On Wednesday, Hon. Hamat N.K. Bah, the Minister of Tourism and Culture, informed members of the National Assembly that his ministry has not yet released the US$68 million grant intended for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
In order to boost tourism in the West African nation that faces the ocean, The Gambia and the World Bank agreed to share a US$68 million grant in 2022.

The award is intended to support tourist diversification and climate resilience while also aiding in the preservation of The Gambia’s Atlantic coastline.
Hon. Musa Keita, the Member for Serrekunda East, questioned Minister Bah on the fund release. He said, “We were to commence this year, according to the project design as per the documents.” The project’s third year falls between July 2024 and June 2025.

According to the project’s design, 200 SMEs in the tourism industry will receive capacity building and coaching services from a management company before the matching grant is awarded to SMEs with the potential to grow and contribute to the industry.

“The manual outline selection procedures, eligibility requirements, and contractual relationships for tourism-related SMEs, among others, is already being reviewed in order to finalize the draft matching grant.”

“We are almost done with the procurement process to hire the management firm. We anticipate signing the contract in the upcoming weeks of December of this year,” he said.