Africa-Press – Gambia. The United States Government has terminated the Millennium Challenge Corporation Programme in The Gambia, Information Minister Dr Islmaila Ceesay confirmed to The Standard.
The Millennium Challenge Corporation MCC is a bilateral United States foreign aid agency established by the U.S. Congress in 2004. It is an independent agency separate from the State Department and USAID.
In January, the Trump government issued an executive order to freeze all programmes around the world that depend on US funding for 90 days.
Following this freezing order, US authorities informed Gambia to temporarily pause the threshold programme known in the Gambia as Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) which runs the fund until further notice.
According to a reliable source, this review is now complete and a decision was taken to terminate the programme in a number of countries including The Gambia.
When contacted, Information Minister Dr Ismaila Ceesay confirmed to The Standard that the threshold programme under the MCC has been terminated and “this has been officially conveyed” to the government.
The MCC programme is a four-year initiative with a total threshold of about US$300 million.
In November 2021, the MCC and the government of The Gambia signed a US$25 million threshold programme intended to address the country’s electricity challenges.
The Gambia became eligible for an even larger compact grant in December 2022 which is intended to fund economy boosting investment opportunities, reduce poverty, improve education, transport and ecosystem along The River Gambia.
The termination of the Programme will significantly affect the government’s grant support and efforts to achieve economic development.
Last year, President Adama Barrow met with Madam Alice Albright, the CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), who provided an update on the ongoing Compact and Threshold programmes awarded to The Gambia. During the meeting, President Barrow expressed gratitude for the MCC’s confidence in The Gambia and underscored the alignment of the Compact with the country’s National Development Plan, “Yiriwa.”
He highlighted his government’s commitment to leveraging these resources for the socio-economic advancement of Gambians, reinforcing the importance of development partnerships.
MCC was created in 2004 and provides time-limited grants and assistance to countries that meet the rigorous standards for good governance, fighting corruption and respecting democratic rights.
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