The Gambia is set to receive an additional 2.64 million Euro from the European Commission, on it’s B-envelop allocation, for the implementation of the Country Strategic Paper (CSP) and National Indicative Programme (NIP) for the period 2008 -2013.

This new development was disclosed on Friday, at the signing of an addendum between the government of The Gambia and the European Commission, at a ceremony held at the department of state for Finance and Economic Affairs in Banjul.

The addendum amends the indicative allocation for the B-envelop which is normally mobilized in response to unforeseen events or circumstances that may confront a partner country in the course of implementing a cooperative programme with the European commission, thus bringing the new B-envelop allocation of The Gambia to  4.54M Euro. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Musa Gibril Balla Gaye, SoS for Finance and Economic Affairs, disclosed that the money is the 10th EDF allocation to The Gambia. And this, he added, will be utilized to increase the financing of the school feeding programme within the Greater Banjul Area, from which some 50,000 children will benefit.

The World Food Programme, according to SoS Gaye, will implement the project. For his part, the European Commission’s ambassador to The Gambia based in Dakar, Senegal, Gilles Hervio, noted that the increase in The Gambia’s allocation became necessary because of the current world food and financial crises. He singled out the country’s micro finance and poverty reduction programmes as key projects that attract  EC’s support to the country.

Ambassador Gilles disclosed that they are working on plans to provide The Gambia with an extra 5.5M Euro on its allocation, adding that his visit to the country is also geared towards reviewing The Gambia’s cooperation with the European Commission.