By Nelson Manneh
Basse Area Council, BAC, on Wednesday August 1st, handed four hundred thousand dalasi to Gamworks, as part of their counterpart contribution to civil works in the region.
The money according Ebrima Cham the Director of Gamworks, is part of a fourteen million dalasi rural infrastructural developmental project, funded by the Government.
Cham said part of the money will be used to train Council Staff as the first official exercise of the project by each Council.
“The Government contributes thirteen million dalasi and the other One Million is paid as counterpart contribution by Council,” he said; that all the Councils are responding positively and paying their counterpart contributions as expected; that this will assure that the projects allocated in each Council are implemented.
Foday Danjo the new elected Chairperson of Basse Area Council, said two projects, the construction of a Bridge and a Market, have already been implemented in Basse.
“It is our responsibility as a Council to contribute this token amount as part of our counterpart fund, to make sure that we benefit from these projects,” he said.
The Chairperson added that as the newly elected Chairperson, they will try and fulfil their mandate as a Regional Council. He said the projects when implemented, will improve the livelihood of the electorate.
Modoulamin Jaiteh, the CEO of the Council, said it was not easy for them to accumulate such a sum during a short period, to pay to Gamworks; but that it was their mandate to strive hard and make sure that it was paid. “The electorate should understand that without their tax, it will be very difficult for the Regional Council to fulfil their mandate in providing them with basic social amenities,” he said; that the remaining balance will be handed over to Gamworks in October 2018; that this will help them realize the implementation of all their projects within the region.
