By Madiba Singhateh
The Managing Director of the Gambia Ports Authority, Mr. Ousman Jobarteh, underscored the ongoing transformation efforts aimed at addressing major challenges impacting service delivery at the GPA.
He made these remarks during a consultative meeting with stakeholders held on Tuesday, February 6th, at the Port’s meeting room. The meeting was organised with the theme “Consultative Meeting of All Key Actors.”
“Fundamentally, capacity is the main challenge, but expanding a port takes time. Therefore, we are implementing measures to enhance efficiency, ranging from equipment upgrades to IT deployment, business processing, and staff development programs,” Jobarteh stated.
Emphasising the significance of the port in driving socio-economic development, Jobarteh noted its impact on the cost of doing business.
“Our aim is to control and minimize costs to improve efficiency within the ecosystem,” he said.
The meeting was aimed at reengineering the port system in collaboration with stakeholders, with a focus on listening to partners to identify constraints and enhance efficiency. Furthermore, Jobarteh revealed that the port is actively engaging international port operators to attract private capital for port capacity improvements, including the development of alternative ports along certain coastlines. He highlighted the forthcoming visibility in such engagements and the intended benefits for the country. The meeting’s significance was underscored by its alignment with funding from the Tony Blair Institute’s time-motion study, which will lead to the development of a port charter. The charter is slated for launch by President Barrow, marking a pivotal moment.
