Ladies and Gentlemen, below is the policy proposals for the UDP/NRP/GPDP ALLIANCE FOR REGIME CHANGE (ARC).    
  Thank you.
  UDP/NRP/GPDP ALLIANCE for Regime Change 
  New York -USA
                 POLICY PROPOSALS OF THE U/NRP ALLIANCE – APRIL 2006   
  1)                POLICY BACKGROUND – COUNTRY SITUATION
  2)                POLICY FRAMEWORK OF THE ALLIANCE
  3)                GENERAL DEVELOPMENT POLICY CHALLENGES 
   
  i)                   ECONOMIC GROWTH AND INFLATION
  ii)                THE DEBT QUESTION
  iii)              AGRICULTURE
  iv)              TAXATION AND REDUCTION OF EXPENDITURES IN THE SOCIAL SERVICE SECTORS
  v)                 INFRASTRUCTURE
  vi)              TOURISM
   
  4)                SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY CHALLENGES
   
  i)                   THE CHALLENGES OF POVERTY AND HUNGER/INCOME AND HUNGER
  ii)                THE CHALLENGES OF EDUCATION
  iii)              THE CHALLENGES OF HEALTH CARE PROVISION AND HIV/AIDS
  iv)              THE CHALLENGES OF WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT
  v)                 THE CHALLENGES OF YOUTH EMPOWERMENT
  vi)              THE CHALLENGES OF SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
  vii)            (a)          THE CHALLENGES OF GOVERNANCE  
   
  AND 
               DEVELOPMENT
  (b)          THE CHALLENGES OF CONSTITUTIONAL RULE
   
  1)    THE COUNTRY SITUATION – POLICY BACKGROUND
   
  The overall policy aim of the UDP/NRP Alliance is to meet the development challenges confronting The Gambia which the current APRC regime abysmally failed to handle.  The main development challenge is poverty which is increasing instead of declining daily.  Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger is the first Millennium Development Goal (MDG) and is in many ways also the most daunting challenge for The Gambia.  Poverty as a challenge cannot be explained and managed without meeting the challenges of Economic and political governance.  Under the APRC regime the development situation of The Gambia plunged into the following crisis: increase poverty and hunger, under-utilisation of the productive base of the economy, a weak resource base, indebtedness, unemployment, slippage in economic and political governance, persistent gender inequality, inadequate provision of health and education services (particularly for the poor and rural residents), and rising HIV/AIDS
 zero-prevalence rates.  The high rate of poverty also exacerbates environmental degradation and threatens Government efforts to promote sustainable environmental management.  This crisis came about through the APRC’s Economic and Political mal-governance, bad policies and lack of prudent economic management and financial discipline in public expenditure programmes.  They also manifest the absence of Human Development focus and Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA) as a Development Framework.
   
  Since the illegal seizure of power in July 1994, the APRC regime through the mismanagement of the economy and resources, lack of transparency and accountability and disrespect for the Rule of Law and constitutionality in the name of a “revolution” or “Soldiers with a difference” created the current crisis.  The regime’s approach to development is characterized by misplaced priorities, inappropriate policy measures, inadequate implementation mechanisms and lack of political commitment.  The regime says that it wants to encourage investment yet it introduces unreasonable tax charges that kill the Goose that lays the golden egg.  The regime fails to create a conducive investment environment such as constant supply of power to attract investors, making The Gambia an investors’ paradise of the sub-region.   Instead, the regime relies on an overburdening bureaucracy resulting in unnecessary delays and time wasting of business transactions.  This stifles investor’s confidence. 
 The regime says that it wants to improve the economic conditions of the Gambian poor without improving their productive potential.  Instead, the regime relies on debts (foreign and domestic) the servicing of which further impoverishes the Gambian masses.  The regime claims to usher in a meaningful development for The Gambia without adequately addressing the agricultural sector, the provision of social services such as health and education.  But it instead invest in white elephant projects – the July 22nd Arch, the Kanilai Palace, the jet aircrafts, the multi-million musical mixer set, the six multi-million Dollar luxurious American Limousines without addressing the need to purchase the farmers harvest of groundnuts, or providing transport facilities for our school children or providing adequate drugs for our hospitals and health centres or rebuilding our main south bank trunk road.  The regime says that it wants to provide employment for our youth population, but yet
 failed to build the productive base of the economy in the form of factories and processing industries, which can absorb a significant percentage of the labour force and boost our export potential.  The regime claims to be the protector of human and peoples’ rights but yet the Gambian people are being subject to constant fear through the harassment by the security forces especially the notorious National Intelligence Agency.  The regime regards itself to be democratic but yet its political governance record is one of the poorest in the sub-region.  The constant tampering with the Constitution by doctoring it to the taste of the regime, the lack of political commitment to its own decentralization programme, the dismissal of elected Mayors and Chairmen of local authorities, the hiring and firing of elected and non-elected officials of the regime just because they appear to be on the other side of the political divide, illustrate how undemocratic the regime is.  The question
 now is:
   
  -                     is this the kind of situation we want to continue with after 2006?
   
  -                     Is there an alternative to the present situation? 
   
  -                     If so what is the alternative?
   
  We certainly do not want the present situation to continue beyond 2006.  The alternative is the UDP/NRP alliance approach to meet the aforementioned Development challenges.
   
  2)     THE ALLIANCE DEVELOPMENT POLICY FRAMEWORK
   
  Recognising the magnitude of the aforementioned development challenges, and considering the need to formulate tangible and appropriate solutions the alliance considers it imperative to first formulate a policy framework that will facilitate the speedy, efficient and sustainable implementation of our recommendation.  If elected, the policy framework of the Alliance is the promotion of Human Development based on Human rights Based Approach (HRBA).  This framework simply means putting people at the centre stage of development.  It calls for enlarging peoples’ choice and building their capabilities to live a long and healthy life, have access to knowledge, enjoy a decent standard of living, and participate in the life of their community and the decisions that affect their lives.  Since there are many ways of expanding people’s choice, the key dimensions of human development can evolve over time.  However the current central issues our alliance will address include
 participation and freedom, sustainable human development and human security against both chronic threats such as hunger and abrupt threats such as job loss.
   
  This framework – Human Development and Human Rights Based Approach – is holistic seeking to balance economic efficiency, equity and freedom.  It is action oriented, recognizing that the link between Economic growth and human progress requires deliberate policies.    It must be acknowledged that growth for its own sake is not enough; its structure and quality matters as well.  Human development further defines human poverty as the denial of both material wellbeing, and the chance for a life of dignity, self-respect and basic rights.
   
  The attractiveness of this policy framework of our alliance lies in the fact that it has several indices to quantitatively measure human development.  These indices include the Human Development Index (HDI), Human Poverty Index (HPI), the gender related development index (GD1) which adjusts the human development for gender inequality, the gender empowerment index (GEI) which assesses gender equality in economic and political participation.
   
  The specific policy proposals emanating from this framework and which are highlighted below will help shape our poverty reduction strategy; they will help all stakeholders – NGOS, civil society and the private sector  - to monitor progress and hold our Government accountable, they will help the media and international organizations to steer our development effort programmes and policies in the right direction.  The framework can also serve as a basis for evaluating and ensuring the adaptation of policies, plans and strategies geared towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG):
   
  1)                 Eradication of extreme poverty and hunger 
   
  2)                 Achievement of universal primary education
   
  3)                 Promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women
   
   
  4)                 Reduction of child mortality
   
  5)                 Improvement of maternal health
   
  6)                 Combating HIV/Aids, malaria and other diseases
   
  7)                 Ensuring environmental sustainability
   
  8)                 Developing global partnership for development
   
  The alliance policy framework if adopted will make the following difference to the current situation:
   
  -                     Our national policies will be revised to reflect the needs of the poor
   
  -                     Our budget priorities will be shifted
   
  -                     Our laws passed and the Constitution will be amended to reflect the needs of the citizenry
   
  -                     The generated data will be incorporated with the statistical system
   
  -                     There will be increased donor funding targeting human development priorities.
   
  -                     There will be prominent media coverage on human development issues
   
  -                     People centred strategies will be adopted and implemented
   
  -                     Civil societies will become vibrant and become active partners.
   
   
   
   
   
  3)     GENERAL DEVELOPMENT POLICY CHALLENGES
   
  Given the existing situation in The Gambia, the UDP/NRP Alliance not only analyses the general development challenges facing the country but also proposed policy proposals as alternatives to the bad policies of the APRC regime.  The general development policy challenges we face emanate from critical analysis of issues including economic growth, inflation, and the debt question, agriculture, taxation, infrastructure and suggest alternative approaches to meet these general development policy challenges.  In the following Section (4) specific development policy challenges including poverty and hunger, education, health care, women empowerment, youth empowerment, sustainable environmental management and governance and development are analysed and policy proposals suggested as alternative to the current situation.
   
  The current national Development strategy is based on the second strategy for Poverty Alleviation or SPA II.  This is The Gambia’s first PRSP and runs for a Three Year cycle (2003 – 2005) that is scheduled to end in December 2009.  SPA II consist of five pillars (i.e Development objective) which are:-
   
  -                     Improving the enabling policy environment to promote growth and poverty reduction
   
  -                     Enhancing the productive capacity and social protection of the poor and vulnerable
   
  -                     Improving the coverage of the unmet basic needs of the poor
   
  -                     Building capacity for local, people centred development through decentralization
   
  -                     Mainstreaming gender equity, environmental issues, nutrition, and governance and HIV/Aids awareness into all development programs.
   
  At a round table conference for The Gambia in September 2002, funds to the tune of USA$118 was pledged.  However full disbursement of the amount was conditional on the Government meeting a variety of specific policy actions or “triggers”.  These triggers include action on budgeting processes, greater transparency and accountability in financial matters, development of strategies and indicators on rural development issues and measures to ensure a more supportive policy and institutional environment to encourage private sector investment.  In reality full disbursement of the pledged amount was not realized because the APRC regime failed abysmally to meet the conditionalities or “triggers”.  The budgetary process was in shambles, there was no transparency and accountability in financial matters and rural development was given low priority.  The policy and institutional environment was not conducive or supportive for the full participation of the private sector. 
 Alternatively the UDP/NRP Alliance, if given the mandate, will ensure the fulfillment of all the triggers set out by the donor community to achieve full disbursement of the pledged amount.  Rural development will be given the priority it deserves so that the quality of life of the rural poor will be improved.  The potential role of the private sector as a stakeholder will be recognized and encouraged to fully participate in development.  The economic and political governance will be established to create an appropriate policy and institutional environment that will encourage all stakeholders to participate as development partners.
   
  Faced with high rates of illiteracy, cultural traditional values that limit the contribution that women can make to socio economic development, a weak resource base, and a slippages in economic governance, it is easy to see why The Gambia, under the APRC regime, faces numerous development challenges.  As regards socio economic development, the primary challenge consists of the persistence of and increases in poverty.  The country under the APRC leadership also faces formidable challenges in the form of persistent gender inequality, inadequate provision of health and education services, (particularly for the poor and rural residents), nonobservance of child’s rights and rising HIV/AIDS zero- prevalence rates.  The high rate of poverty also exacerbates environmental degradation and threaten  Government efforts to promote sustainable environmental management.
   
  Under the UDP/NRP Alliance, the constraints of human and financial reserves will be addressed with a renewed commitment to public sector performance that promotes transparency and accountability.  The delivery of key basic services such as education and health will be improved through a result based management approach and great participation by key stakeholders.  For this to our Alliance will ensure that funding is increased to those programs having direct impact on the lives of the poor, and thus more effective management of scarce state resources is essential. 
   
  The failure of the APRC regime to implement the PRSP can be attributed to a variety of factors including low growth rate, unproductive economy, poor infrastructure, inflation and expansion of money supply to meet Government credit requirement and indebtedness.  These came about through bad policies and lack of prudent economic management and financial discipline in public expenditure programme and failure to adhere to the Human Development and Human Rights Based Approach by the regime.
   
   (1) ECONOMIC GROWTH AND INFLATION
   
  Currently the economy is growing at 4.5 per annum with an inflation of 23% which is one of the worst in the sub-region.  Consequently efforts to attain PRSP targets have been impaired.  The APRC Government has difficulties in sustaining economic targets during the programme supported by the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) and building institutional capacity of the key PRSP sectors (Agriculture, Education and Health).
   
  In the late 1990 the inflation rate was below 5% and the depreciation of the Dalasi was limited.  But due to the bad policies of the APRC regime, the average annual rate increased to 8.6% in 2002 and 17.o% in 2003.  The rate now stands at 23%.  The average nominal exchange rates of the Dalasi with respect to the US Dollar increased from 15.7% in 2001 to 19.9% in 2002 and 28.5% in 2003, before stabilizing around 27.5 in 2004.  The high rates of inflation and rapid depreciation were caused by excessive growth of money supply resulting from domestic financing of large fiscal deficits and cause the Central Bank to lose about 7 Billion Dalasis stemming from weak governance at the Central Bank of The Gambia.  To date this huge loss cannot be accounted for.  Monetary growth averaged 33% per year from 2000 to 2003 compared to average growth rate of approximately 15% from 1997 to 1999.  
   
  In conjunction with the expansion of the money supply, domestic credit by the banking sector significantly increased by an average annual rate of 62% during 2000 to 2003.  Credit to the Government increased by an annual average of 200% credit to the private sector by 35% and credit to public enterprises by 219%.  Much of the credit expansion was for the public enterprises.  Much of the credit expansion in the private sector was concentrated in the trading sector which benefit from relatively high rates of sales turnover, but was also due to substantial speculation in foreign currency and flight into real assets in response to the continuing depreciation of the Dalasis and rising inflation.
   
  Our Alliance, if given the mandate, will institute a prudent economic management measures and financial discipline in public expenditure programmes.  There will be strict control of money supply and operation of the Central Bank will come under tight scrutiny to avert the loss of 7 Billion Dalasis.  The accounts of the Central Bank will be jealously and annually audited instead of leaving it for years without being audited.
   
  (II) THE DEBT QUESTION
   
  The APRC Governments’ difficulties in mobilizing revenue and financial resources for further investment pushed the regime to resort to over taxation and indebtedness.  The nature of the debt stock of the country can be classified into domestic and foreign debts.  Out of the D1, 460Million that was paid as interest and debt repayment in 2005 D723 Million is payment of interest on domestic debts.  The payment of foreign interest amounted to 226 Million, foreign amortization or payment of principal amounted to D516 Million.  The domestic debt has been growing because of the dependence of Government on Treasury Bills to finance growing budget deficit: for example in 2005, the budget deficit amounted to D855 Million.  This budget deficit had been compounded by unauthorized expenditure.  This mismanagement of the resources led to action by the IMF to suspend its financing of the poverty reduction strategy Paper Programme in 2003 until Government curbs unauthorized expenditure,
 audit the Central Bank externally and reduce the deficits and clear arrears in the payment of the interest on debts.  In fact the donors punished The Gambia because of mis-governance by withholding 118 Million Dollars pledged in 2002 in the Geneva round.   In other words, as a percentage of total recurrent expenditures interest payments (domestic and foreign) increased from 23.7% in 2001 to 28.1% in 2002 to 36.4% in 2003.  In 2003 the external debt service to GDP ratio remained broadly constant at around 5%.   Domestic debts interest payments steadily increased from 3.4% of GDP in 2001 to 4.2% in 2003 and increased to 9.2% in 2004.  In 2004 servicing of interest on contracted debt consumed 40.3% of the recurrent budget and the interest element of debt servicing represents a major concern for budget allocation and public resource management.  As a share of GDP, Government domestic debt rose from 27% at the end of 2003 to 32% at the end of 2004.  The Gambia’s domestic debt
 stock as a share of GDP under the APRC regime is more than double the average for non CFA/SSA countries and four times the level in the highly indebted poor countries (HIPC) eligible non CFA/SSA countries.  It is worth noting that the high debt servicing has serious implications for poverty alleviation because it reduces the sustainability of current poverty alleviation programmes.
   
  We in the UDP/NRP Alliance resolve to carry out financial reforms and institute financial discipline to ensure effectiveness of poverty reduction policies.  To increase the revenue base of the economy, the Alliance will concentrate on the growth of the productive base of the economy.  Instead of a tax and debt driven economy, the Alliance will encourage the growth of industries to manufacture and produce goods for export.  Agricultural produce in the form of fruits and vegetable exist but are not processed for export.  Similarly abundant fishery resources exist but are not processed for export.  The UDP/NRP Alliance will embark on deliberate policies to process these resources, the proceeds of which will improve our foreign exchange earnings and thus provide revenue for further investments.
   
  Recent reports indicate a substantial reduction in Government resources allocated to the Agriculture, education and health sectors under the APRC leadership.   In 2004 and 2005 the Agricultural sector was allocated 2.9% and 3.4% of the Governments’ recurrent budget (financed largely from Government revenues).  The education sector received 10.3% and 10.7% during the same period, while the share of the Government recurrent budget devoted to the health sector fell from 9.8% to 8.9%.
   
  (III) AGRICULTURE
   
  Agriculture employs approximately 75% of the population and yet contributes only 30% of the total output of the economy.  The sector is of particular concern to the Alliance because it receives relatively low allocations in both the recurrent and development budgets.  For example, agriculture accounted for 7.4% and 8.1% of the development budget in 2004, and 2005 respectively compared to education, which received 8.7% and 16.8% of the development budget in 2004 and 2005 respectively.  More than half the total labour force is employed in the agricultural sector, which is also dominated by the poor.  The low priority accorded to Agriculture by the APRC regime explains why the revenue base of the economy remains weak, it explains why the economy remains unproductive, it explains why poverty is increasing instead of decreasing and it also explains shy adequate employment opportunities cannot be created.  The APRC Government, despite its rhetoric, failed in the past few years
 to purchase the farmers produce of groundnuts – thus condemning the farming community to a life of poverty and food insecurity.
   
  The UDP/NRP Alliance intends to reverse this trend by giving agriculture the priority it deserves as the leading sector in our pursuit of Rural Development as our Development strategy.  In our recurrent and development budgets significant resources will be allocated to Agriculture.  We also intend to industrialize the agricultural sector, making it more productive and attractive to the farming community so that it can generate adequate foreign exchange and create adequate employment opportunities for the rural poor.  The marketing of the agricultural produce will not only be assured but attractive enough to serve as an incentive for more people to go back to the land.  It is only through such progressive policies that intervention in the Agricultural sector will have significant socio economic impact on the poor.
   
  (IV) TAXATION AND REDUCTION OF EXPENDITURES IN THE SOCIAL SERVICE SECTORS
   
  The APRC regime, faced with a weak revenue base, and yet in need of revenue to invest, resorts to over taxation.  Instead of making the economy more productive it instead relies on indebtedness and over taxation to generate funds for further investment.  The regime not only increases taxes but also reduce expenditure on social services.  For example vehicle licence fees have increase by 30%, sales tax on non-oil imports have increased from 10% to 15%.  There is 15% sales tax on domestically produced goods and excise duty of 10% is levied on used cars in addition to the customs duties and sales tax.  The holding tax of 10% on contract values serves as a disincentive to potential investors especially when this is added to the payment of D15, 000.00 as pay roll tax by investors.    Municipal taxes and local Government/Area Council taxes are increasing annually without the provision of commensurate services.  These increases in taxes would have been justified if the revenue
 so generated were invested in the productive sector of the economy and the social service sectors.  But instead, the APRC regime increases taxes while reducing expenditure on social sectors.  For example subvention at the RVTH has been reduced from D41 Million in 2005 to D35 Million in 2006.  Expenditure on drugs and dressings has been reduced from D6.5 Million to D5 Million.   The subvention to Bansang Hospital dropped from D13 Million to D11.5 Million with expenditure on drugs and dressing dropping from D3 Million to D2 Million.  The subvention to Farafenni Hospital dropped from D10.5 Million to D9.3 Million with expenditure on drugs and dressing being reduced from D2.2 Million to D1.2 Million.  Subvention to Sulayman Junkung Jammeh Hospital in Bwiam was reduced from D5.5 Million to D4.7 Million with expenditure on drugs and dressing being reduced from 1.2 Million to D700,000.00
   
  Over the years these bad policies of the Agricultural Sector, the reduced spending on the social sectors, over-taxation, fiscal and macro economic indiscipline have undermined efforts to achieve sustainable economic growth and Development.  The result has been a rise in poverty and increase dependence on external development assistance, debt and over-taxation.
   
  In view of this the UDP/NRP Alliance is resolve to make a decisive break from the “stop go” policies and embark on a comprehensive economic reform programme that would establish the conditions necessary and sufficient for sustainable growth and poverty reduction.
   
   
   
  (v) INFRASTRUCTURE
   
  Another area of failed APRC policy is in infrastructure.  The ability of the country to unleash its economic potential is closely linked to the ability of its infrastructure to support the social and economic activities of the population.  Despite the recognition of the importance of good infrastructure, The Gambia under the APRC regime continues to be plagued by problems such as erratic electricity supply, bad roads, crumbing river infrastructure and problems of access to telecommunications services.  The high economic cost associated with inadequate infrastructure acts as a major disincentive to investment by foreign and domestic entrepreneurs and is one of the major challenges to private sector led growth.  This situation, without doubt, has serious consequences for development in the country.
   
  The UDP/NRP Alliance plans to have a critical look at the country’s infrastructure with a view to rehabilitating it to contribute towards the development of the country.  River transport will be resuscitated as it is more cost effective and the main north and south bank roads will be made more functional to ease access for goods services and the population.
   
  (VI) TOURISM
   
  Tourism is the main foreign exchange earner for The Gambia contributing over 12% to the GDP of the country.  It also creates significant local employment with approximately 16,000 people employed by the Sector.  In revenue terms it was projected that it will earn about $40 Million for the economy for the period 2004.  Based on a projected doubling in tourist arrivals, tourism’s contribution to monetary GDP is projected to increase from an estimated 13% in 2004 to 18% in 2020.  Unfortunately under the APRC regime however many of the potential benefits of tourism 
  (inter-sectoral linkages value added etc) do not accrue to the country due to the low end nature of tourism in The Gambia.
   
  Under the UDP/NRP Alliance deliberate attempts will be made to establish linkages between the tourism sector with agriculture, industries and fisheries sectors.  This way the country will enjoy the potential benefits, which is currently unrealized.
   
  The key elements of our development programme will include measures to strengthen macro economic stability and ensure that the debt service ratio is kept at a manageable level.  The programme should also incorporate reforms aimed at reducing poverty through initiatives aimed at producing higher levels of economic growth with equity.  These reforms would include improvements in the investment climate, the strengthening of public expenditure management, and promoting a culture of accountability, transparency and good governance.  Both economic and political reforms are imperative if The Gambia is to be strategically positioned in an increasingly competitive and globalised world economy.  This is the Alliance’s policy goal.
   
   
   
   
   4. SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES
   
   
   
  4.1)THE CHALLENGE OF POVERTY AND HUNGER
   
  (a)   Income poverty
   
  Poverty and hunger is a specific development challenge in The Gambia, which will occupy the full attention of the UDP/NRP Alliance as a major policy focus.  It is this major development goal around which all policy activities will revolve.  The current APRC regime failed abysmally to address the poverty question.  The Gambia is one of the poorest countries in the world and indications are that it is getting poorer as reported in its Human Development index (HDI) ranking by the UNDP Human Development Report (HDR).  The country under the APRC regime slipped from 151 out 177 countries in 2003, to 155 out of 177 countries, in 2004 and 2005.  In The Gambia, poverty (income poverty) is taken as the inability of a person to afford food, clothing, health care, and all other necessities of life, all year round.  The food poor (hunger) category are those who cannot afford the minimum food requirements, currently 2700 calories per adult equivalent that constitute a healthy diet. 
 Lack of access to basic social services such as clean and safe drinking water, education and health care also exacerbate poverty.
   
  While poverty is found in all parts of the country, extreme poverty is most severe in the rural areas of The Gambia.  Over 90% of the rural population depends on agriculture for their livelihoods.  Equally the poorest parts of the country are those that depend on agriculture, notably the north bank and lower, central and upper river divisions.  According to the 1998 household poverty survey, rural women are disadvantaged compared to their male and urban counterpart.  The contrast between living conditions in rural and urban areas is based on the limited occupational and livelihood choices, and dependence on agriculture in rural areas.
   
  The first Millennium Development Goal (MDG1) which is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger is in many ways also the most daunting challenge for The Gambia.  The UDP/NRP Alliance could not agree more with this.  The difficulties in attaining this goal (which is further decomposed into targets aimed at reducing income poverty and the proportion of people who suffer from hunger) is closely linked to the challenges Government has encountered in managing the economy and identifying/implementing a clear path for socio-economic development. Under the APRC regime, there are inadequate links between production and service sectors, which meant that producers often have difficulties in finding markets for their products and as a result limit their production.  Operators in the service sectors (especially those affiliated with the tourism sector) speak of the difficulties in identifying local providers who can deliver goods of acceptable quality and quantities and prefer to
 service their inputs from outside the country.  This disarticulation is exacerbated by low Government resources devoted to the productive sectors and private sector operators than generate higher rates of economic return by purchasing Government Treasury Bills or importing foodstuffs than by investing in local production.  The consequences of a stagnating agricultural sector are high rates of rural out-migration and urbanization, high rates of unemployment and escalating import bills.
   
  In The Gambia the agriculture sector is still characterized by subsistence rain fed crop production (coos grain, rice, cassava etc.), traditional livestock rearing, semi commercial groundnut and horticultural production, and a small cotton sub-sector.  Domestic grain production is characterized by low productivity and meets only about 50% of national requirements.  Based on current trends, demand for food will double by 2015 from a 2000 baseline and cereal imports could triple by 2020.  Agriculture is also subject to the vicissitudes of the weather; inadequate marketing storage facilities, extension services, and access to credit have resulted in relatively high production costs, low incomes and food insecurity.  The combination of these factors reinforces poverty in the rural areas, with women being the most affected.  
   
  According to the 1998 study, approximately 78% of the economically active women work in agriculture compared to just 57% of men.  Groundnut farmers constitute almost 53% of the extremely poor, with more than 20% of small and medium producers of groundnuts being extremely poor.  The annual PRSP progress report for 2004 noted, “un-judicious pricing policies, culminating into barriers to adequate public and private sector partnership and low marketing margins prove to be serious dis-incentives to operators in the groundnut market”.  The consequences of these policies are that groundnut produce are often confronted with late arrival of inputs (seeds, fertilizers and payment coupon that are redeemed late, if at all.
   
  The low agricultural incomes have secondary effects on a number of other sectors that contribute to poverty.  An immediate cause that contributes to low productivity in the agricultural sector is the high rates of illiteracy.   High rates of illiteracy make it difficult for agricultural households to absorb technical assistance, increase the costs of ensuring quality control for farmers involved in agricultural productivity and agro processing and this limit the market opportunities for agricultural producers.  In urban areas, high rates of illiteracy inhibit the development of secondary and tertiary sectors, of the economy, reduce competitiveness of the local private sector and contribute to a lack of employment opportunities in the formal sector.
   
  The UDP/NRP Alliance endeavours to pursue an integrated Rural Development approach which will address not only the goal of increasing agricultural productivity but also aim at addressing basic health qualitative education, water and food problems of the rural areas.  We must ensure that the rural population has adequate access to basic needs services and non-agricultural income generating activities.  To facilitate the proper implementation of these objectives we must focus attention on rational decentralization of government administration that is culturally meaningful to our people and which will ensure their empowerment in any development undertaking.  Attacking poverty will not be confined to the rural areas alone.  The Alliance is resolved to address poverty in the urban areas as well.  A successful intervention in rural development will reduce the migration to our urban areas and thus reduce congestion.
   
  The Gambia’s formal sector is very small, employing just over 10% of the labour force.  Employment opportunities are gender biased and in favour of men, particularly in the formal sector.  In this sector, education is a prerequisite but the traditional gender roles and cultural norms have contributed to the general low level of education among Gambian women.  According to the 2002 PRSP in 1998 the national literacy rate for females aged 15-24 years was only 26% (compared to 44.5% for male).  As can be expected, poor women (extremely poor (11.7%) and poor (24.8%) had the lowest literacy rates.  The high rates of female illiteracy entail that many women are effectively barred from taking advantage of Government policies that promote income generating opportunities where literacy is a prerequisite and maintain them and their offspring in cyclical poverty trap.
   
  The consequences of low literacy levels are revealed in an assessment of formal sector employment disaggregated by gender.  Women occupy 9.4% of the skilled labour force and 61.9% of the unskilled labour force.
   
  If poverty is more acute in the rural areas of The Gambia, the immediate cause is in large part due to the low income of agricultural producers.  A history of producing groundnuts for income generation has left many of these households vulnerable to pricing and purchasing mechanisms, which are largely state controlled.  An underlying cause can be traced to the lack of integration between production and tertiary sectors which means that often there are few organized market channels between producers and consumers.  In the absence of such market channels producers focus on household consumption (as information on demand is scarce) and many local businesses prefer to import as they cannot access quality agricultural produce in sufficient quantities on a regular basis.  Thus producers elect to stay with groundnut production, because despite the irregular supply of inputs, relatively low producer prices and late payments, it is the one crop for which there is an assured
 market.  The root cause of low incomes derived from agricultural production can be linked to the difficulties encountered in managing state resources that has entailed that insufficient resources are devoted to agricultural research, extension and other services that would assist agricultural households to diversify out of groundnut production.  The situation is exacerbated by poor rural infrastructure (transport, telecommunications and power) that raises the cost of commercial production and impedes private investment in the sector.
   
  To improve on the current poverty situation, the UDP/NRP Alliance will address the improvement of public resource management, increased absorptive capacity of those institutions charged with delivering basic services and actively promote greater integration between productive and tertiary sectors and removing structural constraints that impede the full participation of women in the economy of the country.
   
  We see Government (at both the Central and Local levels as a major duty bearer as regards the elimination of poverty in The Gambia.  The Alliance central government has duties that include developing and implementing appropriate macro-economic policies that will provide sufficient resources for government agencies to reduce poverty and contribute towards the attainment of the MDGS.  It also entails that those institutions tasked with delivering agricultural services are adequately funded and are operated under performance based management schemes where the results can be regularly monitored and publicly assessed.  The Alliance central government will also have the obligation of providing essential infrastructure that is a prerequisite for sustained “pro-poor” economic growth.  Given the efforts to decentralize government, it follows under the Alliance, the duty – bearer also include local Government authorities, who are responsible for ensuring that funds allocated from
 central Government level are used for their intended purposes.  Other duty bearers besides central and local Government are civil society and the private.   Sector for the civil societies, in addition to their duties of promoting a “pro-poor bias” to Government resource allocation and ensuring the transparency of Government spending, they have a large role to play in changing prevailing cultural practices and attitudes that prevent the majority of women from actively participating in the formal economic sector.
   
  (b) HUNGER  
   
  Hunger is closely related with poverty in The Gambia.  The highest level of mal-nutrition is found in the Lower, Central and Upper River Divisions, which closely correlate with the highest levels of extreme poverty.  Poverty and hunger from a vicious cycle with poverty exacerbating hunger and constraining peoples’ ability to escape poverty.  Maternal malnutrition, caused by poverty, leads to low birth weight babies which in turn are more likely to die in infancy, or before their fifth birthday.  They are also more likely to suffer from under-nutrition.  On-going chronic levels of malnutrition set up a cycle for delayed school enrolment, repeated sickness and school absence, lower educational attainment and consequently lower lifetime earnings closing the poverty circle and transmitting poverty from one generation to the next.
   
  Here in lies as the rationale for our Alliance to specifically address the poverty as our main development objective.  By taking care of poverty the Alliance will be addressing hunger and malnutrition.  Addressing the fundamental causes of malnutrition throughout the life cycle is a foundation to securing sustainable reductions in poverty in The Gambia.
   
  (4.II) THE CHALLENGES OF EDUCATION
   
  The second Millennium Development Goal (MDG2) calls for the achievement of Universal Primary Education to attain the target. Government has developed educational policies that emphasised the provision of primary education, especially for traditionally excluded groups such as girl children.  The formal system of education in The Gambia consists of SIX YEARS of primary (lower basic), THREE YEARS of upper basic and THREE YEARS of senior secondary schooling.  There is also an additional THREE YEARS of continuing education at tertiary institutions or four years at the University.  The first NINE YEARS of uninterrupted schooling constitutes the basic cycle (which is mainly provided by the Government) while Senior Secondary School, Technical and Vocational and Tertiary are funded largely by the Grant in Aid arrangement and the private sector.  The basic policy objective is premises on an access, quality and relevance.  Although some measure of success has been achieved on these,
 some yawning capacity gaps exists, which the UDP/NRP Alliance is resolve to address.
   
  Upon assuming power the APRC Government embarked on a countrywide school building programme to achieve access.  Significant progress has been made in expanding access to basic education to reach both the EFA (Education For All) and MDG goals.  Enrolment at the lower basic level averaging 8% annually between 1991 and 1996, have exceeded the planned target of 5%.  However due to high population growth rate (4%) these rates dropped to 4% over the period 1996 to 2001 especially in the urban areas.   Overall the gross enrolment rates (GER) now stands at 91% including the “Madarasahs” ranking The Gambia considerably high above the sub-Saharan average of 69%.  However this attempt by the APRC Government to achieve access faced problems.  Expansion of the school building programme was accomplished in an unplanned fashion.  It takes more than a physical structure to have a school.   For it to become a school adequate arrangements have to be made to supply teachers, learning
 materials and basic needs to be based on the felt needs of the population.  It is therefore not surprising to come across many schools with empty classrooms and schools with inadequate teachers.  Under the UDP/NRP Alliance our school building programme must be based on the felt needs of the population, and the provision of qualified teachers, and teaching materials.  Under the APRC regime regional disparities exist in the provision of schools.  Whereas the urban areas are registering nearly universal access to lower basic education, the rural areas are only registering between 55% and 65% GER (Gross Enrolment Rate).  Under the UPD/NRP Alliance, with our emphasis on Rural Development, this spatial disparity of the provision of schools will be addressed by making it more rural bias.   School infrastructure to realize the EFA and MDG goals will have to be addressed under the Alliance.
   
  A major challenge in the current system of education is quality relevance and retention.  Student performance in the 2001 Monitoring Learning Achievement (MLA) report indicate that 90% of children in lower basic schools failed to meet the mastery levels (70% minimum score) in the core subject of Mathematics, English Language, Science, Social and Environments Studies.   The immediate causes for this low performance are due primarily to weak parental support for children’s learning, high illiteracy rate (70%), poor quality of teaching including gender insensitivities during classroom discourse, unavailability of teaching and learning materials and poor supervision of teachers.  The underlying causes relate to weak community participation in monitoring student learning, poor quality of teachers, uneven distribution of qualified teachers and weak support for teachers and school heads.  The root or structural causes include the lack of adequate financial and human resources to
 implement the strategic education sector plan, the Government’s inability to train adequate number of teachers, provide adequate infrastructure and teaching and learning materials, and sustain regular in-service training courses for teachers and school managers.  
   
  Under the UDP/NRP Alliance serious efforts will be made to ensure community participation in school programmes; we will ensure the provision of qualified teachers to man the schools; we will ensure the adequate provision of teaching and learning materials, provide adequate infrastructure, provide adequate financial and human resources and support for teachers and school heads.  These measures will ensure that the quality of education is improved.
   
  Within the context of the APRC Education Policy, Relevance of the curriculum is also a major challenge.  The immediate cause is the lack of curriculum reform in the light of expectation of parents, communities and employers.  The immediate causes relate to weak technical capacities in curriculum development in the country and inadequate resources to support training in this area.  Most of the curriculum materials are bought “off the shelves” as the requisite technical capacities to develop relevant text-books and other curriculum material are not available.  Root causes include inadequate teacher and school management training programmes.
   
  Under the UDP/NRP Alliance the development of the school curriculum will be given the priority by providing adequate resources to train curriculum developers.  The curriculum is to be developed on the basis of the country’s development priorities.  The emphasis will be on the inculcation skills for agriculture, engineering, sciences and other vocational training.  Education should be seen not only as an end in itself but also as a means to promote development out of poverty.  Thus making education relevant to our development aspiration in this way will overcome the current low retention rate.
   
  The immediate cause of low retention rate includes parental preference for Islamic education, a high premium place on early marriage and negative perceptions about western education (seen as an agent for breaking up rural families and fueling the rural urban drift).  The underlying and root cause relate to the weak community participation and in-favourable school calendar that affect children’s help with farm work, lack of role models for female students in the communities and above all extreme poverty (estimated at 69% among the rural population)  Furthermore poor school infrastructure and high population growth rates especially in urban areas continue to erode any progress made in access and retention.  
   
  To improve on the low retention rate, our Alliance will ensure the full participation of the communities in the planning and implementation of our educational programmes, we must make the curriculum relevant to the development needs of the people and above all attack poverty.  The recent sector wide Approach (SWAP) for education adopted by Government and its development partners may usher in progress but the existing capacity gap in implementation faces a problem.  There is need to supply qualified teachers and distribute them evenly, there is need to have adequate human resources at higher management level, there is need for a sufficient technical capacities in planning and management, strong management skills of school heads, adequate supply of teaching and learning materials.  Our Alliance will also ensure that there will be no shortfall in the annual budgetary allocations to the education sector.
   
  Our Alliance recognizes the fact that to maintain high levels of school attendance and retention rates we must improve the quality and relevance of education and provide an enabling school environment for learning development partners and other stakeholders would have to do more to build the necessary technical and human resource capacities at all levels, improve sector management, support teacher training and curriculum development increasing funding for educational material and strengthen monitoring and evaluation activities.  Basic education in particular needs more support in terms of its delivery and support for female education.  The participation of the communities and positively influencing their behaviours favours western education requires concerted efforts of all partners to boast enrolment rates and improve retention in order to attain the goals of both the EFA and the MDGS.   
              
  THE CHALLENGE OF HEALTH CARE PROVISION   
  The provision of adequate health care is a major component of the MDGS.  There are three MDG’s that refer to health related issues.  These are MDG4 (Reduce Child Mortality) and MDGs (improve Maternal Health).  MDG4 aims to reduce by two-thirds the mortality rate among children under five, and MDG5 aims to reduce the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) by three quarters.  The third health related MDG (MDG6) refers to HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases.  
   
   
  Because of the potentially devastating impact of HIV/AIDS on socio economic development, this challenge is treated as a section in its own right.
   
  The most recent countrywide mortality survey in 2001 estimates the U5-MR and IMR to be 135 and 84 per 1000 birth, respectively the same as in 1993.  The most common childhood morbidity and mortality include malaria, acute respiratory infections, malnutrition and diarrhea.  Together these conditions contribute to 60 – 70% of child mortality.  Neonatal mortality constitutes 40% of infant mortality.  Malaria constitutes about 40% of all out patient visits as well 60% of all admissions to the pediatrics ward.  There is evidence that the malaria parasite is developing resistance to the first line of drug (Chloroquine).  A recent malaria sentinel survey indicates that the resistant level is above the WHO threshold of 25% requiring change or regimen.  In the 2001 national survey on maternal, prenatal, neonatal, infant and child mortality and contraceptive prevalence over 260 maternal deaths were recorded.  Half of the maternal deaths occurred between the ages of 20 and 34 years,
 although a significant 30% were below 20 years of age.  The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) was found to be 730 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.  This varied from 980 per 100,000 in Primary Health Care (PHC) villages to 871 per 100,000 in non -PHC villages and 495 per 100,000 in urban areas.  This indicates that the maternal mortality rate in rural areas is nearly twice as high as that in urban areas.  Whilst maternal mortality has been on the decline in the past, recent data indicate that it is now on the rise.  However in the face of this rising maternal mortality rate, the APRC Government response is the reduction of the share of the health sector in the recurrent budget of Government (falling from 9.8% in 2004 to 8.9% in 2005.  
   
  To overcome the above increase in maternal mortality, the UDP/NRP Government will increase the share of the health sector in the annual budget to meet the challenge.
   
  Overall, malaria is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in The Gambia.  It is among the indirect causes of maternal mortality representing almost 18% of all death.  Under the APRC regime quality of care including the Provision of emergency obstetric care is found to be below acceptable standard.
   
   
  The poor quality of obstetric care is the major cause of maternal deaths and is manifested by inadequate number of appropriately trained doctors and midwives in health facilities, inadequate essential (obstetric equipment, chronic shortage of basic supplies, and the non-functioning of some operating theatres) in major health centres.  There have been attempt to operationalise major health centres to provide emergency obstetric care, but according to the re cent EOC study (2004) none are presently operational.  Communities perceive the health delivery system to be of questionable quality, limiting their utilization of the services.  Skilled personnel attend to only 54% of women during delivery.  Under the UDP/NRP Alliance attention will be given to make our health centres more functional.
   
  The root causes of poor maternal and child health care in The Gambia include poverty, harmful traditional beliefs and practices, poor infrastructure (roads electricity, communication and water) availability of adequate and appropriate health information to the general public, and limited financial resources.  Low household income in the country leads to low access to nutritious food, which in turn affects our health.  It is therefore imperative that our Government will attack poverty to improve our health status as a nation.
   
  The national priorities in the health sector are enshrined in the various policy pronouncements of the Department of State for Health and Social Welfare.  Under the National Health Policy, there are policies on Reproductive Health, Youth, Malaria, HIV/AIDS Drugs, Population and Nutrition.  But the APRC Government failed to adopt a concerted national effort to operationalise these policies through the development of a costed strategic medium term plan and the mobilization of the required resources.  The reproductive health policy does not adequately address critical issues such as malaria in pregnancy and HIV/AIDS, especially prevention of mother to child transmission.  
   
  The UDP/NRP Alliance will ensure a concerted and co-ordinated approach to the health sector and provide adequate resources to provide the required infrastructure.  Our Government as a duty bearer will have the responsibility to provide all the health programs.  To improve the health care services the technical Staff needs training, motivation and the full equipment of all health centres with drugs and required facilities.  Access to vital specialized services, such as emergency obstetrical care will be made sufficient especially in the rural areas.
   
  The Alliance is resolve to ensure that:
   
  -                     Medical supplies are available at all times in all the medical facilities especially those in the rural areas.  To this effect the Drug Revolving Fund will be strengthened and rationalized to cater for the present realities of the health sector.
   
  -                     Existing health facilities are maintained and new ones constructed in the form of Primary health care facilities instead of hospitals to cater for additional needs of the communities.
   
  -                     Primary health care system is expanded and consolidated to enable all citizens, especially the rural poor, to have easy access to medical care within a 10 km radius.
   
  -                     Rural ambulance services are provided in all parts of the country to facilitate improved evacuation of the sick and at risk pregnant women.  These ambulance services will include River Ambulance Service.
   
  -                     Priority is given to the training of personnel at all levels from village health workers to consultant; to this effect, the existing training institutions – the SRN, SCN, CHN Schools shall be strengthened and expanded to cater for the present shortage of Staff at all levels and provide for the increased need in personnel concomitant to the constructions of additional health facilities.
   
  -                     Priority is given to disease prevention rather curative care.  To this effect, the School of Public Health shall be decentralized strengthened and better endowed to enable health inspectors to implement and monitor environmental sanitation in the rural and urban areas.
   
  -                     Urgent attention is given to Disease control – infectious an contagious diseases such as malaria and HIV/Aids through funding, sensitization and Staff training.
   
  -                     Emphasis is given to Primary Health Care Services for prevention rather than curative hospital base services.
   
  HIV/AIDS, TUBERCULOSIS AND MALARIA    
  Millennium Development Goal Six (MDG6) seeks to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases such as Tuberculosis.  The Gambia has a relatively low HIV sere prevalence.  The epidemiological profile of HIV/AIDS in The Gambia follows certain characteristics for the pandemic in Africa: heterosexual intercourse is the main mode of HIV transmission, and the age group 20-25 experiences the highest HIV zero prevalence rates for both males and females.  Estimated HIV (1) prevalence among women aged 15-49 years attending antenatal clinic was 2.1 percent in 2004, compared to 0.6% in 1993/95.  In contrast the HIV (2) prevalence rate declined from 1.1% to 0.8% over the same period.  HIV (1) is now the main virus driving the epidemic in The Gambia with a potential of 25% transmission rate from mother to child, whilst HIV(2) seems to be on the decline.  This epidemiological shift has repercussions because HIV (1) is more aggressive and virulent than HIV (2).  However very little is
 known about the magnitude of paediatric AIDS.  The root causes of HIV/AIDS include poverty, traditional practices such as wife inheritance and inadequate and inappropriate information on HIV/AIDS.  In 1995, the APRC Government responded to the pandemic by issuing policy guidance that outlined four objectives: reduce the impact of morbidity and mortality due to HIV/AIDS, ensure basic human rights, provision of adequate medical and social care including counseling to HIV/AIDS positive individuals and social and economic opportunities remains available to HIV positive individuals.  The national HIV/AIDS policy is being reviewed, and be updated in 2006.  A national HIV/AIDS strategic framework was finalized for the period 2003 to 2008.  The overall goal of the plan is to stabilize and reduce the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, and provide treatment cure and support to people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).  In addition there is a policy framework for the prevention of mother to child
 transmission of HIV/AIDS.  Various guidelines and protocols have also been developed such as national guidelines for community Home Based Care (CHBC).  The National Aids Council and National Aids Secretariat were established under the Office of the President.  They are responsible for planning, co-ordinating and monitoring the national response to HIV/AIDS.
   
  The above measures are not as effective as they should be.  The Alliance believes that to handle the pandemic greater attention should be given to alleviating poverty especially women poverty.  Secondly the capacity of the health service – human resources, laboratory reagents, equipments and other supplies – will be fully addressed by the Alliance to meet the creative additional on the health system impose by HIV/AIDS.  Thirdly the inadequate services to prevent mother to child transmission will be expanded by the Alliance.  Fourthly the few centres providing anti-retroviral treatment will be increased by the Alliance.  Fifthly the UDP/NRP Alliance will ensure that additional resources are provided to support care for orphans, patients and vulnerable children including the provision of food and nutrition.  Finally the ineffective co-ordination of HIV/AIDS response will be addressed and strengthened by the UDP/NRP Alliance.
   
  4.14THE CHALLENGE OF WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT                    
  The third millennium Development Goal (MDG3) strives to promote Gender Equality and empower women.  The UDP/NRP Alliance interpretation of this goal is not the promotion of gender equality in the Western sense but to empower women to plan, initiate and implement their development priorities.  Their role as food providers, horticulturalist, tie and dye makers etc should be enhanced by meaningful policy directives.  Persistent gender inequity poses a severe obstacle to sustainable social economic development in The Gambia.  According to the 2003 census, women constitute 51% of the population.  Inspite of their significant contributions to the national economy, women constitute the majority of the poor and extremely poor in the country and their status remains generally low, compared to men, as they face large family size, high dependency and limited access to social services.  Efforts have been made over the last decade to create an enabling legal and institutional
 environment for women.  The Gambia ratified the CEDAW (Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women) in 1992.  A national policy on women’s empowerment was adopted in 1999.  The beginning of proactive, gender sensitive policies in The Gambia can be traced to 1975 with the declaration of the International Women’s Year and Decade Since then major milestones have been the adoption of the 1997 Constitution, which for the first time in Gambian history specifically provides for the rights of women and equal treatment with men including equal opportunities in political, economic and social activities and the formulation of the National Women’s Policy.  Important institutional development to implement gender sensitive policies include the emergence of the women legislator caucus in the National Assembly, the National Women’s council which is the supreme national body that provides women’s participation in the development process, and the National
 Women’s Bureau which serves as the technical arm of the council.
   
  However inspite of these women’s empowerment has yet to reach internationally accepted norms and standard, as structures for policies implementation and mechanisms to measure progress are still weak due to human resource gaps and logistical and resource constraints.  With high illiteracy rates among women, many of the members of the National Women’s Council are illiterate, and they like many other women in the country are not aware of their rights or are constrained by tradition and culture from demanding or exercising their rights.  While there are many women’s organizations in the country, many of them remain informal, have weak structure, and lack organizational skills.  These facts, coupled with their low participation in politics, lack of real economic power, mean that women lack a strong foundational platform for genuine empowerment.  The UDP/NRP Alliance will start addressing the women empowerment issue by intensifying the education of women and inculcation in them
 the awareness of rights as productive members of the community.  Women groups will be provided with resources and logistical support in their productive ventures.  They will be assisted to strengthen their structures and help provide them with organizational skills.  Under the Alliance women will be encourage to participate in politics not as nominated members of the National Assembly but as elected representatives able and willing to take part in decision making – The Alliance will also review subsection (5) of the 1997 Constitution which states that women can seek protection only under customary law with regards to adoption, marriage, divorce and inheritance.  This is discrimination and creates a problem and paradox in women’s lives.  A fundamental problem emanating from such a policy is the lack of recognition of men as key targets in the empowerment process, it thus sends the inappropriate signal that gender is about women.
   
  The Alliance is also resolve to enhance the productive capacity of women by providing incentives to small and middle level producers.  This will allow them to overcome their poverty burden without which empowerment cannot be achieved.  We are also resolved to ensure the total emancipation of women as equal partners in all areas of development instead of being mere recipients or beneficiaries of imposed and irrelevant projects.  We will also encourage the non-Governmental organization’s (NGOS) to implement programmes with a focus on gender.  Opportunities to advance the empowerment of women will also be reflected by an increase in gender Action Networks, NGO participation, media coverage of issues affecting women, and special programmes that targets girls and women.
   
  The UDP/NRP Alliance is aware of the need for gender equity programmes through IEC activities and folk media that specifically target men.  Such social development programmes must go hand in hand with efforts to provide quality education for girls continuous sensitization activities in areas where parents are less inclined to send girls to schools; investment in secondary and tertiary education for girls, improved literacy and skills training for women, exposure to information and communication technologies (ICT), support to women in agriculture and promote women in decision making and political position for a more people centred approach.  Mainstreaming gender requires institutional norms; practices and structures must now change to accommodate women.  There is also need for the harmonization of various international conventions and protocols, especially CEDAW, with the existing national laws so as to give credence and possibility to address some of the gender
 imbalances.  Our Government will also ensure that intervention are put in place to implement the recommendations of the UN committee of CRC (Convention of the Rights of the Child) and CEDAW.  This will encompass the enactment of laws to protect women and children from harmful traditional practices (early marriages, exploitation, trafficking, prostitution, domestic violence) and a review of the Constitution to remove ambiguities regarding gender equality.
   
   
  4.V THE CHALLENGES OF YOUTH EMPOWERMENT 
   
  4.V1  THE CHALLENGE OF SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT                                                                     
   
  The Seventh MDG (Ensure Environmental Sustainability) has three subcomponents that are being tackled in The Gambia.  These are Target 9 (integrate the principle of sustainable development into country programmes and reverse the loss of environmental resources), Target 10 (Halve by 2015 the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water) and Target 11 (By 2020 to ensure that we have achieved a significant  improvement in the lives of at least all Slum dwellers) In the case of the latter, the emphasis is on improving the proportion of the Gambian population that has access to improved sanitation.
   
  In the provision of water, many water supply projects executed provide 160,000 people with wells and boreholes.  Another 130,000 people in rural and peri-urban areas are planned to receive water supply.  This is rather inadequate and the UDP/NRP Alliance will ensure the tripling of this volume so that 90% of the urban population and 95% of the rural population will have access to safe drinking water.
   
  With regards to sanitation, the main issues which constitute major environmental hazards are waste management, especially in urban areas, and the safe disposal of excreta, better management of land fills and monitoring of surface and ground water.  This has been exacerbated by high population growth around urban centre, with little or no urban planning, and with a lack of resources to deal with the inevitable rise in waste generated.  At the industrial level, there is failure to operationalise the “polluter pays” principle partly for fear that this would increase production costs substantially and discourage potential investors.
   
  The UDP/NRP Alliance will ensure that sound urban planning is carried out addressing specific land use such as waste disposal sites.  The Bakoteh Waste disposal site will be condemned and relocated outside the urban settlement area.  Instead of insisting on the monthly cleansing exercise … “Operation Clean the Nation” we will ensure the regular transportation of refuse and identify ideal sites for disposal.
   
  On forestry resources, participatory forestry management will be intensified with an inbuilt poverty reduction strategy that includes the sale of forestry products.  With regards to biodiversity, the percentage of land areas under protection to improve biodiversity will have to be increased from 4/1% in 2003 to 8% in 2010.  Our Government will also embark on a comprehensive inventory of flora and fauna of the country, from which a plan for the sustainable exploitation of the country’ natural resources can be developed and implemented.
   
  Rapid population growth as wall as the inadequate planning and management of population settlements and rural out migration are the immediate causes of threats to sustainable environment management in The Gambia.  Because a large proportion of the population depends on the country’s national resources for their livelihood – crop farming, animal husbandry, fishing, fuel wood harvesting – coupled with the use of land and forest products like timber in housing construction, the national resources are being depleted at a rapid rate.  The underlying cause can be attributed to a failure by the APRC central and local Government authorities to integrate the principle of sustainable development into country programs and development initiatives, and this is aggravated by the fact the sectoral policy objectives and activities often seem to be at conflict with each other.   For instance, sand minning for construction industry has had an adverse impact on the erosion of beaches that
 are indispensable for the tourism industry, similarly, the interest to attract foreign investment often translate into environmental impact assessments not being carried out properly.  The root caused can be attributed to Government agencies that are ill-equipped (equipment, human resources etc) to undertake the tasks expected of them, a population that is not sensitized to the importance of environmental conservation and a lack of understanding and political will among the country’s decision makers. 
   
  The U.D.P/N.R.P Alliance will ensure the full equipment of government agencies to undertake the task expected of them.  The Alliance will also insist on the sensitization of the population on the importance of environmental conservation.    The necessary political will should also be manifested by the government.
   
   
   
   
  4.vii  THE CHALLENGE OF GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT
   
  This requires a commitment to good Governance, development and poverty reduction – Both nationally and internationally.   Two of the main challenges to poverty reduction in The Gambia are in the areas of economic and political governance.  The inability of the APRC Government to provide essential economic and social infrastructure, hire and maintain a competent and motivated civil service and effectively implement poverty reduction programmes cam be linked to the pall city of Government revenue.   A recent report by the Millennium Challenge Corporation indicated that the country fell short in a number of governance indicators such as management of state assets, government effectiveness, and accountability.  In addition the national assembly is not effectively performing its oversight roles and responsibilities, particularly in the national budget formulation process and public expenditure controls.  
   
  It is however our strong conviction that for economic governance programmes to be successful in the long term there must also be an improved political governance programme.
   
  Although the APRC Government has recognized that improved political governance is essential for poverty reduction their action in this area has been disappointing.  A national governance policy was adopted in 1999 and further developments, include the promulgation of the local Government Act of 2002 (which was amended in 2003) and the Local Government Finance and Audit Act of 2004 which provide a legal basis for political and fiscal decentralization in The Gambia.  However a under the APRC regime advances on the legislative front have been offset by the number of violations in the areas of human rights, most notably those concerning freedom of the Press.
   
  Outstanding issues about Press freedom include the enacting of media laws that we view as attempts by Government to limit the investigative ability of Gambian Journalists, and the fact that although police investigations are ongoing, there have been no arrest in a number of attacks on media houses and Journalists.  These attacks include five cases of arson directed against Journalists in privately owned media houses since 2001.  In December 2004, the publisher of a leading local news paper (The Point) was murdered, and no one has yet been charged in this case.
   
  A UDP/NRP Alliance will repeal the obnoxious Media Act and vigorously investigate and bring to book the perpetrators of all acts of violence against the media fraternity.  The UDP/NRP Alliance resolves to encourage the full and unfettered development of a free, vibrant and responsible Press especially in the private sector by:
   
  -         According full recognition to the Press as an indispensable partner in democracy, good governance and the development process of our nation;
   
  -         Expeditiously repeal all obnoxious Degrees and Laws inimical to the independence and freedom of the Press especially Decrees No 70/71 which have muzzled the Press since their introduction;
   
  -         Doing everything to ensure the freedom and the protection of practitioners of this noble profession to enable them to effectively fulfil their role;
   
  -         Developing a comprehensive national media policy to guarantee freedom and the right to information to all Gambians;
   
  The Governance issues faced by The Gambia, must be seen in the context of a variety of capacity and resource constraints and the need for the political will to address the concerns of the country’s development partners.  An immediate cause for the ongoing problems in the areas of economic and political governance is the lack of a competent and motivated civil service that is committed to effectively implementing poverty reduction programs based on the principles of performance based management.  The underlying causes can be traced to insufficient incentives to recruit and retain competent technical Staff in the civil service, job insecurity and absence of an independent civil service authority that is free from outside political influence.  The root cause of the governance issues confronted by The Gambia can be traced to the absence of meaningful debate on the development issues facing the country, a lack of transparency and accountability among leading decision makers
 and the widespread perception that all decisions are made by the State House (i.e the President) and opinions that are contrary are done so at ones peril.  This has the effect of limiting discussion of policy options and promotes a tendency towards “short term quick fix” solutions when a more structural approach to Gambia’s development problems is required.
   
  Under the UDP/NRP Alliance economic and political Governance will be accorded the priority it deserves.  Given the IMF Article IV consultations and various World Bank Reports on the economic performance of The Gambia, and the general state of economic Governance, in the country, It is important that our Alliance to focus on economic governance issues: transparency, accountability, probity, disciplined fiscal and monetary policies as well as strengthening of the internal controls at the Central Bank of The Gambia.  Issues of political governance such as decentralization, Press freedom, increasing the political space and public participation, as well as increasing the capacity and effectiveness of the legislature branches of Government, will be critical for the Alliance Government.
   
(b)     THE CHALLENGE OF CONSTITUTIONALITY 
 		
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