By MUHAMMED S. BAH
Law makers on Tuesday, 7 March, 2017 approved two loan agreements, to develop basic and secondary school 
projects and to also boast the health sector.
The two agreements were both tabled before law makers by the Minister of Finance, Amadou Sanneh, during an extra ordinary session of the National Assembly.
The first loan agreement that was moved is the loan agreement between the Republic of the Gambia and Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development.
In tabling the loan agreement, Minister Sanneh said the project aims to support the social and economic development of (2016-2030) by developing and expanding about 39 Upper Basic and Secondary Schools in the 6 educational regions of the country.
“The development includes constructing, equipping buildings and provision of new teaching facilities” the Finance Minister disclosed.
According to him, this will allow access to the growing demand of student’s enrolment in Upper Basic and Senior Secondary Schools.
The Finance Minister noted that the project will contribute to the improvement of the quality of teaching and learning outcomes at these two important levels of the education sector and also promote sustainable social and economic development.
In explaining the composition of the project, finance Minister Sanneh said explained that the project comprises constructing new buildings, rehabilitating, maintaining educational facilities for about 39 existing Basic and Secondary schools, and to supply and install the educational furniture, science laboratories, workshop equipment and tools, and developing the teaching curriculum, as well as institutional support for the PIU.
The motion was seconded by Hon. Fatou Mbye, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.
The second loan agreement was seconded by Hon. Neti Baldeh, Member for Tumana Constituency. The objective of this loan agreement is to increase the utilisation of community nutrition and primary maternal and child health services in selected regions including URR, NBR, CRR, and LRR.
The project consists of the following: community mobilisation for social and behaviour change, delivery of community nutrition and primary health care services, capacity building for service delivery, results based management, food and nutrition security cash transfer among many other things.
