By Ismaila M.S. Naban
The Gambian leader Adama Barrow has delivered his annual address to the Honourable Members of the country’s Legislative Assembly, dilating on his government’s performance during the course of the last legislative year.
As the President remarked at the National Assembly in the Gambian capital, Banjul, the address “presents the successes and challenges of a country that was on a steep rise towards economic boom and socio-political transformation when the unexpected struck.This was the sudden outbreak and rapid spread of the coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic”.
On Small and Medium Enterprises and entrepreneurship development, Barrow argued that, through the Entrepreneurship and Private Sector Development Project, capacity building had been intensified for youth and women entrepreneurs.
“Two hundred and seventy (270) youths have been trained on marketable skills, and one hundred and forty-four (144) persons were trained to improve their entrepreneurial skills,” according to him.
Concurrently, he went on, the sector is working with eighty (80) SheTrades companies to support women to improve their production capacity and the quality and packaging of their products.
The chief of state pointed out that the Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) and Tekki Fii [Make it here} remain very useful in supporting MSMEs and youth development initiatives.
The lawmakers heard that in 2019, a total of eighty-five (85) MSMEs, two hundred and thirteen (213) youths and one hundred and sixteen (116) entrepreneurs were supported.
“The YEP project was able to create nine hundred and twenty-eight (928) new jobs, and one hundred and thirty-two (132) jobs were sustained.
“Currently, three grants; namely: YEP Mini-grant, Tekki Fii Solar grant and the Agro-Grant, continue to provide financial support to young entrepreneurs,” the president told his audience.
In his marathon speech, President Barrow depicted that, a quick assessment conducted by the Ministry of trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment, in partnership with The Gambia Bureau of Statistics on the labour market, reveals that job loss is estimated at fifty-two thousand, seven hundred and fifty-two (52,752) employed people in both the formal and informal sectors as a result of the lockdown.
This will worsen the already high unemployment rate of 35.2%, as reported in 2018, said Barrow. He continued: “The Entrepreneurship and Private Sector Development Project, funded by UNDP, has equally redirected a significant sum of its allocated budget to the fight against COVID-19. Thus, targets for investment promotion will be constrained this year.”
Expounding on the agriculture sector of the country, the Gambian leader told the House, the Ministry of Agriculture is one of the most important sectors in the country, as many Gambians are either occupational farmers or depend on farming for subsistence. “To increase production, therefore, the Ministry of Agriculture has been active in policy development and programme implementation,” he held.
In reinforcing his points, the country’s head said, the Ministry has developed a National Agricultural Extension Policy to promote production and value addition, value chain development, strengthening the agricultural extension system and building partnerships.
He vouched that among other instruments that drive agricultural service delivery is the National Horticulture Sector Strategy, which supports the objectives of modernising agriculture in The Gambia.
He stated: “A Cooperative Policy (2019) to revitalise cooperative principles and values has now been conceived. Likewise, a Bill on Plant Health Protection has been initiated to support the establishment of a modern plant protection organisation.” Parallel to this, as he pointed to, “is the Animal Health Bill 2020, prepared to effectively regulate veterinary services in the country. In its transformation process, the Ministry also prioritises small ruminant improvement and the control and eradication of pests.”
With reference to inputs, he reported that eleven thousand (11,000) metric tonnes of fertiliser are available for sale, whilst fifty (50) metric tonnes of groundnut seeds have been provided to farmers on loan, repayable from their produce. That, as additional support, varieties of certified seeds have also been distributed to them.
Furthermore, President Barrow declared that, after twenty-three years, arrangements had been finalised to revive cotton production in the country, with assurance of a market in Senegal. He also said in preparation for the 2020 rainy season, his government had distributed various items of machinery and equipment to the farmers nationwide; and that they include a good number of tractors, power tillers, milling machines, pumping Machines and other agricultural inputs.
“With the support of the National Assembly, especially its Select Committee on Agriculture, an extra One Hundred Million Dalasis (D100 Million) has been budgeted for farming implements, equipment, disease control mechanisms, livestock and poultry production and seed production, among other interventions,” he acknowledged before Members of the Assembly.
Seeing it as a “welcome development” that an Emergency Response Plan has been set in motion in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP), Barrow promised that about twenty-two thousand and seventy-three (22,073) highly vulnerable households and roughly sixty-nine thousand, four hundred and ninety-nine (69,499) food insecure households would benefit from this arrangement.
In his words, the Ministry of Agriculture is encouraging private business enterprises, adding “plans are afoot, for instance, to grant Marro Farms a revolving fund of Ten Million Dalasis (D10 Million) as microfinance to boost production. Marro Farms [Maruo] is already active in the Pacharr fields.”
“Having validated the second Gambia National Investment Programme, this year, the Ministry plans to build facilities across the country to reduce post-harvest losses,” stated the country’s chief executive.
He used the address to extend his government’s gratitude to the Chinese and Japanese Governments, together with all their development partners, for supporting the sector.
On Youth and Sports, the President said his government attaches “special importance” to the sector. In this regard, he promised that, the validated Youth Policy (2019-2028) will soon guide the development programmes for Gambian youths.
“The National Sports Policy (2010-2019) and the Strategic Plan (2015-2019), which were the main policy instruments for the Youth and Sports sector, are now the focus of a terminal review, leading to the development of successor frameworks.
“In support of the sector, the Government has approved the Youth and Sports Development Levy to generate a responsive development roadmap linked to the NDP.
“It is planned that a compulsory National Youth Service, targeting fresh university graduates, will be implemented this year. The Youth and Sports Development Fund will be launched, and programme implementation will begin whenever the threat of the pandemic subsides,” he outlined.
Saying the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSS) was able to recruit six hundred and two (602) youths, he told NAMs that all of them (youths) have been placed for skills acquisition in various areas.
Hear him: “Most of them were either employed or are self-employed. Another one hundred and fifty (150) youths are now on placement at various skills centres or other institutions.” He went on: “Aside from other significant programmes, the PIA has successfully implemented the Community Development Initiative in thirty-five (35) communities across the regions. Two thousand, four hundred and twenty-two (2,422) youths participated in the award programme, and six hundred and ninety-nine (699) young people have completed their awards.”
He informed that, from February 2015 to date, through The Gambia Songhai Initiative Project, about two hundred and eighty (280) youths have been trained in Agribusiness and value addition; adding “the indication is that they have either been engaged or are self-employed”.
In the area of sports, the president held that the country has been “doing very well” in various international events; that once the threat of the pandemic ends, his government’s encouragement and support to step up sports and recreation would resume.
“Connected to this, in an endeavour to expand accommodation for both the tourist and sports industries, the sector is working towards upgrading the Friendship Hostel to a three-star hotel at an estimated cost of Thirty-Five Million (D35 Million).
“To update their policy instruments, the Ministry of Youth and Sports will formulate a National Sports Policy for 2020-2029 and a strategic plan. Once developed, they will be brought before this august body for approval,” Barrow enunciated.
