2011 Trade Policy Under Review

In pursuing the objectives of the National Trade Policy and Action Matrix of the Diagnosis Trade Integrated Study (DTIS), the ministry of trade, industry, regional integration and employment has developed a Medium Term Plan (MTP) 2011-2015 that embraces an integrated action plan – a framework for mainstreaming trade in the national and development agenda linking it to national policy and macroeconomic goals.
“The MTP will strengthen the competitiveness of the Gambian economy as government strives to pursue an export-led strategy,” said Naffie Barry permanent secretary of the ministry, while speaking at the occasion held at the Paradise hotel.
While the MTP is key in integrating trade into the national development planning framework, it also among other things aims at improving and maintaining a competitive trading environment that is capable of enhancing domestic production, improving export performance and harnessing the Gambia’s comparative advantages in the service sector.
The policy is a result of a diagnosis trade study conducted in 2007 as part of efforts to enhance the mainstreaming of trade in national development strategies.
“The study identifies directions for establishing a more sustainable foundation for the country’s position as a trade gateway to the region,” she added. However, this cannot be achieved in the absence of improving the national transport system and reinforcing its efficient trade facilitation services, while recognizing the limited potential of growth.
The MTP focuses on enhancing the key productive sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing as well as the service sector such as telecommunication, energy and tourism.
PS Barry asserted that the government would not backtrack in collaborating with partners in their collective effort to mobilize resources for the implementation of the MTP within a framework of global aid for trade initiatives. “The essence of developing a[n] MTP is to ensure that Aid for Trade related resources are channeled through the normal programmable Official Development Assistance,” she noted.
The formulation of the MTP is timely as government is not moving in snail pace in formulating the Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment (PAGE). The policy will provide an input into the PAGE and by extension will serve as a scaffold for mainstreaming trade into national development programmes.

Challenges of Economic Integration In The Sub-region, Global Market Remained Unresolved – PS Finance

The permanent secretary at the ministry of finance and economic affairs has said that the ECOWAS has made significant progress to integrate the West African community, especially with regards to the free movement of goods and people, interventions in conflict resolution and agricultural policy, but added that “In spite of its many registered achievements on the one hand, the challenge of full economic integration in the sub-region as well as their integration into global markets on the other hand remain largely unresolved.”
Mod Secka was speaking at a four day follow up meeting on civil society action plan for the Community Development Programme (CDP) - a tool that seeks to ensure a greater involvement of the people of the Region, for better ownership of programs initiated by the region.
The meeting was aim at boosting the process of civil society involvement in the CDP and inform actors of civil society on the progress of CDP; sharing and finalizing the summary report of the six civil society consultations on the CDP and the contribution document of regional civil society to the CDP, and identify the perspectives of civil society involvement process in the formulation of CDP.
For the PS: “This workshop truly reflects the strong and continued commitment of the ECOWAS Commission towards successful regional integration of its member states and to ensure a sustainable implementation of the Community Development Program as envisaged in the its Vision 2020.”
The vision 2020 is the brainchild of the Summit of head of states and government of ECOWAS in 2006, when they decided to transform the Executive Secretariat of ECOWAS into a Commission and adopted a mission statement dubbed ‘vision 2020’.
The mission sought the movement from an ECOWAS of States towards an ECOWAS of People; Creation of a space where people can live in dignity and peace under the rule of law and good governance; the achievement of a West African Region without borders, and the establishment of a region well integrated into the global village that will derive maximum benefits from globalization.
He emphasized on the need for integration both economically and socially, saying “The agenda for regional integration is indeed critical to our collective efforts to strengthen the foundations for a stable and prosperous Africa.”
The CDP which has an overall strategy of integrating people within the ECOWAS region also has ten strategic axes, among which are the formulation of common agricultural and industrial policies; interconnection of transport infrastructure; interconnection of communication infrastructure; interconnection of energy supply; financial and monetary integration among others.
Professor N. Lambert Bamba, Commissioner for Macroeconomic Policy ECOWAS commission highlights the importance of the meeting, saying “we expect concrete actions to the expectation of your determinant role in achieving an ECOWAS of the peoples and the Commission's commitment.”
He highlighted the importance of civil society participating in meeting up the targets of the CDP. “To mark its interest in the civil society’s participation in its policy, the ECOWAS Commission has established a Directorate for Civil Society at the Department for Human Development and Gender.”
He underlined his gratitude to the civil society organizations for gracing the occasion, he was quick to assure of the Commission’s support towards making the ECOWAS community a deeply integrated region and firmly committed to economic and social development.

NOVEMBER 2011 IS SET FOR ELECTION; WHAT IS YOUR OPINION?

After holding the helm of affairs for three consecutive terms, the ruling party of Dr. Yahya Jammeh will have little if any fear for the upcoming elections – including the presidential and parliamentary elections. The opposition parties, seemingly in shamble have started disseminating their political ideologies.
The ruling party has a very limited ideology for campaign, other than highlighting infrastructural developments as symbols of its achievement. The opposition parties, like many other opposition parties hold the theory of ‘change’. But as a literature student, having read ‘Animal Farm’ of George Orwell, I am always meticulous of where my vote goes, whenever I head to a polling station. So Media Revolution is here to hoist people’s genuine opinion on the upcoming elections

A book I couldn't miss. Written with an economy of language and a breadth of knowledge rarely found in political science writings. . . . Tordoff’s interpretations will be respected by honest politicians and burgeoning politicians like me.

THE UNTOCUHED WEALTH OF THE FULA

When I was a teenager I used to hear people wittily say 'for the fulani, they have high value for cattle than their children'. Well this may not be an established truth in some Fulani settings. In Fulladou - the home of the Gambian Fulani, in Juba- the home of the Sudanese berbers [similar to Fulani], in Massina - the home of the Boro - Ethopian Fulanis [christian faith] seemed to hold this a conventional truth. The Fulani people in most part of the World, live in close vicinity with their cattle. This is a paradigm example of it.

THE POVERTY FACE OF AFRICA

Poverty has a female face in Africa, so these are the people who are wearing it

Bor, Jonglei, South Sudan. A mother waits to have her child weighed to check for malnutrition in a clinic. Poor or badly timed rains, coupled with insecurity, ethnic clashes and cattle raiding, have left many Southern Sudanese needing extra food supplies, Peter Martell of the BBC says

The Kalagi's Incident- Journalists Warned

After a two day trek to the countryside, we headed back home in the dawn of Saturday 9 July. We passed through picturesque villages, interwoven with greens and mangroves in the outskirts. We rarely made a stop, because we were traveling by a tourist bus. But as we approached Kalagi - a village in x-ray with security personnel, we stopped to ease ourselves.

My journalist colleagues came out of the bus. It was around dusk; we asked for easing-rooms and others. Awa Bah (Foroyaa Newspaper) and Mam Ndegene Secka (TODAY Newspaper) stepped out and took a walked behind the police station. They wanted to draw water from a 26-meter-deep-well, when a farce tragedy happened. No one was hurt physically, but Awa was hurt emotionally. Her MOBILE felt inside the well; in a couple of three minutes, the area was inundated by onlookers. We brought a big cod and tied a big stick with it and one journalist sacrificed to find his way through the well. He arrives safely, but the Blackberry phone with double SIM cards was nowhere to be seen. He came out bravely. We had a delay of about 40 minutes and this prompted Dodou Bojang- a senior reporter with the Gambia Radio and Television services (GRTS) to cautioned the female journalist: "They should put on pampas when traveling," he warns. Everyone broke into laughter...then the humors in the bus started.

Tombong Jawo vs the female journalists

Tombong Jawo, a reporter with the GamInfo breaks the ice on Nyima Jadam (Standard Newspaper), Mam Ndegene and Awa Bah. This was one of the best trips I had with journalists in the countryside. There are names and words that always make me laugh whenever I ponder over them: the red suit, the green suit[like GPA drivers], the mobile saga, heavy duty.

Binta Bah, the winner of the best journalist of the year for Daily News laughs to the last.

Nyima Jadam

Binta Bah

Executive Director Gambia Press Union, Mr Allota

Pandemonium Emerges As GPU Holds Congress, Elects New Executive

After several months of postponement, the Gambia Press Union – the umbrella body for journalism in The Gambia – at long last went to the poll on 26 June amid a controversial political firmament to elect a new executive that will maneuver the affairs of the union for the next three years.
But as the union heads to poll, claims and counter-claims surfaced about the position of the president. In a situation like that day, one can stand and say ‘the media is a hotbed for political propaganda’. However, as ‘result- oriented journalists’ of this small and neo-liberal country, the matter was not allowed to dwindle or shake the membership of the union. “It is one of the best congresses I have ever seen and attended,” says one senior journalist. The media is changing the world, and this is why MEDIAREVOLUTION matters in a society where information is kept close to ones chest. People nowadays tend to cling to power in the wake of political turmoil fomented by ideological cants that may rivalry among voters. However some lack the sparkle and sophistication to rally the vote they need, and this has made the voters to question some of the candidates about their appetite for politics.
The polls went peaceful and free from rigging, but what will be the fate of the union in the next three years? No one knows!! What is paramount to note, is the fact that ‘what brought together the union is more powerful than what may fall-off it’. In order words ‘It is the past that brought all unionists together, but let them [the unionists] not allow the past to take them to the past.’
Elections were held and winners emerged, not in a form of gerontocracy, but liberal democracy- where majority carries the vote. In unions like the GPU, which has to cope with rapid metamorphose, the decreased faculties of the aged can potentially be a handicap in providing effective leadership. This is why gerontocracy would have been a disaster if the GPU should have gone by it.

Gambia Holds National Economic Summit With Heavy Eye on Agric., Insurance, Informal Sectors

The government of The Gambia under the ministry of Trade, Regional Integration and Employment in collaboration with the Gambia Chamber of Commerce (GCCI), UNDP, Gambia Growth and Competitiveness Project (GCP), and GIEPA held the third long-awaited economic summit with the chosen theme; 'Developing the productive sectors to accelerate growth and employment in The Gambia'.

Held yesterday at the Kairaba Beach hotel, the two day summit which was attended by development partrners, senior government officials, NGOs among others mainly focuses on the agricultural, insurance, and informal sector of the economy.
It comes at a better time when the government of the Gambia is in its toe developing a new planning framework - Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment (PAGE) - which according to president Jammeh focuses on "growth and employment".

President Jammeh was speaking through the vice president, Dr Isatou Njie Saidy, when he cited the relevance of the summit, saying "The importance of productive capacities for economic growth and employment with consequential impact on poverty reduction is evident in the development experience of developing countries which have managed to achieve sustained and substantial poverty reduction over the last 30 years."
For him: "The under-development of productive capacities is the missing link between the expanding international trade which many LDCs [leased developed countries] have achieved in recent years. The over-dependence on a few primary commodities for our export earnings is part of the reasons for the vulnerability and instability of the economies of most LDCs. Consequently, our economies remain fragile due to their excessive vulnerability to various shocks, and this could be arguably linked to our weak productive and supply capacities."

For the NGOs, private sectors, and others, he called: "We must therefore come together to build a genuine partnership that would enable us to face the daunting challenges of socio-economic development." Whilst he echoed his popular calls for Gambians to override the development of the country, he was not hasty to say "I must emphasise that the development of this country cannot be anchored on the benevolence of others." He could not have said more than this; "We must look within and make maximum use of our available resources human, material and financial."

Abdou Kolley, minister of trade, regional integration and employment underlined his hope for fruitful outcomes, noting that the outcomes of the summit would be a tool for accelerating growth, reduce poverty and create further employment.
He highlighted the positive outcomes of the last economic summit which was held in 2003, while cautioning that this summit would not be a talk-shop. For Kolley, eight years ago, the central theme of many fora were availability of basic facilities such as electricity, telecommunications etc, and saying the focus now graduated to more on "affordability". Citing the ACE fibre cable on the pipeline for making internet affordable, available and accessible, Hon Kolley said internet access will enhance in coming years.

Bai Mattar Drammeh, GCCI president emphasised on the importance of the agricultural, insurance and informal sector, saying the three sectors play a vital role in the economy and key growth areas. For agriculture he explained that there are 49 LDCs with a population of more than 800 million people, who represented the poorest and most vulnerable segment of humanity and are at the very epicentre of development emergency. He observed that international trade market opportunities are also changing, with growing integration of global agricultural supply chain and the emergency of large economies.

As regards insurance, he said this sector is considered an infrastructural pillar of the financial services sector and the economy. "Insurance companies form a growing part of the domestic financial sector and closely linked with macroeconomic factors such as inflation, currency, controls, and the national income. Speaking further, Drammeh said insurance improves individuals' quality of life and increases social stability by way of individual health and life insurance, pension funds and workers compensation.

Drammeh who also dwelt on the informal sector of the economy pointed that The Gambia as an LDC country; the contribution of the informal sector to the GDP is greater than the formal sector's contribution. He advised that measurements still need to be done on women's contribution to the GDP, through their informal activities, saying "The informal sector represents a very high proportion of trade employment as well as trade GDP".

Patriot Insurance Brokers Grabs Three Major Conglomerates to reduce Poised premium service

Patriot Insurance Brokers (PIB) - The Gambian owned and managed insurance broker has recently been awarded portfolios by three major companies in the country.
This move is an indication of the indisputable services the brokers offers to its clientele, having come to the burgeoning insurance market less than three months ago, after being licensed by the
Central Bank of The Gambia.

However, despite the stiff competition unfolding in the market, the broker was able to grab consultancy from Gamtel - the Gambia's only gateway to telecommunication - to review insurance service contracts it has with other entities from 2007 to date. In another development, PIB takes brokerage service on risk and insurance for the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority (GCCA), and for NAWEC on brokerage service respectively, unveiled Mamadou Lamin S Bah administrator and finance manager of PIB."We are setting up a proposal on medical, personal and other insurances."


However, as the inflation in premium is seemingly distancing many people from the insurance industry, Bah pointed out that they "want to change people's perception on premium inflation, by cutting down premium and making [it] a cost effective service, that is affordable to all and sundry. With all the challenges, PIB is facing, we are ready to give our customers satisfying services, because we understand the risk you are exposed, we are committed to finding time to examine the issues and match your needs with the best solutions."

Whilst speaking earlier on the fruitful collaboration with NAWEC, Bah unveiled that they "currently succeeded on negotiations for compensation of D10, 000 between an Insurance company and NAWEC on vehicle damages, even though the vehicle was not part of the agreements - but based on the degree of 'ex-gratia' we came to terms."
Bah cautioned: "that it is prudent for every institution in the country to have a unit that is responsible for managing and coordinating insurance affairs.This will allow accountability and transparency between the insurers and the insures of that entity, and facilitate easy access to information regarding the insurance."

Bah who gives credit to the government for creating the conducive environment, pinpointed that one of the major challenges hindering the progress of the industry is 'awareness', adding that
they have proposals on the table that he wishes to keep close to his chest, but will help address what he describe as a "symptom" in many people's mind. He smiles to the credibility PIB has been able to garner within a short period of existence, whilst calling on Gambians to patronise them. "By this, we will be able to strengthen our efforts and reduce poverty. The economy is moving on the right track and we want to become the younger generation of insurers" he says.
"I am sort of words to expressed my gratitude to the president for sponsoring my education," he says whilst calling on citizens to help and patronise each other and "together celebrate excellence".

The insurance companies in the country are day-in day-out yearning for a 'national marine insurance legislation'; and for Bah this will be a good move, saying it is a vital component for investors.
The said legislation would compelled all stakeholders in the marine industry to join the insurance corridor. This, as highlighted by Ebrima Ceesay , CEO PIB will help reduce the degree of unemployment and increase the level of personal security for those in the marine sector of the economy, saying "thereafter insurance companies will burgeon, giving rise to prosperity and the need to employ a good number of citizen". Ceesay adds that "it is industrial development that we [PIB] want in the country," noting that in economic terms a country's status is most often determined by the level of performance of the insurance sector. The seasoned insurer called on the Gambia Chamber of Commerce (GCCI) to put insurance entities (not as a general body like the Insurance Association of The Gambia per say, but as individual grouping entities) in the limelight of their activities, adding that they are coming up with an 'Association for Insurance Brokers'.

Speed: Ditching the glasses into the national market

As one of the latest petrol stations to enter the Gambia soil, Speed Gambia is not unmaking its way through the free-market firmament in the Gambia.
Two years after it was launched, the petrol station, owned and managed by Gambians is experience enormous challenges from the huge competitions and the rise
in fuel prices, beside the government creating a level playing field for business to thrive.

Located at Brusubi-Sukuta highway with another petrol station situated at the outskirts between Lamin village and Abuko, the fuel conglomerate is expanding so rapidly in a country of 1.7 million people where a massive percentage of the population don't have access to own private vehicles. In this day and age of fuel crisis, the challenges are enormous, admits Amin Najib, Director of Speed during an encounter with MarketPlace.

Born in Kaur, Central River Region, Mr Najib said when it comes to business, there is a level-playing field, but as the price of fuel sky-rocketed Speed being a new petrol station is committed to making its way into the national market. "It was a new venture we started about three years ago. And we have searching for a strategic location, until when we found out that there is no petrol station around this end [Bursubi ends]." He opined that at the initial, Speed was flying to the sky until recently when four new petrol stations were constructed within the ends. He admits: "this really affects our business", but was not hasty to throw hope to the discussions, saying "we hope that this [their two petrol stations] will improve."

He said that stiff competitions in the market is affecting their business, whilst also adding that power shortage constitutes another factor.
He said most often they have to put on their generator 24 hrs, adding that as 24 hour business operators this is seemingly not going down well with business, believing that fuel consumption has its side of the story.

Because we are so small, we don't get the big customers. The big customers go to the multinationals [petrol stations], which makes our marketing efforts lot harder to attract customers. This is our biggest problems," says Nadil El Masri the managing director. He notes that as the prices of fuel escalated in the international market, this reflect sternly on the prices of fuel in the Gambia.
"It is not only Gambia where fuel prices is booming, it's happening everywhere. We have no control on that," he remarks, adding that this is striking the potential of many private vehicles plying the Gambian roads. Speaking further, he notes that commercial vehicle owners - who cannot pack their vehicles because fuel prices soar - are also seriously affected, pointing that when the price kneel down, petrol stations would have more customers, in comparison with the current situation. "At a lower price, we have more sales...well at higher price our sales decrease."

They both expressed hope that many people will patronise them, saying they are poised to employ as many Gambians as they can.
Whilst the spectacular year of 2011 continues to unfold with unexpected and rapidly growing changes, Speed, in conformity with the nature of business, is also aimed at introducing unbeatable products in the market.