By Kebba Mamburay
The acting permanent secretary at Ministry of Fisheries, Mr. Omar Gibba, said his ministry is working hand-in-glove with GamWorks to conduct a feasibility study and look for funds to provide the necessary services for the management of the Ice-plant and Brikama Area council with regard to the sanitary problems at the fish market.
Mr. Gibba said the feasibility studies would be led by GamWorks.
According to Gibba, he had meeting with GamWorks yesterday upon agreeing that they (GamWorks) will come up with a recommendation from which they would convene another meeting which would take place at the Governor’s office in Brikama.
He said the stakeholders would be invited, including the Chairperson of BAC, the Governor of the region, the management of the fish market, the department of fisheries, ministry of fisheries and GamWorks.
He said at the meeting, they will review the recommendations derived from the feasibility study commissioned by Gamworks. Gibba added that GamWorks would tell them what the recommendations and problems are.
“Thereafter, they (Ministry of fisheries) would go forward to give them the task to come up with a design and cost it, after which it would be shared amongst the stakeholders. From there, they would look at the funds available and make share base collaboration among the ministry of fisheries, department of fisheries and the council to tackle the situation,” he said.
Commenting on the issue of the collection of revenue twice by both the management of the ice-plant and the council, Gibba opined that the council is not seeing itself as part of the issue and the ice-plant management too is seeing itself differently in the matter. But, he said all these issues would be harmonized hence there is a task-force to be initiated soon.
“Afterwards, the issue of the double payment of revenue by the vendors around the ice-plant would become a matter of the past,” he said.
