MOUTH WATERING, THANK YOU PROFESSOR JAMMEH. WE NEED YOU....
Gov’t poised to create more employment, boost agric sector As President Jammeh launches US$24M projects
Wednesday, March 23, 2011The government of The Gambia through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs has taken a giant step towards the creation of more employment as well as boosting the agriculture sector with the launching of two new multi-million dollar projects designed to achieve such goals.
The two World Bank funded projects dubbed the Gambia Growth and Competitiveness Project (GGCP) and the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) at the tune of US$12 million each, were officially launched Tuesday by the Gambian leader, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh at the Jama Hall of the Kairaba Beach Hotel in Kololi.
The GGCP, according to officials, is designed to promote the government’s growth and job creation agenda, especially in the area of agribusiness and tourism, whilst the WAAPP, a regional project is part of a larger commitment by the World Bank to assist countries to enhance long-term food availability by providing a mix of support for increased agricultural productivity. The projects would be implemented over a period of five years.
In his launching statement, President Jammeh underscored the importance of these projects, pointing out that they are timely considering the fact that they have been designed to respond and mitigate the impact on the three Fs’ – fuel, food, and financial crisis, particularly for small open economies like The Gambia. He said the two projects will build on the successes registered in the sector by his government and the predecessor projects financed by the World Bank such as The Gambia Emergency Agricultural Project and the Trade Gateway Projects.
GGCP
Commenting on the GGCP, the Gambian leader said: “I have learnt that the GGCP seeks to address and contribute further to the development of agriculture through an out-grower scheme. This scheme, I note, will be in two phases: Phase One, which spans Year One to Four, is to test and develop the establishment of a commercial mango farming system in partnership with one or more private investors in order to produce a consistent volume and quality of new and existing mango varieties targeted for the fresh fruits exports market; as well as supporting private investments in processing secondary and tertiary quality produce for domestic and export markets.” He added: “Phase Two, which will run from Year Four to Five, should competently strengthen the capacity of small holder farmers and link them to international market supply chain, particularly for exporting premium grade mangoes.”
President Jammeh further explained that the same Phase Two will also support the establishment of primary and secondary processing facilities for pulping, freezing and drying; and that the pulping and freezing processes will result in the much needed production of high-quality ingredients for the year round generation of fresh juices, concentrates and other products for both the international and local markets. To this end, the Gambian leader indicated that his government welcomes the development of processing facilities for not only the enhancement of adding value to our products, but also increasing further employment opportunities.
WAAPP
For the WAAPP, the Gambian leader stated that there is a cause for optimism in that the project is principally intended to generate and accelerate the adoption of improved technologies in the ‘Participating Countries’ top agricultural commodity priorities areas. He went further to explain that the project consists of enabling conditions for sub-regional cooperation in generation, dissemination, and adoption of agricultural technologies; strengthening of the agricultural research system in West Africa; funding of demand-driven technology generation and adoption; facilitating access to improved genetic material; and project coordination, amongst others.
While reiterating his government’s commitment to private sector-led growth, President Jammeh emphasised that they recognised the private sector’s role as an engine of growth. He then pledged his government’s commitment to working closely with the sector operators to ensure that the business environment is always conducive to facilitate private sector growth, employment creation and poverty reduction. Emphasising that the two projects launched demonstrated the strong political commitment to supporting the private sector, the Gambian leader further assured that his government will continue to provide the basic infrastructure for private sector investment to strive.
President Jammeh underscored the importance of agriculture, indicating that it has and will continue to be the traditional pillar of the Gambia economy, contributing 26.2 percent of the GDP [Gross Domestic Product] and providing employment and income to majority of Gambians. He acknowledged that with support from the government’s development partners, the sector has witnessed a major transformation from traditional small-scale subsistence farming to increasing levels of commercial green technology farming.
He also seized the opportunity to appeal to the Bank’s Group Management to consider a second phase of the Community Driven Development Project (CDDP) and the Gambia Emergency Agricultural Project (GEAP) both of which, he said, have made a tremendous impact on the beneficiaries.
Challenge to men and youth
While acknowledging the leading role women continue to play in not only the agriculture sector, but other important sectors of the economy, President Jammeh challenged the country’s men and youth folk to emulate women in this regard so as to effectively eradicate poverty. He observed that self-inflicted poverty has been rampant; and urged the men and young people of the country to embrace these projects for enhanced livelihood. The Gambian leader concluded by commending the World Bank for the support, adding that he has noted the increased visibility and scope of the Bank Group operations in The Gambia.
Speaking earlier, the minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Mambury Njie, said GGCP’s high-level objective is to contribute towards sustaining the growth of the country’s economy and enhancing poverty reduction through private sector-led growth. Its’ key expected outcomes, according to the Finance minister, are investment climate reforms to reduce the entry barriers and operating costs for businesses, enhanced access to finance and private investment flows, improved business performance especially for firms in the tourism and hospitality sectors and linkages between small producers and domestic and international markets. Minister Njie also underscored that the project interventions have the potential for very favorable social outcomes including employment generation and poverty reduction, hinting that it will in no small measure contribute to significant achievements of the country’s key national development goals and programmes such as the Millennium Development Goals, PAGE [Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment], and the Vision 2020.
In summary, the Finance minister highlighted that the economic benefits expected from the project includes job creation, increased productivity and economic diversification, while commending the World Bank for the support. The World Bank’s senior economist for The Gambia, Carlos Cavar Canti, thanked the government of The Gambia and other stakeholders for the strong partnership in the country’s drive towards national development. He stressed that they at the World Bank always emphasise that the state is their biggest partner, and as such, constitutes the focus of their development intervention, especially in the areas of its financial, social and productive sectors. To this end, Canti averred that it is imperative that they invest in institutions, systems and sectors that move the development of the country, thus interventions such as the GGCP and the WAAPP, amongst others. He said: “It is truism that agriculture is a dominant economic player sector in the Ecowas, but its low productivity seriously erodes the competitiveness of African products on world and domestic markets.”
He disclosed that in order to compliment the ongoing projects, the Bank is working closely with governments and other stakeholders to bring to effectiveness some projects in the pipeline such as the Budget Support, the Commercial Agriculture and Valued Chain, the Telecom Project, and the Energy Project. He concluded by stating that it is their hope that all these projects will contribute immensely in the realisation of the Millennium Development Goals and the objectives of the Government Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment. Also present at the ceremony were VP Njie-Saidy, speaker of the National Assembly, Cabinet ministers and other senior government officials.
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*****************************************************************************GOD BLESS THE GAMBIA.LET US JOIN HANDS AND SUPPORT SHEIKH PROFESSOR DR. ALH YAHYA JAMMEH (NASIRU DEEN) TO BUILD OUR COUNTRY.
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