The EU, its Member States and the European Investment Bank (‘Team Europe’) are mobilising €25 million to support the Gambia in its response to the economic and social impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the European Commission announced on Monday 19 October.
These funds take the form of direct support to the Gambian government’s budget and will also support the West African country’s ongoing efforts towards the democratic transition initiated in 2017.
“Through this budget support, the EU is helping to alleviate the most urgent budgetary needs of the Gambian government in the context of the pandemic. As a key partner of the Gambia, the European Union encourages the government to strengthen democracy, human rights and the rule of law and to play a leading role in building the necessary national consensus on the future direction of the democratic transition, centred on a new Constitution”, comments the European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen.
This assistance will provide fiscal space to continue financing basic public services such as health and education and to support long-term efforts to ensure debt sustainability.
The World Bank announced on 16 October that it was considering increasing emergency financing for the poorest countries, but not suspending debt service payments. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)