Her
Excellency The Vice President
Former
Vice Presidents here present
Her
Excellency Lady Chileh Jawara
Madam
Speaker,
Honourable
Cabinet Ministers,
Secretary
General and Head of Civil Service,
Honourable
Members of The National Assembly,
Members
of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps,
Your
Excellency, Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China to The Gambia
Distinguished
Guests,
Ladies
and Gentlemen,
I
am proudly elated and singularly honoured to officially inaugurate this
magnificent edifice in the heart of the beautiful Bijilo National Park. Without
doubt, it is an attractive landmark on our seafront overlooking the Atlantic
Ocean, which Ambassador Ma Jianchun once described as “the Pearl of the Smiling
Coast.”
As
a tribute to the first President of the Republic, Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, we
have opted to name it as Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference
Centre.
The
construction of this Centre was a prioritised project, as it is a pre-requisite
for hosting the Organization of Islamic Conference Summit in 2022.
The
facility has also come to fill a long-standing need for a tourism and
development niche, as reflected in the National Development Plan (2018-2021).
Ladies
and Gentlemen,
The
Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre is a Fifty Million US
Dollar (US$ 50 Million) Project, grant-aided by the People’s Republic of China.
The
magnitude of the project demonstrates The People’s Republic of China’s resolve
to link its development plan with development support to The Gambia and Africa
as a whole.
It
is a new relationship rooted in a mutually beneficial cooperation formula for
Africa and The People’s Republic of China. I am pleased to observe, however, that the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara
International Conference Centre is one of its kind in the region.
Many
will marvel at its uniquely appealing design and the construction techniques
that make it so elegant. These aside, its specifications comply with The Gambia
National Public Building and Facilities Policy (2018-2027).
In
addition to various facilities, the fourteen thousand square-metre floor, with
a sitting capacity conference hall of over one thousand persons, gives the
Centre the edge to host major international meetings.
Government
opts for an operational management and maintenance mechanism system that
guarantees its optimal financial sustainability and proper upkeep. Such option
is to subject it to a facility management model that best provides such
safeguards.
I
am hopeful that the Centre will give The Gambia the opportunity to attract and
host meetings, incentive travels, conventions, conferences and exhibitions.
Besides
creating avenues for important decision makers to visit our country, the Centre
will surely provide opportunities for employment, open up the tourism industry
market, enhance transport services and expose our diversity and culture to the
world.
Distinguished
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Against
this backdrop, we are profoundly grateful to the People’s Republic of China for
their support to The Gambia and, generally, for leading an unprecedented
alliance to pursue “the Belt and Road” initiative aimed at establishing the
longest trade route in the world.
Some
of you will recall that during the 2018 FOCAC Summit, the People’s Republic of
China announced eight major initiatives to collaborate with African countries,
including The Gambia.
The
initiative has unlocked Chinese investments in Africa. In The Gambia, in
particular, examples include financing of the Twenty-Five Million US Dollar
($25 Million) National Broadband Network Project, the Eighty Million US Dollar
($80 Million) URR Road and Bridges Project and this Fifty Million US Dollar
($50 Million) International Centre Project.
Evidently,
the People’s Republic of China is one of our strongest partners. With them, we
will continue to explore new frontiers, ranging from cultural exchanges to
trade and investment expansion through a South-South Cooperation framework.
Bilaterally,
my government will continue to work with the Chinese Government, and remain
supportive of the One-China Policy.
Ladies
and Gentlemen, this historic achievement signals a new era of opportunities,
potential prosperity and dignity for Gambians.
Importantly,
it is part of a never-ending national effort to facilitate trade and
investment, modernise our infrastructure and revive the service sectors.
I
have noted that the project engaged more than five hundred workers over a
two-year period. It provided opportunity
for transfer of knowledge and skills to Gambian nationals for the development
of our local construction industry.
On
behalf of every Gambian, I extend deep gratitude to the Contractor, Jiangsu
Provincial Construction Company, and the Consultant, PMC, for the magnificent
work completed ahead of schedule. We commend the Ministry of Transport, Works
and Infrastructure also for the lead role they played in the project. Last but
not least, we sincerely thank all the supervisors, staff and workers who took
part in the works.
Distinguished
Ladies and Gentlemen,
With
much joy and honour, I now declare the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International
Conference Centre officially open.
God
bless us all.
