Yus wrote:

"If I recall correctly, Gassa, some time last year, hailed the new fishing plant in Tanji as an awesome development for the country. Now that the president has expressed dismay at its present state, I wonder what Gassa has to say about its failure?"

Well Yus, first of all the president's dismay is not because of the state of the Tanji fishing plant but its under-utilization by indigenous Gambians. If you re-read the article again, you will realise that what he said was that the Tanji fish plant's primary role was to ensure that fish is available in our markets. Gone are the days when excess fish in times of plenty is wasted and scrarcity in times when fish stocks are low or the weather does not allow fishermen to go out fishing. What the president is frustrated about is the fact that only a negligible number of Gambians are actively involved in fishing or its marketing. Another thing to remember is that the fish plant is being run on a commercial basis. Those using it pay for it.

A second benefit to Gambians that some of you do not know about the fish plant is that, in addition to the fish plant, the complex also has a fleet of refrigerated trucks that transport excess sea/salt water fish from the GBA to the provinces whilst bringing back excess stocks of some species of freshwater fish from the provinces. Those of you who are familiar with the provinces should know that even though there is a good stock of shrimps and lobsters in certain parts of the provinces, these are hardly consumed by the people. Instead shrimps are mostly used as bait. At the moment there a few co-opearatives and village communities that fish for shrimps and lobsters which are brought in these refrigerated truck and sold in the GBA.

A third benefit is that at the fish plant, fishes are graded according to size and sold by weight. Fish of the same species are sold at the same rate based on their grades and there is no bargaining, a skill that many people like me do not have.

Fourthly, the fish plant provides employment to scores of people ranging from professional accountants, engineers, technicians to drivers, labourers etc.

Coming to the issue of private sector investment in the productive sector, what the president said cannot be faulted. There are scores of Gambians who do not need any loans to set up small to medium industries. One thing I would agree to as being a major constraint is that of reliable and affordable electricity supply. It is definitely difficult to invest in anything that requires constant electricity supply for the time being.

Secondly, Gambian business people are more familiar with the import and sale of goods. This sort of ensures a more predictable profit. However it does not mean that other types of business don't exist. Whereas capital and high interest rates cannot be swept under the carpet, it is over simplistic to try to justify the lack of initiative of our indigenous entrepreneurs based on those factors alone. Those who have been to the country recently will tell you that there is an unprecedented construction boom in the entire GBA. I bet most of those who have not been to the country the past two to three years will be very surprised by what is going on in the country.

Direct foreign investment is also taking place at a reasonable rate. During the past three years alone have seen the opening of two banks, a housing/mortage company and many other companies. The latest bank, Gurantee Trust Bank, opened less than two weeks ago. New hotels are being constructed, old ones rehabilitated, our markets buzzing with people and communication, thanks to Gamcel and Africel is no more a major constraint. Nowadays everyone seems to have a mobile phone and a good number of home have their own satelite TV recievers which now sell for as little as D2,500.00. This, my friends, is the reality here. Anything else, is a figment of your imagination.