Here is the third part of SOS Famara Jatta's budget speech. Have a good day, Gassa. i. Health and Population Mr. Speaker, Significant achievements have been made in the health sector, notably the basic health indicators, reduction in the levels of malnutrition and an increase in the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding. The thrust of health interventions still revolves around three areas, viz: Family Health, Disease Control, and Health Promotion and Protection. Other health services will focus on conducting reviews and studies to determine adolescent and youth health needs, as well as to establish current status of maternal mortality, infant mortality and contraceptive prevalence. One major factor in the comprehensive review of the MCH/FP Programme is to prepare for a shift into a National Reproductive Health Programme. A Reproductive Health Policy has just been formulated and this will be followed by the development of a national Health Plan of Action. The Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) has also been reviewed during the year 2001. Significant achievements registered include a high coverage for individuals, high awareness among the population and high access to immunization services. In spite of the relative high coverage, there has been a decline in the number of fully immunized children. This decline has been attributed to the intermittent shortage of certain vaccines. To alleviate this, the budgetary allocation for the procurement of vaccines has been increased considerably using HIPC funds. On disease control, the Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) is one of the new strategies the Department of State for Health has initiated. IMCI is a cost-effective strategy, which the country has decided to implement starting with two health divisions, namely the North Bank Division and Lower River Division. IMCI will contribute significantly to the reduction of infant and child mortality. Regarding the Roll-Back-Malaria Initiative, Government is providing 20,000 Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) to be distributed to health facilities and communities in the Upper River and Central River Divisions. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like, at this point to remind the nation of the presence of the monster HIV/AIDS in our midst. Despite the seemingly low prevalence rates of 1.2% for HIV1 and 0.9% for HIV2, we cannot afford to be complacent. It is a medical problem that has a social root and impacts most severely on the economy. HIV/AIDS exists; it kills, creates orphans and makes us poor. However, the good news is that it can be prevented, its victims cared for and the rate of transmission brought down significantly. With this objective, the government will, through the HIV/AIDS Rapid Response Project endeavour to intensify its campaign for prevention and care, adopting a multi-sectoral and multi-dimensional approach to fight against the pandemic. On Social Welfare, government has constructed a Home for the Elderly to accommodate up to 14 elderly persons. In addition, a policy for the elderly is currently being formulated with support from the World Health Organization. As per the 1993 Census, the Gambia’s population stood at 1.2 million with a high growth rate of 4.2% per annum of which immigration constitutes 1.7%. However, Government is concerned about this high population growth rate as it poses a threat to existing social amenities. Preparations are under way for the 2003 Census and funding is being sought from donors and the private sector. ii. Housing Mr Speaker, With the aspiration of attaining the National Policy objective of making land distribution equitably accessible to all persons without disturbing the fauna and flora, we have recently demarcated and allocated the ‘NEMASU’ Layout consisting of 537 residential plots. We are also in the process of allocating three other Layouts namely, Bijilo residential layout with 124 plots, Brufut with 548 plots, and Tanji with 535 plots. An additional fourth layout is being prepared in Mariama Kunda in Kombo North for lower grade civil servants including Messengers, Drivers, Labourers and Watchmen. A total of 500 plots will be created. Following the successful allocation of of 1006 plots of the Brusubi Housing Project Phase 1, and the continuing demand for shelter, the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC) is now embarking on Brusubi Housing Project Phase 2. In Phase 2, 841 serviced plots will be allocated such that each income category gets a specific number of plots. All these are geared towards upholding and realising the noble objective of providing adequate housing for all citizens, in line with the Plan of Action of the Strategy for Poverty Alleviation II. Government is however shifting from being a provider to an enabler of shelter by encouraging private sector involvement in housing delivery. Recently, two sites have been identified for a private sector developer (TAF HOLDING), Old Yundum and Brufut, and construction work has already started at the old Yundum Site. iii. Education and Human Resource Development Mr Speaker, Sir, The Government of the Gambia is committed to the provision of 9 years of uninterrupted basic education to all. The academic year 2000/01 has seen a tremendous expansion of Upper Basic Schools, 19 Upper Basic Schools (UBS) were opened in Regions 1,3,4,5 and 6, representing an increment of 22% from the previous year. This has increased the number of places in UBS, thereby increasing access to the middle schools and the transition rate from Lower to Upper Basic level. Three Senior Secondary Schools have also been opened in Regions 1 and 2. Overall, 273 classrooms have been completed and 402 more are committed for 2001. Following a study that was carried out to assess the required classroom renovation, the ADB will be funding the maintenance initiative in schools and construction of staff quarters for teachers in remote areas. An operational manual has been completed for the Scholarship Trust Fund. Presently, more than 1800 girls in Upper Basic and Secondary Schools are sponsored in CRD and URD for 2000/01, totalling about D1.7m. The scheme is expected to cover other divisions in due course, all in a bid to increase the retention rate. We are also launching a school-feeding programme to improve on the quality and retention in our schools: 243 Schools are benefiting from the Program and a total of 58,573 children of whom 25,641 are girls. With the new school-feeding Program, the number of beneficiary students is expected to more than double. This will also strengthen the nutritional status of the children. In line with the government’s policy of creating more self-employment opportunities for young Gambians, a Vocational Technical Education Policy document is being developed. A draft Policy of the National Training Authority Act has been submitted to cabinet and will be forwarded to the National Assembly for approval. Part of the new Directorate of Science and Technology Education's mandate is the introduction and the promotion of computer education in Secondary Schools throughout the country. It is also mandated to come up with an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) policy that will address various aspects of computer use in our educational institutions. By the beginning of next academic year, most Senior Secondary Schools throughout the country will each receive between 75 Computers and Accessories. This is in addition to 220 computers donated by World Links for Development. Work on construction and rehabilitation of computer labs in these schools will soon commence. Mr Speaker, As part of the drive to increase access to university education at home, three more faculties were established for the 2000/01 academic year, making a total of four faculties namely: Humanities & the Social Sciences, Science & Agriculture, Economics & Management Science, and Medicine & Allied Sciences. Currently, over 400 students are enrolled on these faculties. Arrangements are underway to enrol the next batch of students as the University moves into the second year. In the linking up process of the two parallel school systems, twenty qualified English Language Teachers have been posted in the Madrassas that have met the criteria set by DOSE. The mainstreaming of children with mild to moderate disability into the normal school system is also in progress. Ten students in Lower Basic Schools, 7 in Upper basic Schools, 3 in Senior Secondary Schools and 4 in Vocational Training Institutions have already been mainstreamed. There is also the need to raise the number of qualified teachers for our expanding school system. Thus Gambia College has more than doubled its student intake into the pre-service teacher education courses from 120 in 1997 to over 300 per year. As a result of the delays incurred at the beginning of the program, student intake for pre-service training courses were revised to meet planned targets. iv. Youth, Sport and Women Development Mr Speaker, Poverty and unemployment generally, and particularly in the case of Youths, do not augur well for society. Subsequently, the mandate of the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSS) is being expanded to incorporate apprenticeship training and market relevant skills development for more young men and women in the economy, in a continuous effort to assist youths individually towards self-development and collectively for national development. In the domain of sports, the construction works on the Basse, Soma and Farafenni multi-purpose Youth and Sports Centres are well advanced. Plans are also underway to extend sporting facilities to District and municipal levels, and to set up a Sports Development Fund, to be financed through the Tobacco Advert Levy and from other sources. Mr. Speaker, Women constitute about 51% of our population and dominate the labour force. They work the longest hours and also produce most of what we can boast of. They however, constitute the greater proportion of the poor. Government has realised that in women, lay a portent force against poverty, hence our effort at mainstreaming women issues into all development programmes and projects. The first National Policy for the Advancement of Gambian Women was launched in March 2001 and with the kind intervention of DFID, some of these issues are being addressed by the Mainstreaming Poverty and Gender project. As a result, we have phase the Scholarship Trust Fund for Girls into NBD and LRD in addition to URD and CRD to increase the number of educated girls. We are also restructuring the Women’s Bureau to effectively implement the National Policy for the Advancement of Gambian Women, and better respond to the needs of our women folk. Translate this document to -->> Francais | Chinese | Espanole | Deustch | Italian | Portuguese BUDGET SPEECH 2002 PROGRAMME BASED BUDGETING FOR EFFICIENT RESOURCE ALLOCATION AND USE WITH A POVERTY REDUCTION DIMENSION VII. POVERTY REDUCTION THROUGH INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY i. Agriculture Mr Speaker, Sir, In general, the major programmes in the Agricultural sector have performed favourably leading to great improvement in the output of the sector. The ADB, IFAD and Gambia Government funded Lowland Agricultural Development Programme (LADEP), continues to contribute significantly to increased rice production and household food security, which is very much in line with its primary objectives. So far, 1,745 hectares of swampland have been reclaimed since April 1997, representing 101% of the cumulative target for the first four years and 52% of the targets for the whole 8-year programme. Overall, 10,100 households have benefited from the project, through access causeways and bridges as well as construction of dykes. The ADB and Gambia Government-funded Peri-Urban Smallholder Improvement Project (PSIP), with total project cost of US$7 Million for five years, was launched this year. The project is expected to boost, on a sustainable basis, the production of horticultural and livestock products by smallholders in the Western and North Bank Divisions. The European Union has already approved the funding of the Pan African Programme for the Control of Epizootic (PACE) to the tune of D7.8 million. The overall objective of PACE is to enhance national capacities to control epizootic diseases, that affect livestock and thereby help in alleviating poverty among those involved in livestock farming. Government is supporting an Integrated Maize and Poultry Project with the aim of enhancing food security and rural incomes. Through the project, we provide inputs such as seeds, fertilizers and agro-chemicals to producer associations for maize production to be used as poultry feed. The producer groups have been assisted with materials to construct poultry houses (for both broilers and layers), and to purchase day-old chicks. The first batches of broilers have already been marketed, thus providing additional incomes to the mainly female farmers. The Telefood Micro-Projects, which increased from 12 in 2000 to 16 micro-projects in 2001, focused mainly in the areas of horticultural production, commercial poultry and rabbit raising, fisheries, agro-forestry and bee-keeping. These interventions from the FAO also cover the implementation of Emergency Assistance to facilitate a rapid response against the outbreak of the African Swine Fever and other emerging diseases. Other projects currently being implemented include support to the continuation of the Special Programme for Food Security (SPPS), funded by the Gambia Government and FAO with South/South cooperation from Bangladesh; the implementation of the Agricultural Census Project 2001 with funding contributions from UNDP, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and Action Aid The Gambia (AATG). The Agricultural Rural Farmer Training Centre at Jenoi, supported by South/South cooperation from the Indonesian Government, continue to train mainly women participants from the sub-region in rice production throughout the year. Mr Speaker, The National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI), maintained efforts to improve its institutional and research management capacity through the strategic planning process and agricultural research. Regional and international research collaboration as well as extension-farmer linkages were strengthened, whilst measures to obtain sustainable financing mechanisms for The Gambia’s agricultural research are also being explored. And it could be said that, the overall increases in crop hectare and production, can be partially attributed to concerted efforts of the research and extension service delivery systems of the Department of State for Agriculture. Subsequent to the liquidation of The Gambia Cooperative Union in 1998, there have been efforts to revitalise the Groundnut industry. In the process, all the stakeholders in the sub-sector including the European Union (EU) have committed themselves to genuinely support the revitalisation and re-organisation of the primary cooperative organisations (CPMSs), into viable business entities. 94 cooperative societies are currently in operation to facilitate groundnut production and marketing and for the extension of credit facilities to producers. The Agri-business Service Plan Association (ASPA), consisting of producer organisations, donors and industrialists, participated actively in determining the nominal producer price of groundnuts with Government providing the enabling environment. Difficulties continue to be experienced in groundnut marketing during the past year resulting in credit buying for the first part of the trade season. However, succinct strategic plans are set afoot to redress the problem. Regardless of these achievements, the sector continued to be marred by a series of constraints resulting in low production and productivity. Hence in tandem with the revitalisation programme for agriculture, substantial public and private investments are being sought to redress the key priority areas of the sector. In addition, Government continues to empower farmers through the provision of some micro-finance, essential inputs and farm machinery. The 39 tractors distributed among farmer groups throughout the country which undoubtedly boosted production and alleviated labour and time constraints, was an effort in this direction. ii. Tourism and Cultural Issues Mr Speaker, Sir, One of our key industries, tourism, has in the past two years undergone some difficulties in two of our source markets (Germany and Holland). The effect of these was an 18% drop in tourist arrivals for the Year 2000. In response to this, we embarked on a special programme aimed at expanding our market both in terms of source and reach. As a result, we have witnessed a further consolidation in our biggest source market, the United Kingdom as two new tour operators, Unijet and Panorama, launched programmes in The Gambia during 2001. Gambia Experience has thereby significantly increased its operation from two to three flights a week in the winter. We are also witnessing a welcome recovery in the Dutch market with the return of Olympia, which has now expanded its operation to include parts of Germany and Belgium. There are now positive indications that the tourism sector is heading for a turnaround as winter tourist traffic increases. We now receive 13 charter flights a week compared to 10 last winter. Provisional estimates show that for the year just ended, we received a total of 75,650 air charter tourists representing a drop of only 4% from year 2000. Projections are that the number of air charter arrivals would increase by more than 20% for the Year 2002. To guarantee this projected increase, not much is left to chance. We are working closely with the members of the travel trade to vigorously promote our tourism product in all markets. Emphasis will also be placed on promoting summer tourism, which has commenced with the extension of a set of incentives to the travel trade including a 25% discount on aircraft landing fees for all charters during the summer months of May to October. There is also a need to upgrade our product. In this pursuit, Government has now set up the Gambia Tourism Authority with significant private sector representation on both its Board of Directors and its Advisory Committees, and there are plans in the coming year to institute a Hotel Classification and Grading System. We extend our gratitude to the European Union for their assistance in funding the preparation of the feasibility study on the Gambia Tourism Authority and the Hotel Classification Guidelines. Mr Speaker, As part of the efforts to improve our product, the Government has recently launched a project to light up the Tourism Development Area with a D4.5 million electrification project, jointly funded by the Government, the Gambia Hotel Association and GAMWORKS. Government is also conducting a comprehensive review of the tourism sector jointly funded with the ADB to the tune of D14 million to develop a Tourism Master Plan. This master plan will guide the formulation and adoption of appropriate policies and procedures for the sustained development of the sector. An important part of the Plan would cover the development and marketing of eco-tourism facilities, and the training needs in the tourism sector. In this regard, the Department of State for Tourism and Culture is studying the modalities of upgrading the Gambia Hotel School into a higher-level training institution, with an expanded curriculum covering various aspects of the sector. Recently, a six-week training and re-orientation programme for a batch of 60 beach boys or bumpsters was conducted. The programme, which was conducted in collaboration with the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSS), was intended to turn these youngsters into professional tourist guides for their own benefit and that of the industry. A group of women batik producers and sellers have also been undergoing training with a view to developing their entrepreneurial skills and enhancing the quality of their products. This programme is being organised under the Fight Against Social and Economic Exclusion (FASE) Project of the UNDP. Mr Speaker, Regarding the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), the World Bank financed project launched in March 1999 has gone through its first phase, which entailed the review of the policy, legal and fiscal framework of the NCAC in particular and the cultural sector in general. The second phase of the project, comprises the formulation of a cost-based 10-year strategic plan for the NCAC and the cultural sector as well as a comprehensive training programme for the institution. An in-house training programme covering various disciplines is also underway. It should be completed by the end of May 2002. The NCAC is now charged with the operation and upkeep of Arch 22, which Government has proclaimed a national monument and transferred to the Council at the start of the fiscal year 2001. iii. Trade and Industrial Development Mr Speaker, During the course of the year, government signed a number of Trade Cooperation Agreements and Reciprocal Protection of Investment Agreements. Among these are agreements signed with the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Ukraine and the Netherlands. New Agreements are also being negotiated with the Republic of Guinea and Romania. Such agreements are intended to facilitate trade and stimulate private sector growth and development. In the area of trade promotion and development, a Competition Policy and Law is being finalized with the assistance of the Commonwealth Secretariat. This is geared towards the protection of consumers and businesses by ensuring a level playing field for all, thereby encouraging new investments and ensuring consumer confidence in the market. In pursuance of the goal of promoting exports and developing easily accessible trade-related information, the DOSTIE in collaboration with UNCTAD, is working towards the establishment of a trade point for the Gambia. Similar ones created elsewhere in Africa have proved very successful in linking local producers with market leads. A significant development has been made this year in Government’s efforts towards creating a genuine enabling environment for increased private sector participation. The enactment of The Gambia Investment Promotion Act and the Free Zones Act paved the way in May this year for the setting up of GIPFZA, the apex body that will provide one-stop-shop services to investors and coordinate all aspects of investment in both the customs territory and free zones. The above developments fall within the priority objectives identified within the Trade Gateway Project. An Engineering Design works for this project has been completed and construction works are expected to commence in 2002. The project is expected to attract significant investment into the country and create over 5000 new jobs for Gambians in the first phase. The first phase of the Project will be located at the Banjul International Airport area. A new Industrial Policy is also being developed to facilitate the much-needed industrialization that would accelerate economic growth and development. The overall aim of the policy is to ensure an adequate response to investment markets, employment creation and poverty alleviation in all sectors that have industrial potential. In addition, government, in its attempt to boost the manufacturing sector, which contributes less than 6% of GDP, has approved the exemption of duty and sales tax for all inputs and raw materials, directly used in the manufacturing sector, once a mechanism for monitoring the tax waiver is in place. Mr Speaker, The Government, taking cognisance of the role of the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector in the economy, has decided to put in place a more conducive environment to enhance the development of the sector. In this light, the preparation of an SME policy is underway with the assistance of the UNDP. A National Technical Committee has been set up to provide advisory services to government on SME development. The Indigenous Business Advisory Service (IBAS) will also be restructured and better equipped to provide more efficient services to its clientele. Regarding mineral exploration, the Australian company, Carnegie Corporation that was granted exclusive prospecting license in 1999 carried out reconnaissance survey of the three main deposits at Batokunku, Sanyang and Kartong. Representative samples collected from these sites have been analysed in Australia and presently, the corporation is carrying out a survey to test their marketability and establish product credential in international markets. A draft revised Mining and Quarries Bill; currently being studied by all stakeholders prior to finalisation is intended to bring our mining legislation in conformity with international mining laws to encourage research, mining investment and rational use of our subsoil resources. The petroleum exploration programme of The Gambia has registered significant progress. During the course of the year, a further 1000km of 2D Seismic has been acquired in the offshore area. New types of petroleum prospects have also been identified in the ultra deep offshore area. The drilling of these prospects is currently being negotiated with oil companies. An Oil and Gas Conference was also successfully organized in February 2001. The conference brought together national decision-makers in the petroleum industry and oil companies operating in the sub-region. One of the major recommendations of the conference is the decision to carry out further studies to update the geological and seismic data on the Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau and Guinea Conakry (MSGBC) Basins Following last year's divisional consultations for the preparation of an employment policy, government is now reviewing the recently formulated National Employment Policy and Action Plan. vi. Fisheries Mr Speaker, The Gambia Government is sparing no effort to ensure that the potentials of the fisheries sub-sector are fully exploited to contribute significantly to the socio-economic development of the country. To this end, the Ice Plant and Cold-room facilities at the Tanji Project for the Improvement of Fishing and Preservation Facilities For Inland Fish Distribution are now fully in operation. The Government of Japan, having agreed to consider The Gambia’s request for the provision of facilities for an ice plant, cold-room, fishing materials and store and refrigerated trucks for one of the country’s largest fishing centres at Gunjur, has in June 2001 dispatched a project team to the Gambia to discuss the design of the project. The team has produced a draft proposal document for review, which hopefully will be finalised, approved and implemented during 2002. The financing arrangements for the Gambia Fisheries Development Project to be jointly funded by the Gambia Government, ADB and BADEA to the tune of US$13.47 million have also been finalized and the National Project Steering Committee set up. The Project is now set to take off in early 2002. This project has a countrywide coverage as reported last year, and will establish a central fish Market within the Kanifing Municipality, improve existing inland community fisheries centres and create a cold chain for the preservation and marketing of marine product throughout the country. Construction work on the Banjul Ice Plant Project sponsored by The Republic of China on Taiwan to the tune of US$300,000 is at an advanced stage. This project consists of an Ice Plant, cold-room facilities and refrigerated trucks to improve the preservation and marketing of fish and fishery products for Banjul fisheries operators. The interventions of these projects will complement the efforts of Government in the fight to enhance food security, through an efficient fish supply system for improved nutrition of the population, and to alleviate poverty by creating opportunities for employment and income generation. To attain these objectives however, it is essential that the Gambian people, particularly the direct project beneficiaries and the youths rise up to the challenges. _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>