Mr Momodou O. Njie, deputy permanent secretary at the Department of State for Energy has said that reliable, efficient and affordable energy is essential for the country's meaningful development.
"Reliable, efficient and affordable energy is essential for country's meaningful development. Thus the government of The Gambia has put energy issues as a key priority in its development agenda. This has made the government to establish a Department of State for Energy in 2007 and task it with ensuring that energy in all its forms are made not only available but also affordable and utilised efficiently", he said. DPS Njie made these remarks at the opening of a one-day validation workshop on the Draft Energy Bill at the Paradise Suites Hotel yesterday.
In DPS Njie's view, to make energy sufficiently available and affordable, there has to be a conducive atmosphere for private sector participation.
In order to make energy sufficiently available, sustainable and affordable, Mr Njie added, the government deem it necessary to create a conducive atmosphere for private sector participation in the interest of fair participation of all stakeholders including the consumers.
For his part, Ousman Jammeh, Secretary of State for Energy said the Gambian government believes that all investors are true partners in development and as such their involvement at every stage of its development process is crucial.
Secy Jammeh called on the participants to take extra care on the bill. "I would therefore encourage all stakeholders in the sector to give their full support to this bill when enacted.
"It is my firm believe that recent development in the sector such as the new Petroleum Depot and Petroleum Products Bill will encourage those already in the business to continue and expand their operations not only in the Greater Banjul Area but also throughout the whole country," he remarked.