I will start this update on the Gambian economy by quoting the following from a speech by Bai Ndongo Faal, President of the Gambia Chamber of commerce and Industry (GCCI). As you all know, this is not a government agency and as such the views they express would be the views of the private sector. CEO Message "The Gambia is poised to enter the twenty first century with an unprecedented determination to transform itself into an industrialised economy by the year 2020. This naturally calls for a responsive, dynamic, and highly motivated private sector." A)TRADE Gambia's advantage vis-a-vis its neighbours, one of the most important being its strategic possition within the Atlantic Trade Triangle. This makes it ideally suited to serve as a hub to other ecowas states with a market of over 300 million people and annual trade volume of up to $200 billion. The Gambia trade gateway and free-port zones wants to do just that. The Gambia Trade Gateway project and the Banjul Free-Port offers the following: 24 hours port operation, one-stop-shop trade documentation process, computerized port operations, plant availability second to none in west Africa, state of the art navigational aids, a port with a total quay length of about 750 Metres with a fixed ro-ro ramp, total uncovered storage area of 38,000 sq. metres, 3,000 sq. metres of covered storage area, two modern deep sea tugs (Jufureh and Lady Tuti) of 2,000 BHP on standby 24 hrs a day, Buoy tender cum dredger and tug Tesito (both still functional inspite of their ages) and pilotage from buoy no.5, 24 hrs a day. Traffic through the port reached its highest (744,959 metric tonnes) in 1999 from (676,349 metric tonnes in 1998), representing an increase of about 10%. Total registered traffic has registered an average annual increase of about 12% over the 5 years under review. Check it out. 1. CARGO THROUGHPUT ('000 Metric tonnes from 1993 - 1999). 1993 - (581,662), 1994 - (492,395), 1995 - (471,049), 1996 - (525,763), 1997 - (531,374), 1998 - (676,394), 1999 - 744,959). 2. IMPORTS (Metric Tonnes 1995 - 1999). (1995) (1996) (1997) (1998) (1999) Containers 106,495 116,695 139,588 177,484 205,952 Flour 19,982 22,344 24,254 31,564 32,444 Cement 79,356 64,863 98,608 121,627 123,911 Liquid Bulk 69,429 113,654 73,453 94,758 88,717 Rice('000) 93,909 99,264 79,763 77,509 108,291 Sugar('000) 41,964 38,873 52,201 81,446 105,492 EXPORTS OVER THE SAME PERIOD. Containers 31,885 35,338 38,839 41,425 49,380 CONTAINER THROUGHPUTS and No. OF VESSEL CALLS (1993 - 1999) 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 Cont.(TP)20,569 16,673 14,827 17,521 19,660 25,240 30,003 Vessels 260 289 232 257 222 262 299 Inspite of increase in the average load per ship calls, ship turnaround has improved. Containers 17 moves per hour General cargo 48 tonnes per hour Bulk Cargo 1,000 metric tonnes per 10.5 hour shift. Reference (GPA 1999 Annual Report). B) AGRICULTURE. Last week government launched a $7 point something million project to improve horticultural production and productivity in GBA and Kombos. This project is being jointly funded by the ADB and Government of The Gambia. In another development, a survey by the U.N Food And Agricultural Organization (UN FAO) and Norwegian government concluded that "our present fisheries catch of 30,000 metric tonnes a year could be incresed to 200,000 tonnes of pelagic (surface) and demorsal (deep water) fish. The challenge is to ensure that the catch is landed and processed in The Gambia". "In the past, we exported bulk frozen fish without adding value. The best way to maximise earnings is with value-added products", Says Mr. Ousman Drammeh, Director - Dept. of Fisheries. To this end, government is implementing an ecowas aerial surveilance system to ensure that our fish resources are not plundered by foreign fishing trawlers. Because of our small fishing fleet, Government is negotiating with local entrepreneurs, foreign fishing fleets with technical know-how and reputable Quality assurance test companies to embark on this major venture. Government is also building a $12 million fishing port in Banjul. I would like to mention also that there are now 5 companies that are actively involved in the agriculture sector. People peddling on the L the nonsence that the Gambian economy is in dire straits and that poverty is rampant just don't know what they are talking about. The economy has registered an average percentage growth in GDP of 5.3% between 1995-1999 and business is flourishing. Private sector confidence is at an all time high and attitude towards non-white collar jobs is changing. To have an idea of businesses operating in The Gambia may visit the GCCI website at (www.gambiachamber.gm). If anyone has any evidence contrary to my assertion that the economy is growing and better things are yet to come can post the evidence. In another development in 1999, Gambia moved up 2 places to 161 according on the UN Human Development Index (ref. www.undp.org/hdro/98hdi1.htm). For further information on the performance of the Gambian economy you may also refer to the February 2000 edition of FOCUS, institutional Investor, written independently by Nigel Dudley, a freelance journalist based in London, UK. Mr. Dampha, from the above you can see how our growing population is impacting negatively on all the gains that have been registered during the past few years. Despite the overall increase in locally produced and imported rice, demand is growing at an alarming rate. Imported rice incresed by more than 12% (93.9 million metric tonnes in 1995 to over 105 million metric tonnes in 1999). This growing demand for mallo cannot be sustained by just importing. Rice imports must be complemented by local production, however small. I also believe that public media programmes teaching people how to other foodstuff such maize Benachine and maize cherreh should intensified. In other words, we need to substitute some of our mallo-based food intakes with some other foodstuffs such as cereals, plantain, cassava, potatoes etc, etc. Have a good day & bye 4Now, KB Jobe. _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------