By Kebba AF Touray
The Gambian President H.E.Adama Barrow, has disclosed that the Gambia Immigration Department (GID) has “generated D139,672,840 (one hundred and thirty-nine million six hundred and seventy-two thousand eight hundred and forty dalasi) in 2019.
He made the disclosure during his recent State of the Nation Address at the National Assembly complex in Banjul, before deputies.
The president, however, said it’s predicted that collection for 2020, is likely to drop severely due to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Similarly, he noted, production and issuance of National Identity Cards, Biometric Passport and other official documents were postponed. The result was a huge loss of revenue for the sector.
“My address represents the successes and challenges of a country that was on a stable rise towards economic boom and sociopolitical transformation, when the unexpected struck. This was the sudden outbreak of and rapid spread of Coronavirus,” Barrow told the lawmakers.
But he decried: “The outbreak of the pandemic has crept some key economic revenue institutions, which has also grounded the people with adversely affecting on the communities, and that the pandemic and its impacts require utmost urgent attention”.
The pandemic, as Barrow highlighted, has negatively impacted on the budget execution as approved by the National Assembly and his government has resorted to cuts and resource reallocation from line items, such as travel, training and workshops into much needed areas.
“These decisions were taken to set aside 500 million dalasi, as emergency fund to carter for containment and respond to the pandemic. Certain budget line expenditures have been reallocated to the Ministry of Health for COVID-19 related expenditures,” said the President, who admitted that, this decision has affected almost all Ministries, Departments and agencies. He explained that has compelled the Finance Ministry to make further budget cost in the face of declining revenue in recent months, and the expected laws of revenue for the rest of the year.
President further divulged that with the declining revenues and the need to provide humanitarian relief assistance and supports to businesses during the period of economic down turn, government is faced with a challenging task for the coming months.
The nation heard from the President that COVID-19 pandemic would continue to have significant socio-economic impact on the economy both directly (through the effect of the disease on production, investment and trade within and beyond the Gambia) and indirectly (through the slowing of the global economic growth, supply chain destruction and impacting on the Gambian’s growth prospects).
Barrow again: “There is an eminent threat of global recession arising from the pandemic and the extend of this impact is yet to be fully determined. No matter what the impact will be, the government has devised post-covid-19 plans to protect lives and livelihoods.”
