Turkish firm Alport Banjul has formally taken over the administration of The Gambia Ports Authority below a 30-year concession settlement with the Gambia authorities.
The deal, signed with Turkey’s Albayrak Group, provides the corporate an 80% stake within the port, whereas the Gambian authorities retains 20%. Albayrak already operates ports in Mogadishu, Somalia, and Conakry, Guinea.
A senior Albayrak official informed reporters that the settlement would profit The Gambia, as all infrastructure investments would stay within the nation after the contract ends.
“We have started our investment, and within the next six months, we will bring in IT facilities to fully operationalise the project,” he mentioned.
He additionally assured employees at The Gambia Ports Authority that no jobs could be misplaced.
“We will keep all their rights,” he mentioned, including that the corporate would begin with 1,000 staff.
But the deal has sparked criticism, with some Gambians accusing President Adama Barrow’s authorities of mortgaging the nation’s solely port.
By Adama Makasuba
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