The high-level meeting of the Economic Community of The Gambia otherwise known as the ‘high-lec meeting’, was Saturday convened at the NaNA conference hall in Bakau.

The high-level meeting, chaired by the vice president and minister of Women’s Affairs, Her Excellency Aja Isatou Njie-Saidy, had in attendance cabinet ministers and scores of other senior government officials as well as participants from the Central Bank of The Gambia (CBG). Headed by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, the body was set up by the president of the Republic, with a view to review the policies and other issues that are of challenge to the government of The Gambia. 

The meeting created a concrete platform for the Finance Ministry to come up with a significant page on the ‘programme for the accelerated growth and employment’ in an apparent bid to boost the country’s economy in the next few years and also maintain its economic resilience policy for sustainable development. In a power presentation by the Ministry of Finance, the agenda created a page that highlighted The Gambia’s National Development Plan for 2012-2015 that would help to transform the country into a financial centre among many lucrative centres. The page map will also identify key growth levers and target investment in energy, agriculture, natural resources and education among a host of others.

In her opening remarks, the vice president intimated that the high-level meeting committee was set up by the president with its affairs to be spearheaded by the Ministry of Finance. She said that the committee’s meeting usually deals with matters of planning, something which she added, is central in the activities of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs.  She reminded the committee that the 2015 page map is a very significant target for not only The Gambia but for the whole world. VP Njie-Saidy described High-lec, as critical, noting they should ensure that there is a difference between the synergy interventions in the various sectors. She explained that they all have their various areas and programmes, but emphasised that there must be a difference between the synergies of sectors so that the right can be set to get the final objectives. 

The vice president further hailed the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs for coming up with a page on the accelerated growth and employment describing it as very relevant. She acknowledged the fact that page symbolises government’s ambition in the accelerated growth and creating employment for the people, thus alleviating poverty. While noting that there has been significant improvements, she admitted that that there are challenges that also lie ahead, adding that the road is still bumpy and that the countries cannot be blamed for all that, considering the global crisis in fuel and many other things that have the potential to impact on the country’s development blueprint. VP Njie-Saidy said that it is because of these shortcomings in the world that the high-lec needs to meet and discuss such issues that would help expedite the achievements towards MDGs.  

She stated that The Gambia is not going badly towards the MDGs goal, as the country has almost reached its goal in education and a few challenges in the health sector. She finally called for resource mobilisation on the challenges that generally face the nation, while expressing optimism that they would be overcome.