The 33rd Annual Council Meeting of Ports Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA), was from 10th to 14th May 2010, held in Banjul.
Addressing the closing ceremony, at the Kairaba Beach Hotel, Dr. Njogu Bah, Gambian Minister of Works, Construction and Infrastructure, expressed pride in The Gambia?s hosting of the event.
While expressing the need for more investment in ports infrastructure and facilities, he said "The success of any ports, especially those in the West and Central African sub-regions would depend on their ability to serve the numerous customers with greater spirit, reliability and cost effectiveness."
He encouraged them to devise new policies and strategies with a view to addressing the many challenges and demands for the construction of new terminals for the handling of containers and cargoes.
If fully implemented, he said, the recommendations and resolutions that emerged from the meeting would no doubt improve the operation and management of ports in the sub-region.
Mr. Abdourahman Bah of the Gambia Port Authority thanked the organising committee, the hotel management, interpreters and all the delegates for making the meeting a success story.
Speaking earlier, the Secretary-General of PMAWCA, Mr. El Hadji Mar Gueye said the decision of choosing Banjul as the host of the meeting was reached last year in Libreville, Gabon during their 32nd session.
He revealed that the just concluded meeting accorded them the opportunity to discuss pertinent issues, aimed at improving the standards of the services of the ports. He further revealed that they have exchanged experiences on policy implementation, ports security, new strategies for greater prospects, among other issues.
According to him, the Board of Directors and various committees, such as the finance and economic studies, administrative and legal, technical and infrastructure and environment protection committees, all met in Banjul. The budgets and audit reports were also reviewed.
?The venues for the next committee meetings were also identified and approved,? he added.
The President of PMAWCA, Mr. Dayas Jean Marcel also revealed that the 34th council meeting would be held in Accra, Ghana next year. The Banjul meeting, he said, has enabled them take stock of their achievements and work for the future.
Mr. Richard Acquah of the Ghana Ports and Harbor Authority, on behalf of the council thanked the Gambia Port Authority, government and people of The Gambia for making the meeting a success. He thanked the host country for the warm welcome and hospitality accorded them, as well as facilities put at their disposal.
Over 300 delegates attended the regional port meeting from the member countries of the association and Europe.
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