We
have solved all the issues causing the delay in construction of the bridge. The
last report I got about a month ago indicated 30 percent completion of the
bridge,” he said.
He
said the erection of pillars were the most difficult part of the bridge’s
construction which represented the said 30 per cent. The rest is even quicker
to finish, he added.
Electricity,
economy tops Barrow’s priorities
President
Barrow has said that fixing the economy has been at the top of his priorities
when he took over, seconded by electricity supply for the population.
He
said he took over government with an economy that is virtually bankrupt. “It
was paramount task for my government to stabilise the economy first. And we
have gone far with this,” he said.
“Everything
is built on the economy. That is why the Minister of Finance has been very
busy. Perhaps the busiest in the government, to make sure we secure budget
support, stabilise our economy,” he added.
Adama
Barrow, who would not divulge his plans as to when he intends to step down as a
“transitional leader” said electricity supply is also top of his priority.
“We
listen to the advice of our technicians, so that we can get the best for this
country. So it has started working and we have signed a few contracts and
negotiations are at an advanced stage with Senegal and other big investors,” he
said.
“Even
investors look at your power capacity before investing,” he said. “We want this
country to have reliable and affordable electricity.”
He
also said that a lot of investors have expressed interest in this area but
added that they are treading carefully as a government.
“We
have a road map that seeks to address the short, medium and long term energy
needs of the country. This energy problem has been in the country for 52 years.
We hope to solve it so that it will be a part of our legacy.”
