The Gambia government is making moves to privatize a part of the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), this medium can authoritatively report.
If the government gets its way, GCAA will be the latest strategic national asset to be privatized soon, albeit partly.
In 2023, The Gambia government leased the Senegambia Bridge to Africa 50 at US$100M in a deal that was shrouded in secrecy. The circumstances surrounding the leasing of the Senegambia Bridge only came to light when Africa Eye broke the news months later. The deal was rebuked by some opposition legislators, who argued that it did not go through a parliamentary scrutiny.
According to informed sources, the government is planning to sell part of the GCAA to a private international investor.
It would be also recalled that The Gambia government came under a barrage of criticism last year for the way it approached the privatization of Mega Bank, a deal also shrouded in mystery until it became a subject of passionate public discourse.
Meanwhile, presidential aspirant legislator Bakary K. Badgie of Foni Bintang Karanai has over the weekend taken a swipe at The Gambia government for its moves to privatize Gamtel and Gamcel.
Former digital economy minister Ousman Bah had been advocating for the privatization of these two key national assets “to enhance their operational efficiency”.
