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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
 Posted - 03 Oct 2011 : 20:14:18
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This interconnection has been tried before with a link from Gambia where a very fast ship was based which took passengers and their goods who presumably wanted to trade their goods with Senegal,the ship was very fast,I myself saw it 10 years or so ago,a mighty ship and a great sight,this was someone's private enterprise and did a good business from Gambia to Senegal,only one trouble,the Senegalese wouldn't let passengers travel to Gambia,I only saw that ship once,anyone else remember more detail than I do? OK the ship was basically a passenger boat and not a cargo boat,but it was a start that flickered and then became extinguished.
http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/new-fewacci-prezy-to-push-for-sea-link-project-attainment
"To do this we need boats, vessels to carry goods from one country to another country, back and from."
New FEWACCI prezy to push for Sea-Link Project attainment
Africa » Gambia
Monday, October 03, 2011
Barely a few weeks after his election as the president of the Federation of West African Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FEWACCI), Bai Matarr Drammeh has outlined his targets, vowing to push for the realisation of the sub-regional Sea-Link Project, a sea trade link system that will deepen trade and promote economic integration in the West Africa sub-region.
Drammeh, also the current president of the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) was elected FEWACCI president at its 2nd Annual General Meeting held on the 12-13 September 2011 in Cotonou, Republic of Benin.
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Observer Friday at his office on Kairaba Avenue, the new FEWACCI chief underscored the importance of the attainment of the Sea-Link Initiative, disclosing that it is the first project that he is embarking on as the prezy of the sub-regional economic institution.
This initiative, according to Drammeh is anchored on the fact that they are ready do business with each other in the sub-region. He said: “To do this we need boats, vessels to carry goods from one country to another country, back and from.
So we have costed the project and we are looking for US$60 million. We already have NEXIM [Nigeria Export-Import Bank] of Nigeria that wants to finance it. We have very strong companies who came to Cotonou at the meeting and want to be shareholders of the project. So already we have a financing bank.”
He hinted that the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), the sub-regional economic bloc, is very much interested in seeing the project financed and started, while further disclosing that companies in Cameroon that are already in transport business both on sea, air and rail also came to Cotonou and indicated their full interest and total support and willingness to invest in the project.
He explains: “Sea-Link is coming from FEWACCI. If you look at even Ecobank, is a concept of the former FEWACCI – the idea of having a bank in the sub-region. This one is an idea that FEWACCI members had – we discussed it and discussed it over and over again. As we were doing that, correspondingly Ecowas was also discussing it but the latter said it’s a private sector affair and since they are discussing it, let’s leave it to them to move with it.”
Once implemented, the FEWACCI president, who described the project as ‘very big’, said it will give room for the creation of more jobs, as well as more money for the sub-region and that people will be able to trade amongst themselves. “Whenever our borders are closed, we can use the Sea-Link to export and import without being hindered by the border closure,” he underscored.
Free movement protocol
Quizzed on how much the Sea-Link Project will compliment the Ecowas Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, as well as goods, Drammeh said such a project will in no small measure go a long way in ensuring the free movement of persons, capital, goods and services within the sub-region.
He continued: “We are saying there should be an unhindered movement of the people, services, and goods. So Sea-Link will compliment that. Free movement is absolutely very necessary. Instead of going through the back ways, through this project you can come to The Gambia for instance, buy what you need and take them.
If you restrict money from going around, it is not helpful. If I have the money and I want to go and shop in Senegal for instance, and you stop me at the border and hindered me, then we will not develop. And for us to develop we have to create productive capacities and to create the productive capacities, we have to get the knowledge and the know-how and the right information and put the infrastructure in place.
“Starting the Sea-Link, it will bring us the sea infrastructure for the movement of the goods all the time. So infrastructure is critical. Perhaps the next thing will be the rail link – we already have the air link but we need to develop that as well. So we need these things – Sea-link, rail-link, road-link. These will complete the infrastructure and to have the infrastructure in place, we have to invest in it which is also the work of FEWACCI.”
Single visa
Also key on the agenda of FEWACCI, Bai Mattarr disclosed, is the issue of one visa for the sub-region, noting that they want to have it in such a way that once someone has that visa, the individual can use it to visit all the other countries in the sub-region.
“So if you are an investor coming with your money, you should not be restricted that you only have visa for The Gambia and that you cannot go to Senegal,” he explained, while noting that such will also greatly enhance economic development in the sub-region.
Emphasising that FEWACCI must be seen as an organisation that will ultimately bring about economic integration in the sub-region, Drammeh underscored that they are also very much looking forward for WAMZ [West African Monetary Zone] to produce a common currency that people are looking forward to have.
The provision of this common currency, according to the FEWACCI boss will assist the objective of creating one economic bloc that the citizens of the sub-region are so much interested in.
“So we are looking forward for this common currency to come forward. We are anxious to now pull our resources in different countries to do bigger things than before,” he concluded. The new FEWACCI president’s full interview will be published on this week’s Bantaba edition, coming out on Friday.
Author: Hatab Fadera
Comment from The point on the same thing:
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/the-point-made-is-pertinent
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 03 Oct 2011 20:23:08 |
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