The signing ceremony held at the National Assembly in Banjul was graced by the Minister of Finance, the French Ambassador overseeing The Gambia and Senegal, members from the FDA and the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Energy, among others.
Out of the funding amount, €3 million is allocated for budget support to reduce the fiscal deficit and support the response to the 2022 flood disasters, while €12.5 million is allocated as an additional grant for water supply within the Greater Banjul Area.
Speaking at the ceremony, Seedy Keita, the minister of Finance, hailed the bilateral ties between The Gambia and France, saying the Gambia government has benefited from the numerous support of the French government, which include budget support.
"The relationship has been ongoing for decades and they have been supporting our budget," he said, adding that the €15.5 million would go a long way in increasing the country's water system.
Minister Keita, for his part, thanked the agency, while reiterating that the support would help the government in its quest to implement the National Development Plan (NDP).
"We welcome the support and the government will leverage this support to bring more development to the country," he stated.
Philippe LALLIOT, the French Ambassador, also extended his government's willingness to further partner and support the country's developmental agenda.
He emphasised that the signing ceremony signifies the two countries' bond to further strengthen their partnership.
"One-half of the support is for water supply within the Greater Banjul Area and the other is to support the country's macroeconomic stabilisation," he said, emphasising that access to safe water is essential and key to reducing child mortality.
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