The National Assembly members on Tuesday unanimously ratified the supplementary loan agreement between the government of the Republic of The Gambia and the African Development Bank, acting on behalf of the Nigerian Trust Fund for the financing of the artisanal fisheries development project, amounting to  seven million, seven hundred and sixty-six thousand, six hundred and eighty US dollars.

The loan agreement was tabled by Ousman Sonko,minister of Interior  on behalf of the minister of Finance and Economic Affairs.Minister Sonko said  the objective of the  project is to promote fish production and increase income of the fisher folk, as well as to contribute to the nutritional standard of the population as well contribute  to the strengthening of the food security and poverty reduction in the country.

The supplementary loan according to him, will contribute to the completion of the financing of the jetty, the fish market and three inland fishing landing sites. "The specific objectives of the project are to contribute to improved food security, increase employment, increase foreign exchange earnings, as well as achieve sustainable exploitation of fisheries  resources," Minister Sonko told the deputies.

The five components of the project, he disclosed  are the improvement of fisheries facilities and infrastructure, strengthening of the fisheries department, monitoring, control and surveillance, credit programme, and project management. The supplementary loan, Minister Sonko went on, will be implemented within twenty four months period  while urging the members to consider and ratified the loan agreement, the Interior minister used the opportunity to hail the excellent relations between the government of The Gambia and the Africa Development Bank.

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Seconding the motion, the National Assembly member for Lower Niumi, Honourable Cherno C Cham, described the project as laudable considering its objectives of boosting food security and poverty alleviation.

"We have seen projects of this nature, particularly the fisheries, but the beneficiaries are mostly non-Gambians. This, we should be mindful about if we are to eradicate poverty," Honourable Cham noted. He added that  the credit programme component of the project must cover the country's vulnerable people.

Honourable Sedia Jatta, NAM for Wuli West, suggested the need for such projects to be decentralised in other parts of The Gambia, noting that there are fishing possibilities in the interior of the country. The National Assembly member for Kombo East, Hon. Lamin Bojang, suggested the need for the incorporation of the aquaculture, noting that such will boost the overall objectives  of the fisheries sector. Other National Assembly members who also reacted to the loan agreement, described the project as significant, in that it will enhance food security in the country.