3) THE ECONOMY.

The economy of The Gambia has been, for the most part of our post
independent days, tax based. With agriculture, the major foreign exchange
earner, contributing over 20% of GDP, followed by Tourism. In the recent
past, the re-export trade played a significant role in boosting government
revenue. Light industry and services, though having high potential to help
boost our economy, has not performed to their potential. My approach to the
performance of the economy under the APRC will mostly revolve around these.


a) AGRICULTURE.

The main backbone of our economy over the years has been agriculture. The
main cash products being groundnuts, cotton, horticulture, livestock and
fisheries. Our farming methods have been mainly primitive and mostly for
subsistence. Very few people seriously invested in it and as such we’ve not
been even able to produce enough to feed ourselves. Our farming is mainly
dependent on the seasonal rains even though irrigation, which was introduced
in the early 70s by the Taiwanese, before were booted out of the country,
country could have helped significantly. During that period, rice was grown
in the CRD during both the wet and dry seasons. In those days limited rice
threshers were introduced and a big modern milling machine installed in
Kuntaur. The GOMB (Gambia Oilseed Marketing Board)/GPMB decorticating mill
that was in Kuntaur was transferred to Kuntaur in order to provide job
opportunities there.

Under the PPP government, all the irrigation machines and rice threshers
were simply abandoned, the Kuntaur milling machine that broke down after
only 63 hours of operation was also abandoned and rice production during the
dry season ground to a halt. So while we were busy making babies, food
production ceased.

Under the APRC, not only is irrigation back on the agenda, its being
intensified like nobody’s business. Domestic rice production have shot up
and the Kuntaur mill busier than ever. We are reclaiming more farmland as
well as introducing more saline resistant varieties to overcome the affect
saline intrusion. Higher yield varieties that require less water are also
being introduced to minimize the need for irrigation thereby preserving our
precious fresh water supply.

Last year saw the introduction tractors and combine harvesters throughout
the country. For the past few years, agricultural output has steadily
increased with groundnuts registering its highest yield since 1984.

b) FISHERIES.

Fisheries, which could have been seriously exploited to create jobs, provide
us with proteins, reduce our food import and provide us with much needed
foreign currency has never been given the attention it deserved until now.
Despite our increasing population, we continued to rely on traditional
fishing and preservation methods.

The APRC government has gone a long way in ensuring that Gambians benefit
more from our abundant fish resources. Towards this end, first class roads
have been built to link the fishing towns of the Kombo coast, a fish
processing plant, that is nearing completion is being built in Tanje, a fish
smoking plant is under construction in Banjul and a fishing port is to be
built in Tanje. All in all, the APRC government is spending the colossal sum
of over 21.17 million Dollars in this area alone over the next 5 years.

c) ENERGY.

The role of energy in modern economic activity cannot be overestimated. This
tiny country has suffered so much from our erratic power generation and
distribution, it is just unbelievable. Since the early 70s the previous
government just paid lip service to this sector. People’s treasured
equipments have been destroyed, tailors cannot do their sewing, carpenters
cannot do their carpentry, welders cannot weld etc, etc. Any sector you
point to, you only unearth misery due to this energy crisis.

The APRC’s no. 11 generator, though performing below its nominal capacity,
has at least boosted Nawec’s generating capacity by over 30% and concerted
efforts are being taken to rehabilitate their aging network. In my area we
used to run for the candles as soon as it is about to rain. Slight wind?
Forget it. Just go for the candles. The recent announcement that Taiwan has
given us a $5 million dollar loan to purchase a 6 Megawatt generator set
will boost Nawec’s capacity further. The rural electrification program that
is being funded by the ADB will create an enabling environment for investors
to invest in the provinces. This will create jobs, reduce rural-urban drift
and encourage people to go on postings there provinces. This will also allow
rural clinics and schools to take advantage of the potentials of the net.

More on the economy and how it has been managed by the APRC later.

Bye 4Now, KB Jobe.

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