By Makutu Manneh
During its 11th Ordinary Session and conference of heads of states and governments, leaders of the Gambia River Basin Development Organisation (OMVG) urged member states to settle their arrears amounting to Nineteen Billion, Six Hundred and Ninety-six Million, Eight Hundred and Nineteen Thousand, Six Hundred and Five CFA francs (CFAF 19,696,819,605).
From this amount, each of the four member countries arrears is as follows:
The Gambia: Four Billion, Three Hundred and Twenty-nine Million, Eight Hundred and Twenty-six Thousand, Four Hundred and Seventy CFA francs (CFAF 4,329,826,470).
Guinea Conakry: Two Billion, Seven Hundred and Eighty-five Million, Six Hundred and Forty-seven Thousand, Nine Hundred and Nineteen CFA francs (CFAF 2,785647919).
Guinea-Bissau: Seven Billion, Four Hundred and Forty-eight Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty-Seven Thousand, Two Hundred and Twenty-Three CFA francs (CFAF 7,448,857,223).
Senegal: Five Billion, One Hundred and Thirty-two Million, Four Hundred and Eighty-Seven Thousand, Nine Hundred and Fifty-Six CFA francs (CFAF 5,132,487,956).
Orlando Mendes Viegas, the Chairperson of the OMVG Council of Ministers presented these figures before member states and informed them that the OMVG high commission is facing difficulties in carrying out the mission entrusted to it, because of delay in payment of contributions.
“In view of the very difficult financial situation, I respectfully request your invaluable assistance in clearing the arrears of the operational budgets of the high commission and SOGESART and the counterpart budget of the energy project,” he said. He said the high commissioner and his team have succeeded in raising the organization to the top ranks of the world’s basin organizations and in winning the prize for the best energy project in Africa.
Both President Barrow and the current chairperson President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, equally reiterated the need for the arrears to be settled by all member states.
