THE GAMBIA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

PAGE II 2017-2020

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LIST OF ACRONYMS
ACE Africa Coast to Europe
AfDB African Development Bank
AICD Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostic
ANR Agriculture and Natural Resources
ASPA Agribusiness Services and Producers Association
ASYCUDA Automated System for Customs Data
BIA Banjul International Airport
BOT Build-Operate-Transfer
CC Climate Change
CCA Common Country Assessment
CSA Climate Smart Agriculture
D Dalasi
EBA Every Thing But Arms
ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States
EIF Enhanced Integrated Framework
EMPRETEC Emprendedores and Tecnologia (Entrepreneurs & Technology)
EU European Union
FDI Foreign Direct Investments
FSQA Food Safety and Quality Authority
GAFSP Gambia Agriculture and Food Security Project
GAMWORKS Gambia Agency for Management of Public Works
GBOS Gambia Bureau of Statistics
GCAA Gambia Civil Aviation Authority
GCCI Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry
GCCI Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry
GDP Gross Domestic Product
GEF Global Environment Fund
GIEPA Gambia Investments and Exports Promotions Agency
GIS Geographic Information System
GLF Government Local Fund
GLFS Gambia Labour Force Survey
GMD Gambian Dalasi
GTB Gambia Tourism Board
GTHI Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute
ICT Information and Communications Technology
ICT4D Information and Communications Technology for Development
IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development
IFMIS Integrated Financial Management Information System
IITA International Institute for Tropical Agriculture
ILO International Labor Organization
IPPs Independent Power Producers

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ISO International Organization of Standardization
ISRT Inter-State Road Transit
LPG Liquefied Petroleum Gas
MDG Millennium Development Goal
MFIs Micro-Finance Institutes
MOTIE Ministry of Trade, Industry and Employment
MoU Memorandum of Understanding
MOWTI Ministry of Works and Transport Infrastructure
MSME Micro Small Medium Enterprises
NAWEC National Water and Electricity Company
NCAC National Council for Arts and Culture
NCC National Climate Change Communications
NICI National Information and Communications Infrastructure
NRA National Roads Authority
OMVG Gambia River Basin Development Organisation
PAGE Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment
PPCR Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience
PPPs Public Private Partnerships
PSP Profit Sharing Plan
PURA Public Utilities Regulatory Authority
PV Photovoltaic
SDGs Sustainable Development Goals
SME Small Medium Enterprises
SPS Sanitary and Phyto –Sanitary Standards
T&D Transmission and Distribution
TBT Technical Barriers to Trade
TV Television
TVET Technical and Vocational Education and Training
UK United Kingdom
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UNESCO United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organization
UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization
VISACAS Village Savings and Credit Association
WB World Bank
WTO World Trade Organization

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Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................................... 9
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 9
Overcoming the Challenges .............................................................................................................. 10
Achieving Sustainable Inclusive Growth ........................................................................................... 11
Sources and Drivers of Growth ......................................................................................................... 12
The Enablers of Growth .................................................................................................................... 16
The Government to Drive the Process .............................................................................................. 18
Resource Mobilisation ...................................................................................................................... 20
Way Forward ..................................................................................................................................... 22
Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 29
PART ONE: OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................................................... 31
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 31
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 31
Background ....................................................................................................................................... 32
The Process for Developing PAGE II .................................................................................................. 35
Report Outline................................................................................................................................... 35
CHAPTER TWO: THE ECONOMY ........................................................................................................................ 37
Physical.............................................................................................................................................. 37
Demography...................................................................................................................................... 37
Population dynamics ........................................................................................................................... 37
Access to basic amenities.................................................................................................................... 38
The Economy ..................................................................................................................................... 39
GDP Growth ........................................................................................................................................ 40
Inflation ............................................................................................................................................... 44
Monetary Policy .................................................................................................................................. 45
Balance of Payments ........................................................................................................................... 46
Fiscal Deficit ........................................................................................................................................ 46
Public Debt .......................................................................................................................................... 47
Challenges to sustainable growth ..................................................................................................... 50
Poverty in The Gambia ...................................................................................................................... 52
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 52
Poverty in regions ............................................................................................................................... 53
THE INTEGRATED HOUSEHOLD SURVEY 2015 .................................................................................. 53
CHAPTER THREE: WHY PAGE II .......................................................................................................................... 54
Vision 2020 Objectives ...................................................................................................................... 54
Achievements of Vision 2020 Objectives .......................................................................................... 57
Challenges under Vision 2020 ........................................................................................................... 58
The Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment (PAGE) ................................................. 59
Why Page II ....................................................................................................................................... 64
PART TWO: DELIVERING SUSTAINABLE GROWTH ........................................................................................... 68
CHAPTER FOUR: PAGE II SITUATION ANALYSIS ............................................................................................... 68
Economic Growth in The Gambia ..................................................................................................... 68
Private Sector to lead growth for job creation ................................................................................. 68

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 Sources and Drivers of Growth ......................................................................................................... 70
Trade ................................................................................................................................................... 70
The ANR Sector ................................................................................................................................... 71
Tourism ............................................................................................................................................... 74
Industry ............................................................................................................................................... 76
Other Services ..................................................................................................................................... 76
The Growth Enablers......................................................................................................................... 78
Energy ................................................................................................................................................. 78
Transport............................................................................................................................................. 80
Road Transport ............................................................................................................................... 81
Air Transport ................................................................................................................................... 82
Maritime and Inland Water Transport............................................................................................ 83
Quality Standard Infrastructure .......................................................................................................... 84
Access to Finance ................................................................................................................................ 84
Tax Code .............................................................................................................................................. 85
Land Use Management ....................................................................................................................... 85
ICT ....................................................................................................................................................... 86
Enabling Environment and Institutional Support.............................................................................. 87
Public Financial Reform....................................................................................................................... 87
Civil Service Reforms ........................................................................................................................... 87
State Owned Enterprises .................................................................................................................... 89
Justice, Human Rights and Access to Justice ...................................................................................... 90
Decentralisation .................................................................................................................................. 91
Human Capital Formation ................................................................................................................... 92
Education and Skills Development.................................................................................................. 92
Post-Secondary Education and Training ......................................................................................... 94
Health Upgrading ................................................................................................................................ 97
Population Management and Urbanization ....................................................................................... 99
Migration......................................................................................................................................... 99
Urban Migration............................................................................................................................ 100
Social Protection ........................................................................................................................... 100
Gender and Women Empowerment................................................................................................. 101
Climate Change ................................................................................................................................. 102
CHAPTER FIVE: PAGE II STRATEGIES ................................................................................................................ 106
PILLAR ONE: MACROECONOMIC MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK .................................................... 108
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 106

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 Drivers and Sources of Growth ......................................................................................................... 108
Sustainable inclusive growth ............................................................................................................ 108
Economic and Fiscal Strategy ............................................................................................................ 108
Fiscal Deficit .................................................................................................................................. 109
Debt............................................................................................................................................... 109
Public Finance Reform ...................................................................................................................... 110
Monetary Policy ................................................................................................................................ 111
Inflation ............................................................................................................................................. 111
External Sector Policy........................................................................................................................ 111
PILLAR TWO: STRENGTHENING THE PUBLIC SECTOR ..................................................................... 112
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 112
Civil Service Reform .......................................................................................................................... 112
Public Enterprise Reform .................................................................................................................. 113
Justice, Human Rights, Anti-Corruption & Legal Framework Reforms ............................................. 114
Gender Equity (Women’s Rights) ...................................................................................................... 115
Decentralisation ................................................................................................................................ 115
PILLAR THREE: PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE INCLUSIVE GROWTH .................................................. 116
Sources and Drivers of Growth ......................................................................................................... 116
Agriculture .................................................................................................................................... 116
Tourism and Culture ......................................................................................................................... 126
Industry ............................................................................................................................................. 129
Other Services ................................................................................................................................... 130
Private Sector Development ........................................................................................................... 131
MSME Policy Support & Collaboration Platforms ............................................................................. 132
Development Financing and FDI Promotion ..................................................................................... 133
Labour intensive industries & skills development through TVETs .................................................... 135
Enablers of Growth ......................................................................................................................... 136
Energy ............................................................................................................................................... 136
Transport........................................................................................................................................... 137
Road Transport ............................................................................................................................. 139
Urban Transport ............................................................................................................................ 139
Air Transport ................................................................................................................................. 140
Maritime and Inland Water Transport .......................................................................................... 140
River Transport.............................................................................................................................. 141
Quality and Standards Infrastructure ............................................................................................... 141
Access to Finance .............................................................................................................................. 142

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 Tax Code ............................................................................................................................................ 142
Land Use Management ..................................................................................................................... 142
Information Communication Telecommunication (ICT) ................................................................... 143
National Food Control System .......................................................................................................... 144
Human Resource & TVET .................................................................................................................. 144
Economic Diplomacy ......................................................................................................................... 145
PILLAR IV: INVESTING IN HUMAN CAPITAL ..................................................................................................... 146
Education and Skills Development.................................................................................................. 146
Post-Secondary Education and Training ........................................................................................... 146
Health Upgrading .............................................................................................................................. 147
Cervical Cancer Screening and Treatment .................................................................................... 147
Health Sector Management Strengthening .................................................................................. 147
Population Management and Urbanization ..................................................................................... 148
Gender Equality................................................................................................................................. 148
Social Protection ............................................................................................................................... 149

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Introduction
1. The Gambian economy is largely dependent on agriculture, which accounted for around 25
percent of GDP over 1994-2013 and provides an activity for 70 percent of the labor force. A major
part of the labor force is engaged in subsistence farming, and agriculture is vulnerable to weather
conditions. The industrial sector (about 15 percent of GDP over the same period), consists mostly
of construction and agro-processing activities. Services accounted for 60 percent of GDP, with
trade and transport, and communications being its two largest components. Tourism is Gambia’s
primary foreign exchange earner.1
2. With a per capita income of $500 in 2013, poverty remains widespread in spite of a decline in
the last decade; the overall poverty headcount index still stands at 48.5 percent - with a poverty
line at $1.25 a day - in 2010. While mixed, there has been progress in the areas of public sector,
economic and fiscal management, civil service and justice reform, anti-corruption and public
procurement reform. However, The Gambia remains vulnerable to external shocks as the main
sources of domestically generated foreign exchange come from tourism and re-export trade
dependent largely on exogenous factors.
3. Gambians aspire for an economy that is more inclusive, in which the fruits of growth are shared
more equitably and which meets the needs of the present without limiting the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs. High, sustained inclusive growth is needed to create jobs,
generate decent incomes for Gambians, raise revenue for development and create a prosperous
Gambia. Therefore, a key thrust of PAGE II is smart identification and prioritization of the growth
levers of the economy and prospect for diversification based on their contribution to GDP,
employment creation and potential impact on poverty reduction. PAGE II will focus on delivering
economic growth through a private sector that is fully empowered to sustainably exploit The
Gambia’s endowments focusing on the sources and drivers of growth to generate growth
facilitated by the “enablers of growth” and driven by the government through the provision of
appropriate institutional support and services as well as a conducive environment in which to
operate.
4. The focus is to strengthen the country’s productive and trade capacities within a green economy,
to enable the Private Sector to generate inclusive growth and create jobs especially for the women
and the youth, and lead in ushering reforms that are essential for improving the business
environment and for enhancing competitiveness. Under PAGE II, the Private Sector will be the
“locomotive” to pull the economy by employing The Gambia’s endowments in Agriculture,
Tourism, Industry and Other Services (telecommunications, transport logistics, retail and business
services, and financial services) facilitated by trade to generate growth and employment. These
are important drivers for creating employment, generating income, revenue and foreign
exchange, as well as for their countercyclical role in instances of poor performance in any
particular sector. Agriculture in particular employs many women; the emphasis will be on trade

1The Gambia: Policies to Foster Growth: World Bank

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 oriented growth led by small and medium firms. This will enable the Gambia to achieve growth
and employment simultaneously, one that is sustainable and inclusive. The private sector will be
facilitated to better assume its role as the “engine of growth” to provide employment for the
growing and youthful population and the women. In keeping with Vision 2020, the PAGE II
programme will be led by a vibrant private sector capable of harnessing the potential of The
Gambia’s “endowments” facilitated by trade to generate growth and create jobs. The private
sector will serve as the locomotive for actualizing the Gambia’s competitiveness agenda and will
be expected in the short term to create jobs for the low skilled youths, while building real skills
for a more knowledge based economy in the medium to long term.
5. To support the efforts of the private sector to deliver on sustainable inclusive growth, PAGE II will
make use of the enablers to turn the endowments into growth and jobs by focusing on those that
are most capable of reducing the cost of doing business and of raising productivity. To this end
energy; access to finance; streamlining taxes; transportation (air, sea, river and road); ICT; TVET
and skills development; trade standards and quality infrastructure; land management and
regional integration will act as the growth enablers, acting as lubricants for the locomotive to turn
the endowments into growth and real jobs.
6. Given the country’s vulnerability to climate change the endowments and associated activities and
outputs will be implemented in a sustainable manner and thereby ensure that The Gambia meets
the needs of the present generation without limiting the ability of future generations to meet
their needs. During PAGE II, the country will focus on adapting and mitigating the effects of
climate change particularly on the productive sectors and the economic enabling infrastructure.
This strategy in essence will lay the foundation for The Gambia’s long term transition to a green
economy. At the same time, the role and interests of women and the youth will be duly
acknowledged both in generating the growth and employment and in benefiting from the jobs
thus created.
7. The Government on its part will drive the process and ensure that the private sector has the
space and is accorded the necessary environment in which to operate. To provide the growth
required to achieve sustainable inclusive growth, the Plan projects an average real rate of about
7.0 percent during the Plan period 2017-2020, raising the GDP per capita in real terms above 5.0
percent. Thus, overall real GDP growth will rise to 5.5 and 7.0 per cent in financial years 2016
and 2017 respectively, while in 2018-2019, real growth is projected at 5.9 per cent.

Overcoming the Challenges

8. The macroeconomic environment and economy wide issues, including finance, trade and energy,
agriculture and tourism fundamentally affect growth in The Gambia. The performance of
agriculture and the ability of the other sectors of the economy, especially tourism, to
counterbalance swings in output are the key elements that explain the long term growth pattern
in The Gambia. Agriculture is by far the most important sector as it employs a majority of the
population and its evolution has a major impact on poverty. On the other hand, tourism is the
country’s primary forex earner and has a positive effect on job creation.

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9. As a small, open economy, The Gambia is primarily a price-taker and has relatively limited scope
in its small domestic market for diversification. Tourism and groundnuts are the leading exports
and are key sources of foreign exchange; horticulture is growing in importance. Rain-fed
agriculture provides employment for the majority of Gambians, and the country needs to import
almost half of its food requirements a dependency intensified by weather extremes of drought
and heavy flooding. While The Gambia’s small size will always make the economy highly
susceptible to changes in external demand, its vulnerability is exacerbated by its lack of
diversification.
10. Indeed, long term growth in The Gambia has been unstable, below the SSA average, over the last
two decades. The performance of the agriculture and the ability of the other sectors of the
economy (especially tourism) to eventually counterbalance swings in output are key elements
that explain long term growth patterns in The Gambia.
11. Over the past two decades, total investment in The Gambia has remained below that observed
for low income countries and small states. Several factors affect firms' ability to operate and invest
in The Gambia including: the way the financial system influences investment; while issues related
to trade, electricity supply and the legal framework affect a firm’s profitability and ability to
invest. At the same time inconsistent implementation and ad hoc shifts in macroeconomic policy
has created headwinds to growth.
12. Policy swings and persistent large fiscal deficits have undermined the country’s resilience in the
face of external shocks. Sustained large fiscal deficits have significantly curtailed the government’s
fiscal space, and prevented significant countercyclical measures in the event of shocks, aside from
diverting resources away from public investment expenditures to support development
objectives. Persistent large fiscal deficits have also led to elevated public sector indebtedness,
further containing the government’s capacity to direct its limited resources to support social and
economic development objectives. Large fiscal deficits have often diverged substantially from
programmed budgets, and have undermined the government’s credibility in fiscal management.
Inconsistent policy implementation, with ad hoc changes in the exchange rate policy combined
with heavy government borrowing, have generated a high degree of policy uncertainty and led to
elevated borrowing rates, which have also hampered private sector investment activity.

Achieving Sustainable Inclusive Growth

13. The Gambia needs to grow to accommodate the demands of a youthful growing population. To
achieve this The Gambia will implement PAGE II strategies; mainstream the SDGs, Agenda 2063
of the AU and Istanbul Plan of Action and other international obligations to advance the objectives
of Vision 2020 to reduce poverty. To achieve sustainable inclusive growth and prosperity PAGE II
focusses on eradicating extreme poverty, reducing inequality and engendering pro-poor and
export-led growth to generate employment.
14. Sustainable inclusive growth is necessary to significantly reduce poverty. The key to lifting the
vulnerable population out of poverty is to employ strategies that stimulate growth, exploit
optimally natural endowments and comparative advantages such as agriculture, tourism,

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 transport, etc. In order for GDP growth to be pro-poor both in urban and rural areas, growth must
be sustainable and inclusive.
15. The Plan makes use of Gambia’s endowments encapsulated in agriculture, tourism, industry,
other services and trade to drive growth. A modernized agriculture supported with appropriate
technology, with easy access to affordable finance and increased use of the River Gambia for
irrigation to extend the agricultural season and enlarge arable land would form the backbone of
the rejuvenated Gambian economy. The tourism sector will be diversified in line with
Government priority of extending the tourist season and market. The trade sector with
enhanced product diversification to include sesame, cashew, horticulture and livestock as well
as increased value addition will provide backward linkages to the tourism sector and open new
markets for Gambia’s exports as well as cheaper sources of imports within and outside the
region. Measures would be directed towards repositioning the Gambia as a regional hub for
trade and financial services by participating in the regional integration cooperation programmes
and removing structural bottlenecks to trade, in particular finding a lasting solution to the
frequent border closures. The services sector in particular retail trade, transport logistics
(including greater investments on the River Gambia for transport and cruises; and ocean
transport in particular the development of the Port of Banjul as an entrepot as well as the Banjul
International Airport), financial and ICT services will provide the necessary lubricant for the
other drivers of the economy. The Government will streamline its cooperation with private
service providers to improve service delivery through better use of ICT.

Vision 2020: The long term objectives of Vision 2020 are to address poor savings through
improvements in output from the real sectors and enhancing financial intermediation. A
liberal market economy with undue administrative interference shall improve the overall
efficiency and competitiveness of the Gambian economy. The role of Government shall be
limited strictly to the production of public goods which cannot be produced by the private
sector while conducting a vigorous decentralisation drive to ensure a more democratic
process in the allocation, management and control of resources.

Sources and Drivers of Growth

16. The Gambia will, in a deliberate manner, transform the agriculture and natural resource sector
to a modern market-oriented commercial sector with well-integrated value chains and a viable
private sector led agro-processing industry in order to increase incomes of agricultural value
chain actors (including farmers, input suppliers, processors, traders and exporters). To enhance
productivity, physical structures such as contours and diversion bunds, dikes and spillways,
causeways and bridges will be developed. PAGE II will embark on land reforms aimed at a
comprehensive, rights based and transparent management of land as well as a land policy and
land use master plan that balances the various competing uses of land.

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17. The Government will lead efforts in improving necessary infrastructure for commodity chain and
agro-industry development. It will focus on seven commodities: cereals; groundnuts, cashew
and sesame; horticultural produce; agro-forestry products; livestock (poultry, ruminants); dairy
products and fisheries products. Particular emphasis will be placed on the “agri -preneurs”
development agenda through SME clusters or business incubators in furtherance of youth
economic empowerment and participation in national development.
18. Modernization of the Agricultural sector will focus on ensuring that quality inputs (seeds,
fertilizers and pesticides), machinery and equipment, appropriate technologies, extension
services and skilled labour are adequate and provided in a timely manner; with the involvement
of the private sector. The research and extension institutions will be properly resourced to provide
technical advisory and supervisory services.
19. Innovative financing for agricultural development will be pursued in collaboration with The
Gambia’s bilateral and multilateral partners with particular emphasis on ensuring that women
benefit from the facilities. Other financing strategies will be pursued including the re-
establishment of the Agricultural Development Fund/Bank to assure appropriate access and
affordability to meet medium and long-term needs for production and commercialization;
strengthening and expanding existing linkages between the economic agents (producers,
processors, marketers, and traders) and the financial services providers (informal financial
services providers, the MFIs, the Commercial Banks and development and Investment Funds); and
private sector-led commercialization of ANR with linkages to domestic, regional and international
markets.
20. Lack of product diversification has made The Gambia heavily dependent on a single major export
cash crop – groundnuts (19% of foreign exchange earnings). Marketing of groundnuts is hampered
by issues of quality and standards (aflatoxin) as well as quantity; but also for fruits and vegetables,
meat and meat products.
21. Under the Fisheries sub-sector, the total annual fish catches had been increasing from 43,000mts
in 2010 to 52,000mts in 2014. Per capita consumption also increased from 28kgs in 2011 to
30.6kgs in 2014. However, annual catches of 52,000 mts out of a potential resource of 156,000mt
(27.5% of exploitable potential) indicates that there is significant unexploited potential for
increased catches and export. The Plan will support relevant stakeholders to enhance surveillance
capacity of the fishing grounds; upgrade local processing to improve quality control in conformity
with standard requirements of destination markets such as the EU; rationalise the issuance of
licensing of fishing vessels; and enforce the license conditions for sustainable exploitation.
22. PAGE II strategies are geared towards addressing the challenges of integrating the women and
the youth in the development process. To this end Page II will address these drawbacks through
various measures: including undertaking research focused on appropriate technologies, crop
varieties and best crop husbandry practices for agro-ecological zones with emphasis on those
most relevant for women; improving market access for farmers and women farmer association
producers; introduce labor intensive techniques (including employment of women) for road

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 constructions; facilitate the employment of all employable citizens through the promotion of
labour intensive economic activities within the priority sectors of the national economy; facilitate
capacity building of labour through improved access to TVET training for women and the youth;
improving women’s and girls’ entrepreneurial skills and opportunities in all productive sectors,
mobilize resources for gender equality and women’s empowerment interventions, and ensure the
proper coordination, monitoring and evaluation of women and gender-related programmes. The
Gambia’s Vision 2020 serves to ensure gender equality and empower women, through the
continuing creation of an enabling policy framework based on a proper gender analysis and the
provision of adequate gender statistics and budgets. In addition, it focuses on the improvement
of women’s and girls’ employable skills and job opportunities by ensuring parity in primary,
secondary and tertiary education, improve women’s and girls’ entrepreneurial skills and
opportunities in all productive sectors, mobilize resources for gender equality and women’s
empowerment interventions, and ensure the proper coordination, monitoring and evaluation of
women and gender-related programmes. Key interventions during the PAGE II period include:
strengthening the implementation of laws, policies and strategies; economic empowerment and
sustainable livelihood skills; strengthening and increasing support for institutional mechanisms
for gender equality and women empowerment; transformation of discriminatory norms and
gender stereotypes; and enhancing capacity building, data collection, motoring and evaluation at
all levels.
23. The country’s vision to transition to a green economy would be addressed through a number of
initiatives: policy harmonization to eliminate conflict between economic growth, environmental
sustainability and social goals; re-alignment, development and implementation of coherent
domestic, trade and multilateral policies working in tandem with markets; and facilitation of
inclusiveness for all stakeholders in transitioning from brown to green economy. The green
growth strategies involve adapting to new climatic constraints; preserving and enhancing food
production; while protecting the environment and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
from agriculture; and incorporating Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) in the agriculture
development agenda in accordance with the SDGs.
24. Recognizing that the draw of the “Sun, Sand and Sea” in the tourism sector is necessary, the
Government will consolidate marketing activities in traditional markets while expanding
marketing in emerging markets; diversifying and improving the product to include community
based tourism, river based products, and conference tourism; as well as developing backward
linkages with other sectors e.g. agriculture, fisheries, etc.; and expanding the tourist origination
footprint to cover new countries. To give effect to this strategy, the Government will, in the next
five years, embark on a major marketing drive aimed at achieving the tourist arrival figures of
350,000 per year. The institutional framework for tourism development would be improved by
adopting a public-private participatory model for decision and policy-making processes in aid of
tourism development, management and promotion. Security remains a major component of this
strategy.

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25. The private sector is crucial for Gambia’s development and growth. In recognition of this the
Government will provide an enabling business environment to ensure that the private sector acts
as a catalyst for sustainable and inclusive economic growth and development.
26. It will continue to maintain a liberal trading environment to promote competition and enhance
the investment climate, improve access to low cost financing as well as encourage the private
sector to partner with government in the implementation of its medium and long-term
development objectives through existing legal institutional frameworks. The Government will
continue to promote private public partnerships (PPPs) especially in priority areas such as
agriculture, tourism, telecommunications, infrastructure and manufacturing.

Vision 2020: build on the sound macro-economic policies of the recent past while
launching a new partnership contract between the public and private sectors to
spur faster growth with equity.

27. The Gambia will position itself as a trading hub and a gateway to and from Africa thriving on free
market policies and a vibrant private sector. Trade has always played an important role in the
economy creating job opportunities, generating income and contributing to poverty reduction.
For decades, The Gambia served as a regional entrepôt, with goods transported through the river
to the hinterland supported by relatively low import taxes, a well-functioning port and customs
services, and limited administrative barriers which reinforced The Gambia’s position as a trading
centre. PAGE II will strengthen this axis of Gambia’s development and growth through
collaboration with partners in export destinations and markets to provide technical support and
capacity building to enhance compliance with SPS & TBT requirements in the export markets.
28. The strategy for the manufacturing sub-sector is to build on the small domestic base to encourage
companies to supply the Gambian and regional markets, and subsequently develop products
which can be exported to the EU by taking advantage of the preferential schemes under the EBA.
The MSME action plan will be operationalized during the PAGE II implementation period and a
review of the public procurement system will be undertaken to enhance the capacity of MSMEs
to enable them participate in government procurement projects without compromising the
quality of service and value for money to consumers. Women and the youth will be assisted to
form MSMEs through cooperatives and will be encouraged and supported to participate in
providing services and goods. Appropriate capacity building measures would be provided to the
MSMEs to improve their participation and their supply of quality goods and services. To minimize
market failures, review and consolidation of legislation will be undertaken to encourage fair and
effective competition in order to provide consumers with the greatest range of products and
services at appropriate prices.
29. The role of the public sector will continue to support the private sector with the right policy
environment to thrive and thereby exploit the opportunities offered by the domestic, regional
and international market. It will prioritize improvement of the business environment by way of

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 lowering the cost of doing business, and by providing affordable access to basic infrastructural
facilities. The public service will be reformed and enhanced to support the process with more
professionalism and meritocracy to provide services efficiently and effectively.
30. The strategy is anchored on expanding development of skills and entrepreneurship schemes for
the youth to hone skills and develop budding entrepreneurs to accommodate the growing
population. The strategy will create a pool of affordable skilled young entrepreneurs from which
the private sector can easily tap. It will enable The Gambia make full use of its demographic
dividend with the majority of the population now under the age of 30 years; and also attract
FDI.

The Enablers of Growth

31. In recognition of the centrality of energy in the development process, investment will be scaled
in the sector to increase capacity to generate power to meet demand. Therefore, Government
will continue to promote policies aimed at attracting more private sector investment in electricity
generation to provide power that is sustainable, reliable and affordable. Coherent and
coordinated implementation of energy sector policies, strategies and programmes will be
pursued: rehabilitation of existing engines; new addition to generating capacity of heavy fuel oil
(HFO) fired generators of higher unit capacity (15 to 25MW); development of alternative thermal
generation (gas, steam, etc.) as a long term strategy; renewable energy sources in particular the
OMVG; sustainable biomass management including access to LPGs; and security of supplies
(energy security). In order to have a balanced energy mix, priority would focus on solar, wind, and
hydro energy.
32. To create an enabling environment that supports the efficiency of the transport industry,
Government will, during the PAGE II period, establish a regulatory framework to encourage
competition; provide adequate safety and environmental safeguards; strengthen the regulator
and supervisor’s capacity in infrastructure management; and promote private sector capacity
building and participation. To sustainably fund the transport infrastructure, the Fuel Levy charge
on road users will continue, a Heavy Vehicle Management Programme (axle overload fines) will
be introduced, toll bridges will be placed in strategic segments of the network; and appropriate
cost recovery concessionary tariffs for ferry crossings would be set.
33. To address the challenges emanating from increased demands for urban transport, efficiency
improvements would be enhanced, while alternative routes and bypasses to ease traffic on the
link would be constructed and private sector operators would be invited to participate in the
sector. The implementation of the planned feeder road rehabilitation programme covering about
240kms is essential in achieving the agricultural transformation agenda and all-inclusive growth
under PAGE II and vision 2020.
34. To sustainably utilize the potential of BIA, and in keeping with the national vision to position the
Gambia as a trading hub, emphasis would be given to pursuing measures aimed at expanding
airport facilities supportive of agriculture and natural resource exports, especially to the European

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 Market under the airport free zones agenda. The Airport Master Plan, costed at around USD100
million, would guide the expansion and development of BIA during the Plan period.
35. During PAGE II, Government will expedite the implementation of the Ports Master Plan through
concessioning (moving from a public service model to a landlord model). To this end, the key Port
reforms scheduled for PAGE II period include redefining port governance and operations to address
emerging challenges.

Vision 2020: The Government recognizes the private sector as a serious partner in national
development and the very engine of growth and reconfirms its pro-private sector stance.
It is only through an effective and friendly collaboration between the public and the
private sectors that the long-term aspirations of the country can be attained.

36. Participation of the private sector in river transport services would revive the sub-sector and calls
for a holistic transport sector multi/inter modal planning and appropriate infrastructure pricing
policies and incentives (including axle load control on the road network and tax holidays) for water
transport operators for bulk haulage by barges. The Gambia will capitalize on the ECOWAS
initiative to link Member States with a railway network.
37. The Government will strengthen stakeholder collaboration in mobilising resources for the
implementation of ICT programs; enhancing the National ICT Infrastructure; and creation of a
more conducive and enabling environment for private sector participation. The measures under
PAGE II will build local capacity on Cyber Defense Systems to protect national data security.
Government will also pursue the establishment of a National ICT Agency to take up the
implementation of ICT activities and programs at a national level, and strengthen the National
Data Center to host electronic services for the public and private sectors. The requisite human
resource to cater for the growing demands in the ICT sector would be developed and
strengthened. The strategy also aims at promoting ICTs as a core subject in schools.
38. During the PAGE II period, Government will enhance the Human Capital Stock using a two-
pronged approach: securing and protecting the basic social services as a rights package for the
citizens and unblocking the access, equity, quality and relevance constraints to secondary and
post –secondary education and access to and quality of tertiary health care. More efforts are
needed to improve the quality of the teacher training program to be consistent with reforms in
literacy introduced in the school system with greater focus on relevant subject content
knowledge, pedagogic skills, ICT competencies, and professional values and attitudes. To aid The
Gambia’s competitiveness, the Plan will enhance programmes aimed at addressing: youth
unemployment, poverty and migration reduction through TVET in addition to the training of a
required stock of specialist for all the sectors and sub-sectors.
39. TVET centres would be established across the country, with at least a major centre in each
administrative region, and in-village skills centres to serve as feeders into these major centres.
The Plan will continue to support the National Quality Authority to ensure accreditation of service
providers and quality levels of post-secondary institutions to meet international standards. The

17
 capacity at the University of The Gambia`s will be further upgraded for the provision of some of
the specialised and technical training needs.
40. Given the drive towards a digital post-2015 agenda, Government will continue the review of the
education management information system which includes an online data management system
for the entire sector. During PAGE II period this system will be connected to the labour market
information system to match demand to supply.
41. In the area of health upgrading, health service delivery will be strengthened through National
Health Services Financing and Payment Management reforms and strengthening of the health
regulatory system.

The Government to Drive the Process

42. In its strides to achieving long-term fiscal sustainability, the government is committed to
significantly reduce the budget deficit and domestic borrowing. The overall budget balance,
which includes foreign financing and privatization receipts is projected to fall from a deficit of 10
percent of GDP in 2015 to 0.8 percent by 2020. The net domestic borrowing (NDB) is targeted
to fall from 11 percent in 2015 to 1.5 percent by 2019 and 0.5 percent of GDP by the end of the
Plan period.
43. A sound fiscal policy framework would ensure adherence to strict fiscal discipline by making sure
that spending stays within approved limits, refraining from committing beyond available
resources and realigning spending based on evolving priorities and plans. Government policies
would be aligned with the annual budget appropriation; thereby improving the effectiveness
and efficiency of public expenditure. During the PAGE II period (2017-2020), the deficit will drop
propelled by a combination of additional tax efforts (to 20% of GDP), reduced expenditure
(within 25%) threshold limit and efficiency gains from Public Financial Management Reforms.
44. The reduction in government borrowing will release resources for other viable economic
ventures.
45. The macroeconomic framework will primarily be centered on consolidating and reducing the
deficit, enhancing the increment of public spending on critical investment areas, crowding in
private investment, and enhancing confidence in the market to attract foreign investment
inflows and remittances. Fiscal consolidation would ease pressure on domestic borrowing costs
and create opportunities for jobs and thereby put the economy back on track to economic
growth and sustainable development. The Central Bank of The Gambia will continue to design
and implement sound monetary and exchange rate policies with a view to ensuring inflation is
kept within target.
46. Most state owned enterprises (SOEs) pose a major risk to fiscal sustainability because many are
not financially strong to pay their future liabilities. Some key Public Enterprises have run into
financial difficulties leading to the need for Government bailout. Nearly half of the 2014 public
debt service payment (5% of GDP) was due to Government’s settlement of debts on behalf of
public enterprises. To mitigate this risk, SOEs would be assessed on their ability to pay the debt

18
 and would be repositioning to improve their financial situation to meet their future obligations
including timely settlement of their tax obligations.
47. Policy on domestic debt management focusses on borrowing consistently at the lowest possible
cost taking into account risks to the stability of domestic financial markets. The Public Finance
Management Reform Strategy focusses on accountability and transparency in procurement,
auditing and budget credibility. It encompasses strengthening planning processes; fiscal
discipline; domestic resource mobilization, partnerships and aid coordination; and strengthening
institutions involved with reforms.
48. The programme will forge strong partnerships and build a good track record with its
development partners to enhance confidence of the international community to assure the
financing of the Plan. To this end, the strategy hinges on promoting and restoring working
relations with all Gambia’s development partners in order to leverage resources for
development and improve collaboration between the Government and the private sector to
harness public private partnership initiatives for national development.

Vision 2020: A new diplomatic drive will ensure good and fruitful neighborliness
with both regional governments and other governments further afield in
addition to maintaining dialogue and co-operation with development partners.

49. Given the importance of decentralisation for effective allocation and efficient management of
resources, the government will transfer functions and resources to the local governments; build
adequate capacity at local levels to facilitate absorption of the responsibilities devolved; put in
place a proper database system on properties and businesses and a unified financial
management system in all the councils; set up a coordinating, monitoring and evaluation
mechanism and capacity building for decentralized development planning and performance
monitoring; and harmonize sector policies and regulations to guide and lead the
decentralization process.
50. There is zero tolerance for corruption in The Gambia and Government will continue to effectively
participate in bilateral and multilateral initiatives to fight corruption and promote good
governance.
51. On its part Government is committed to the full implementation of the regional protocols and by
the same token will continue to advocate for strict adherence by other member states to these
protocols. The various Acts and policies governing land administration will be updated, and
necessary tools for their implementation developed and enforced during the PAGE II period.
Invariably, this must take account of appropriate compensation mechanisms and the interest of
the communities. Policy reforms will target poverty reduction approaches through labour
intensive programs consistent with an improved labour environment. Government will work with
partner institutions to encourage the development of labour intensive technologies to promote
employment.

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52. During PAGE II, Government will develop and implement a number of interrelated policies and
strategies to address social protection challenges: labor market policies and programs designed
to promote employment, the efficient operation of the labour markets and the protection of the
workers; social insurance programs to cushion the risks associated with unemployment, ill health,
disability, work related injury and old age; social assistance and welfare service programs for the
most vulnerable groups with no other means of adequate support, including single mothers, the
homeless, or physically or mentally challenged people; micro- and area–based schemes to
address vulnerability at the community level, including micro-insurance, agricultural insurance,
social funds and programs to manage natural disasters; and child protection to ensure the healthy
and productive development of children. Social protection will be used to complement the gaps
for those households with limited means of earning income.

Resource Mobilisation
53. Domestic resource mobilization is an area where the government is registering impressive
improvements. Tax revenue’s share of GDP has increased from 13.2% in 2010 to 17.8% in 2015.
The overall growth in tax revenue collection reflects growth in both collection efficiency and the
tax base. Nevertheless, domestic tax revenue generation is hindered by the fact that a significant

Vision 2020: Human resources are a vital component of the growth process; population
growth will remain a major concern therefore under Vision 2020.

percentage of economic activity is in the informal sector. Part of the reason why these businesses
remain informal is the high tax rate and the complex tax code. The government recognizes this
problem and tax rates have been on the decline since then. Tax compliance is further being
encouraged through sensitization programs with assistance from development partners.
54. Major drive is needed to expand the tax base. Currently, The Gambia has a significant amount of
economic activity taking place in the informal sector. While the tax revenue implications are the
focus here, informality has adverse impact on firm efficiency and the country's overall economic
growth. To encourage greater formality, the cost and process of business registration need to
reduced and further streamlined. Tax assessments on small enterprises need to be less blunt and
adapted to the economic environment. Expanding the tax base, rather than changing to the tax
rate or marginally improving collection efficiency, provides the best opportunity to mobilize
domestic resources for national development plan implementation.
55. The government needs to reform state-owned enterprises (SOEs). SOEs have not only caused the
government lost tax revenues, they have also been a drain on the treasury in terms of frequent
financial assistance to reduce their contingent liabilities. They represent one of the principal
causes of fiscal indiscipline. It is therefore important that they are reformed to ensure better
performance and generate the resources needed for development.
56. Despite the fragility of The Gambia, ODA has been declining over the past couple of years driven
mostly by falling bilateral aid. Many development partners have reduced their contributions as
well as the amounts for budget support. As a result, ODA flows to The Gambia is now dominated

20
 by multilateral sources and increasingly composed of loans, with grants constituting a smaller
percentage.
57. Private external sources such as foreign direct investment (FDI) have also been on a downward
trajectory due to the prevailing investment climate and perceived high risk. While the country has
been undertaking reforms, a more concerted effort is needed to increase investor confidence to
attract private partners for PPP projects. A favorable investment climate is critical as the country
seeks to attract private capital to finance development plans.
58. Remittances, on the other hand, have been increasing at a rate of about 12% per annum for over
a decade. Annual remittances currently stand at about $181 million, representing about 22% of
GDP. The Gambia is second only to Liberia within ECOWAS in terms of remittances relative to the
GDP. Remittances offer a great opportunity for investing in major infrastructure projects in the
country if appropriate institutional set up is put in place.
59. The country is well positioned to tap into the increasing amount of resources devoted to climate
change resilience and adaptation because of its low-lying, coastal topography that makes it
vulnerable to climate change. The recent enactment of the country’s climate change policy is
welcome development that should help the country harness climate change finance.
60. South-South Cooperation and triangular cooperation is becoming a significant avenue for raising
resources for development, especially in light of the declining bilateral ODA from traditional
donors. Among The Gambia’s major emerging lenders are countries from the Middle East and
Asia. Nevertheless, traditional bilateral donors are a critical partner of the triangular cooperation
and the country needs to engage them meaningfully to fully harness the inherent potential.
61. Faced with falling ODA and other bilateral assistance and the inability of the private sector and
the country’s tax base to fill the gap, the government has had to tap into the domestic market to
meet the needs of the country. This limited capital market is tightly linked to the banking sector.
Government Treasury bills account for 50% of the assets of commercial banks. The yields on
government T-bills have been increasing significantly (2 percentage points last year), reflecting
the government’s over reliance on this source for its financial needs. As a result, the private sector
is being crowded out in an environment where lack of access to finance is already acute. Given
the excessive public debt (over 100%), which is mostly short-term, this is fiscally unsustainable.
62. Banks have little incentives to provide long term capital given the low-risk short-term financing
nature driven by the government. Long term sources of capital for banks is low in the country
since short-term deposit constitute the bulk of their capital. Given this reality, long term finance
is likely to create huge maturity mismatch for banks if the issue of long term capital is not
addressed. Therefore, reforms are needed to increase the demand for long term capital and
encourage banks to lend long term. Major reforms are needed to help the country harness all
available sources of finance given the challenges ahead. Luckily for the country, many of the issues
constraining the different sources of development finance are linked. Encouraging FDI and
facilitating PPPs show major overlaps. The development of a capital market is essential for

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 leveraging remittances and attracting private participations in PPPs, as well as domestic
borrowing.
63. Macroeconomic stability requires, among other factors, low inflation, low interest rate, non-
arbitrary interference in markets and predictable policies. Changes in political posture are
important in creating a positive perception of the country. This is critical not only to foreign
investors but also to the Gambian diaspora. The latter needs to be courted to encourage their
patronage of capital mobilization programs for development purposes.

Way Forward
64. The Gambia needs policies aimed at strengthening growth including: i) removing policy
uncertainty and bringing back a degree of fiscal control to avoid crowding out private investment;
ii) facilitating access to finance; iii) restoring competitiveness in trade and energy; v) promoting
and supporting select agricultural value chains; and ii) improving competitiveness of the tourism
sector.
65. Macroeconomic Policy. The Gambia needs to pursue aggressive fiscal consolidation to reduce
public sector borrowing requirements. The government needs to strictly avoid ad hoc policies,
strengthen institutions and improve policy signaling to help stabilize the policy environment and
build investor confidence. It needs measures to stabilize the economy and rebuild market
confidence, as well as to diminish crowding out of private sector activity and to create space for
development spending. At the same time, it needs to strive to maintain a flexible exchange rate
policy and tight monetary policy and significantly tighten fiscal policy to ensure stability and
preserve adequate foreign reserve levels. These will require strong political commitment at the
highest levels.
a. Address persistent fiscal deficits: The country should adopt consolidation strategies;
strictly contain extra-budgetary spending; continue to enhance revenue collection and
broaden the tax base; improve the composition of taxes to reduce disincentives on
investment; and end monetization of fiscal deficits. The Integrated Financial Management
Information System (IFMIS) should support improved fiscal management through more-
timely reporting, improved budget preparation, execution and procurement, and
improved cash-management and introduction of a Treasury Single Account (TSA).
b. Improve debt management: The Gambia needs to closely monitor its debt and review its
debt management strategies; stabilize public debt by cutting the deficit and sharply
curtail net domestic borrowing; shift toward longer-dated and more concessional debt;
and reform the legal and inter-institutional framework for public debt management. In
the medium term, it needs to design and implement a strategy for domestic debt
market development, build confidence and extend maturities. The pricing of
Government domestic debt instruments would be determined by the prevailing market
conditions. However, the restructuring plan also includes the conversion of Central Bank
of the Gambia (CBG) holdings of Treasury bills (about 24% of the stock) to a long term
bond at a negotiated interest rate. On the external front, the Government would

22
 continue to pursue concessional windows with a relatively small amount of non-
concessional borrowing from traditional lenders.
c. Improve monetary policy: The country should maintain a tight monetary stance, strive for
greater independence of the Central bank, avoid exchange rate manipulation and
maintain the flexible exchange rate policy. It should seek to rebuild foreign reserves and
improve reserve management. Gambia’s stated policy objective to participate in the West
Africa Monetary Zone can encourage greater discipline.
d. Improve the statistics system: Improve the statistics system to provide timely and reliable
data in order to better design and target policies.
66. Financial sector. Access to finance is of key importance due to the recurrent fiscal slippages that
need to be financed, leading to higher interest rates and crowding out of the private sector. Fiscal
policy is not under control of the financial sector. Therefore, it is important to improve the
working of the system to make it more adapted to increase access to finance.
a. Develop competition and innovation to motivate banks to expand lending into the SME
segment; high interest rates on Government securities discourage riskier lending,
competition and financial innovation - particularly from non-banking institutions.
b. Financial infrastructure: Improve access to finance from banks through (i) improved
information (credit information bureau, credit ratings, credit scoring systems for banks)
and (ii) initiatives to improve contract enforcement (collateral registry, leasing, factoring,
commercial/banking courts).
c. Technical assistance to borrowers to improve the quality of credit through training on
accounting and financial literacy; development of cooperatives especially for women
small holders to increase the quality and reliability of products and their delivery; and
focussing on value chains to tap into the credit quality of purchasers.
d. Developing mobile banking to support MSMEs to gain access to credit and reduce
transactions costs associated with gaining credit.
67. Trade. The Gambia used to play the role of a regional entrepôt. Trade policy changes have eroded
The Gambia’s advantage as a trade hub and, owing to a weak business environment and ageing
port infrastructure, the sector is at risk. To counterbalance this and help trade infrastructures
benefit other sectors of the economy:
a. Upgrade and expand the port infrastructure to strengthen competitiveness. The
authorities recognize this and have included in the NES the provision to “strengthen the
position of the Port of Banjul as a gateway to the region by improving the port-handling
services and expanding the port’s infrastructure”. A possible solution to balance the
needs to upgrade port infrastructures and control public expenditures is to rely on private
participation in port infrastructure (PPI). Specifically, the authorities intend to (i) expand
and upgrade the container area, (ii) construct and extend jetty, (iii) rehabilitate the North
and South terminal, (iv) procure more new cargo handling equipment, (v) investment on

23
 human cargo resources, (vi) increase Banjul canal’s depth up to more than 10m in order
to enable access of larger vessels, and (vii) improve the services of ferries between Banjul
and Barra.
b. Exploit preferential trade treaties, increase compliance with SPS agreements, and expand
trade opportunities for agricultural produce: the country is currently not taking full
advantage of the preferential treatment guaranteed by international agreements. Raise
awareness about SPS requirements and improve linkages to testing facilities such as the
NARI laboratory, testing for aflatoxin in groundnuts, or the Fisheries laboratory used for
microbiology testing of fish; improve access for farmer to local high-end markets to take
advantage of these markets.
c. Strengthen economic relations with neighbours to improve compliance with the ECOWAS
principles and harmonize the GAINDE and ASYCUDA++ systems.
d. Improve VAT and other taxes collection: lack of upgraded system or policy
misinterpretation, have been an obstacle to the smooth implementation of the VAT. This
confusion may have discouraged business in the past and is currently diverting business
away from The Gambia. Promoting a more transparent, streamlined and efficient tax code
has large potential benefits for Gambian economy.
68. Electricity: The quality and reliability of the electricity supply is a key impediment to growth.
a. Investment in generation capabilities and network quality: (i) repair of generation assets;
(ii) additional capacity to maintain minimum system reliability and guarantee financial
viability of additional power generation; (iii) advances in regional interconnection
(OMVG); (iv) the development of intra-country connection of provincial networks with
network in GBA to substitute expensive LFO based power generation by HFO; and (v)
develop measures to improve the current system stability.
b. Improving NAWECs situation: define measures to increase NAWEC’s revenues and ensure
efficiency improvements.
69. Agriculture. Gambia’s agricultural output barely covers half of the country’s consumption needs
as productivity levels are low across most crops. Value chains would provide support to all actors
to promote agricultural productivity, foster linkages to achieve economies of scale and boost
growth.
a. Address policy gaps: implement existing regulations and improve the provision of farm
inputs and agronomic extension support to producers.
b. Develop alternative irrigation schemes: extend agricultural production to the dry season
and explore additional means of getting water, such as:
i. Rainwater Catchment Areas: install rainwater catchment facilities to extend and
increase agricultural production to the dry season through irrigation.

24
 ii. Irrigation using the River Gambia: use the River Gambia that runs through the six
farming regions of the country for irrigation to extend both the cultivable area
and the season.
iii. Develop groundwater extraction: create facilities to accommodate sufficiently
large groups of smallholders to make the investment economically rational.
c. Support select value chains: groundnut for its role as forex provider, cashew as an
important contributor to food security, sesame as a lucrative crop providing resources to
poor women, rice as the country’s food staple and horticulture as a revenue provider to
women and an important element of the domestic tourism value chain.
i. Groundnut value-chain to improve output, both in quantity and quality: i)
support NARI and association in providing certified seeds; ii) tailor appropriate
credit schemes for the provision of farm inputs; iii) implement the EU-Quality
Assurance Framework; and iv) tailor “Contract Grower Schemes” between
industrialists and producers (supported by microfinance institutions) to ensure
the production of quality produce that meet international standards when
processed.
ii. Cashew value-chain: reinforce the positive impact (food security, export
development and diversification):
1. Support to increase output and its quality: i) improving production,
harvest and post-harvest practices; ii) increasing the availability of
good/certified seedlings; iii) developing financial mechanisms (credit
guarantee, credit lines, warehouse system, etc.) with bank and
microfinance institutions; iv) training and mentoring farmers; v) and
improving quality management practices (traceability, information
system, definition of standard).
2. Strengthen the organization and coordination of the sector: i) promoting
corporate governance and effective service delivery; and ii) confirming
CAG as the APEX body.
3. Expand the capacity to better develop, enter and perform in destination
markets: i) increasing awareness on market requirements (quality,
quantity, prices, consistency); ii) improving the presentation of processed
products; iii) increasing sales in the local market (tourism, supermarkets)
and iv) organizing international market development efforts.
4. Develop processing and use of by-products: i) providing targeted support
to processors and build their capacity; ii) reducing wastage; iii) and
promoting intercropping.

25
iii. Sesame value chain: production levels fluctuate greatly from year to year, since
farming is mainly done by women who depend on their husbands for farm
inputs:
1. Support to increase output: i) increasing acreage; ii) making available
certified seeds and other productive resources; iii) develop and
disseminate good agricultural practice and post-harvest practices; and iv)
develop financial mechanisms (credit guarantee, credit lines, warehouse
system) with bank and microfinance institutions.
2. Strengthen support institutions: i) improving sector governance and
transparency support the development of an APEX institution for the
sector and ii) ensure adequate policies support the development of the
sector.
3. Improve market development method: i) ensuring adherence to
standards and quality requirements ii) develop market information
systems iii) improve the presentation of processed products, iv) increase
sales in the local market v) organize international market development
efforts.
4. Develop processing and use of by-products: i) providing targeted support
to processors and build their capacity and ii) reducing wastage.
iv. Developing the rice value chain by improving productivity and upgrading
quality to enhance competitiveness. The Gambia also has an advantage in rice
seed production in the sub-region, given its favorable agro-climatic conditions.
This can be developed as rice grown for seeds is more lucrative than rice grown
for grain - about three times the price of a kilo of grain rice. Finally, the
shortage/inadequacy of processing facilities has been identified as a key
bottleneck in local rice commercialization which needs to be addressed.
1. Raising local production: i) supporting small holder producers to crop
swamp rice and upland rice; and ii) supporting big farms to produce rice
during rains as part of crop rotation process.
2. The establishment of sustainable partnership between NARI, seeds
multipliers and distributors along with the strengthening of local rice
seed quality control and certification mechanisms.
3. Develop partnerships with the private sector and medium-scale industrial
rice milling firms to secure delivery of improved inputs (fertilizers and
seeds).
v. Horticulture for export to high end markets and in supplying the domestic
tourism industry. Smallholder farmers are not coordinated; the number of
commercial firms operating is low; the value chain lacks integration; and

26
 exports to Europe are still constrained by limited air cargo capacity and
expensive freight.
1. Support increased output from individual and communal producers: i)
supporting them to produce vegetables all year round under irrigation
and out-grower schemes; ii) providing access to product specific
fertilizers; iii) developing and disseminating good agricultural practice;
and iv) developing financial mechanisms (credit guarantee, credit lines
etc.) with bank and microfinance institutions.
2. Improve market development: i) ensuring adherence to standards and
quality requirements ii) improve the presentation of products, iii)
increase sales in the local market v) organize international market
development efforts.
70. Tourism. Tourism development is hampered by a short season and narrow product focus; reliance
on the UK market and a small number of tour operators and airlines; increased competition; a low
level of visibility as a tourism destination; health and safety: particularly malaria, the Ebola scare
and the large number of bumsters on the beach. The most important actions to be taken are to
improve quality and the diversity of the product, and increase the marketing efforts; supported
by an encouraging business climate and capacity building efforts. The industry needs a more
conductive space for the private sector to improve quality standards.
a. Product Upgrading: renovating and upgrading low quality hotels could increase overall
arrivals: extend the high season while expanding the room inventory with a variety of
accommodation facilities ranging from three to five stars that are reliable, clean and
comply with the service standard. Improve product quality, by addressing other issues –
bumsters etc. and improve the service level across the sector and improve skills training.
b. Destination Marketing: intensify marketing efforts with products that meet visitor
expectations; determine and prioritize primary and secondary target markets; extend the
current season and emphasize the diversity of The Gambia offering; and continue efforts
to establishing and maintaining good relationships with tour operators.
c. Product Diversification: Niche markets can increase the number of arrivals during the
shoulder and low season. Developing nature-based tourism products will attract market
segments that are interested in traveling to The Gambia outside the main season. The
current tourist attractions should be upgraded and new products should be developed.
Improving the quality and the variety of attractions, restaurants and excursions will
increase visitor spending as will the availability of good quality handicraft. The tourism
projects - as identified by GIEPA - should also be promoted through a tourism investment
conference.
d. Tourism Business Climate and linkages development: improvements to the power supply
and better access to finance by the private sector; improve hospitality, tourism education
and training; create linkages between the tourism sector and local agricultural suppliers.

27
 e. Capacity Building: The public sector needs targeted technical support and the
communication channel between the private sector and the tourism education
institutions needs to be formalized. Assess and improve the capacity at GTB, Ministry of
Tourism and GIEPA.
71. To ensure that the Public Service delivers services efficiently, effectively and in a sustainable
manner, the increase will have to be checked and where necessary reversed so that the civil
service is properly resourced and remunerated. Government is committed to full
implementation of the CSRP and will provide the resources required. It calls on development
partners to honour their commitments for the smooth implementation of the programme.
72. Under the Plan period, the Government will continue to cooperate with private service
providers to improve service delivery through ICT, raise awareness and enhance citizens’
participation in the delivery of public services. The National Record Office is in the process of
electronic archiving of public records beginning with financial information records.
73. The Government is committed to ensuring that Public Enterprises remain on a path of increased
efficiency and sustainability. It will continue to work on the necessary reforms to make PEs more
effective and efficient. To this end it will put in place a coherent strategy to guide the process of
improving SOE performance; to strengthen the oversight role provided by the MOFEA; to
undertake a full review of the laws and regulations governing the SOEs, notably the Public
Enterprise Act and the individual Acts for those SOEs not incorporated under the Companies Act
2013; and to fully implement enterprise level restructuring and performance plans, complete
divestiture, and PPP arrangements. This would also include separation of SOE regulatory and
commercial functions where appropriate.
74. Strong boards, ownership and political support are the key factors underpinning the success of
performance contracts. The Public Enterprises Act, includes a number of provisions which, with
some modifications, could do much to encourage better SOE performance today.
75. The improvement of access to justice and legal education is an integral strategic goal of
Government. With the support of the E.U, an “Access to Justice” project has been launched
which has improved access to: legal services, remedial justice (especially for vulnerable groups),
legal education, training and research skills, and information and management of cases. It
focusses particularly on access to justice, knowledge of rights (awareness raising campaigns),
improving customary justice, mediation and the Cadis or Sharia system. However, there is still
room for improvement as it needs to cut across the entire country.
76. Development and protection of Intellectual Property is a useful tool for economic development.
Based on the findings of the needs assessment conducted in 2013, to assess the current IP
system, identify weaknesses, constraints and opportunities, Government has started the
elaboration of the National Intellectual Property Strategy and Policy for The Gambia that would
be completed and enforced during the Plan period.
77. The Gambia Standards Bureau has approved ten National Food Standards and established a
modern metrology laboratory under the auspices of the West African Quality Programme.

28
 Projects under the EIF programme supported the NARI lab to get accreditation for testing
aflatoxin. Under the Sector Competitiveness and Export Diversification Project, the government
has also initiated the establishment of a Trade Information System for ease of access to trade
information data. The National Consumer Protection Bill and the legal Metrology Bill were drafted
in 2012 for the protection of consumer welfare and ensuring fair trading practice which has only
solved some part of the problem.
78. The Government has taken strides to strengthen social safety nets to enhance the participation
of the most vulnerable groups in the development process and has drafted a social protection
policy, strategy and action plan which has been validated. The Government has taken several
initiatives including the establishment of a National Social Protection Steering Committee
(NSPSC), the preparation of a daft social protection policy, strategy and action plan, and the
establishment of the Department of Social Welfare to provide welfare and protection services to
vulnerable children, women and the elderly that now require implementation. More needs
doing however in terms of implementation.
79. The Government, with the support of development partners, was able to put together legal and
institutional initiatives including the sexual Offenses Act 2013, the Domestic Violence Act 2013
and the Women’s Amendments Act 2012. However, mainstreaming gender equality measures
has not been as effective, for example there is still a higher dropout of girls at intermediate and
tertiary level of education. These efforts will be strengthened under PAGE II.

Conclusion
80. Under PAGE II the government will:
a. Strengthen fiscal, debt, cash management systems; reduce domestic debt to more
manageable levels and enhance domestic resources mobilization; seek external funding
to liquidate part of the domestic debt; and ensure consistency in policy implementation
and restrain from managing through ad hoc policy directives.
b. Rebalance resource allocation between recurrent and development; focus on
consolidating the gains in human capital; and undertake a comprehensive public
enterprise reform (PER) with the view to bring them to a sound financial footing and
sustainable debt levels.
c. Assure supply of affordable and sustainable energy as well as efficient infrastructure –
road, air, river and port transport.
d. Provide essential services in ICT, transport logistics, and other services needed by the
private sector for job creation and growth.
e. Assist the private sector to use key sources and drivers of growth – focus on agriculture,
tourism, logistics and transport, industry, and trade to generate growth and create jobs.
f. Undertake institutional reforms targeting Civil service to streamline its size to
manageable proportion and improve the pay and working conditions of the staff;
incorporate the local governments in the reforms; implement decentralization policy;

29
 strengthen and upgrade the planning functions in government including adequately
staffing planning units in all MDAs, centralizing their functions and ensuring their proper
coordination to ensure linkage between plans and budget.
g. Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for dependable and reliable water
supply for farming all year round to extend the farming season and lessen over reliance
on rain-fed agriculture.
h. Enhance the quality of education and improve skills development through TVET and
teacher training.
i. Look for innovative financing to enhance access to health through for example the
introduction of a national health insurance scheme.
j. Improve data collection and analysis for evidence based planning and decision making.

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PART ONE: OVERVIEW

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

Introduction
81. A country needs a Development Plan to ensure that resources are managed efficiently and are
utilised effectively for the welfare of the people. Without planning countries are bound to face
challenges in achieving their development efforts. A development plan is an integral part of the
process of national growth and development. Among other things, the process of developing a
plan seeks to identify, articulate and satisfy the basic needs of a country’s population within the
context of available resources and technical knowledge. Economic planning and policies seek to
ensure that the country has a sound economic base which provides revenue to finance
government operations and pay for provision of services to the public while also ensuring that
jobs are available for the country’s labour force. For a small open economy like the Gambia
development planning is a necessity.
82. The Gambia has formulated a new National Development Plan, PAGE II, to succeed the current
Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment (PAGE) which ends in 2016. PAGE II covers
the period 2017 – 2020. Its theme is to achieve sustainable inclusive growth and prosperity. The
National Development Plan (PAGE II) reflects the leadership’s vision and aspirations and takes
account of the domestic political agenda, as well as regional and global developments.
83. PAGE II builds on the gains registered during the period of the first PAGE (2012-2015, extended
to 2016), and implements the necessary measures to accelerate the attainment of the objectives
of The Gambia’s long-term Vision 2020. It also incorporates other existing national policies and
sectoral plans and mainstreams the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the African Union
Agenda 2063 and the Istanbul Plan of Action to ensure the achievement of sustainable inclusive
growth and prosperity.
84. The thrust of PAGE II (2017-2020) is to achieve sustainable inclusive growth, reduce poverty,
reduce inequality and attain prosperity. PAGE II is aimed at serving the Gambian people better
through efficient and effective management use of resources. To achieve its objectives, PAGE II
prioritizes planning for what the Gambia can afford with the means that it has. By promoting
better management of resources, PAGE II expects to spur growth and development and usher in
prosperity through efficient allocation of resources to sectors with higher growth potential and
to services most in demand. In this way PAGE II consolidates and expands on what had worked
under the PAGE with a view to achieving the objectives of Vision 2020.
85. PAGE II further takes stock of results achieved and addresses the challenges identified. It draws
on the lessons of past programs for effective implementation of the last phase of Vision 2020
objective of attaining middle income status as a nation bringing dividend of development,
prosperity and high standard of living to the citizenry. To this end, it identifies gaps and provides
resources required to exploit the opportunities in order to achieve sustainable inclusive growth
and reduce poverty so as to bring about prosperity.

31
Background
86. The Gambia has been implementing economic policies with emphasize on macroeconomic
stability, liberalization and private-sector development. Gambia’s first National Development
Plan covered the period 1964-1967 with focus on public assets and utilities, health and education
infrastructure and creation of employment opportunities through massive public works. The
second PAGE II covered the period 1967-1970 focussing on infrastructure services, improving
storage and handling of groundnuts and expansion of livestock production. The third PAGE II
covered the period 1971-1974 with the main objectives of diversifying the production base and
improving agricultural productivity.
87. The first five-year development plan for the Gambia covered the period 1975/76 to 1980/81
with the objective of raising domestic output of food by 35%, accelerating growth centres in the
country and diversifying the economy. The second development plan covered the period1981/82
to 1985/86 with the aim of accelerating expansion of Gambia’s productive capacity, removing
balance of payments constraints and maintaining price stability while promoting private
investment. This period also witnessed the development of primary health care plan 1980-1985.
88. Beginning in 1985, the Government implemented an ambitious economic recovery programme
aimed at reducing government expenditure, liberalizing trade, deregulating domestic prices and
eliminating subsidies. The measures also led to a significant reduction in government expenditure
on health and education, with serious consequences on vulnerable groups.
89. The Economic Recovery Programme (ERP) covered the period 1986-1989 with the main
objectives of restoring the country’s international credit worthiness and a reduction in external
debt; liberalisation of imports, a reduction in inflation and stabilisation of the foreign exchange
market; restoration of foreign exchange reserves; instilling budgetary discipline and reducing
fiscal deficits; and a strengthening of public institutions. This period also saw the introduction of
cost recovery, user fees and the Drug Revolving Fund for the health sector.
90. Between 1990 and 1993, the Programme for Sustained Development (PSD) was launched in
order to widen the gains and address the socio-economic effects of the economic recovery
programme. It consolidated the benefits and achievements of ERP, enhanced capacity
development in public institutions and created a conducive environment for private sector
investment. The programme succeeded in stabilising the economy and achieved steady growth
and made the Gambia the leading reformer in Africa.
91. The first Strategy for Poverty Alleviation (SPA-I) covered the period 1991-94 in response to the
lack of improvement in living standards despite the growth achieved under the economic recovery
programme and the programme for sustainable development. The four axes of SPA-I were: (a)
enhancement of the productive capacity of the people, (b) improvement in the access to and the
performance of social services, (c) building capacity at the local level, and (d) the promotion of
participatory communication processes.
92. The Strategy for Poverty Alleviation (SPA II) covered the period 1994-1999 with the objectives
of enhancing macro-economic and sectoral reforms, improving access to social services;

32
 enhancing the productive capacity and building capacities of decentralised and civil society
organizations to assist in alleviating poverty. The period of SPA II witnessed the highest level of
infrastructural investment and development despite declining traditional donor support.
Although macroeconomic stability was achieved, poverty in The Gambia rose during the nineties
due to economic shocks, including the coup of 1994, which adversely affected tourism and aid
inflows, the devaluation of the CFA franc in Senegal and declining world market prices for
groundnuts. In 1992, 34% of the population was classified as poor, and 18% as extremely poor.
The impact of SPA-I was limited because of external economic shocks and worsening relations
with the international donor community. By 1998, the situation had deteriorated, and 47% and
30% of the population were poor and extremely poor, respectively.
93. In 1996, the Government adopted a long-term strategy for accelerated and sustainable
development, ‘The Gambia Incorporated Vision 2020’ in order to transform The Gambia into a
middle-income nation. The Gambia’s medium-term strategy was presented in the PRSP/SPA-II.
The PRSP set out the poverty reduction strategy and implementation modalities for Vision 2020.
94. In 2000, the primary macroeconomic convergence criteria for the Programme for Sustainable
Development were met. Real GDP growth increased to 5.3% between 1998 and 2001. The
inflation rate declined steadily from 4.8% in December 1998 to 0.8% at the end of 2000. The
budget deficit, excluding grants, decreased to 3.6% in 2000. Gross reserves stood at an impressive
6.8 months’ worth of imports of goods and services. The exchange rate was relatively stable.
95. The Poverty Reduction Paper PRSPI which covered the period 2003-2005 considered these
developments as “an opportunity to investigate ways in which government can consolidate the
achievements of successive stabilization programs and embark on pro-poor growth.” A
comprehensive agenda in the agricultural, education and health sectors was initiated to reduce
rural poverty.
96. PRSP I involved a dual approach to reaching the long-term goal of poverty reduction. On the one
hand, specific actions were to be carried out in three key sectors to reduce poverty while on the
other hand, macroeconomic growth would have provided income to make these actions feasible.
The plan implemented through PRSP I involved the empowerment of communities to respond to
their own development needs, including through a social development fund. Priority areas for
intervention were identified as agriculture, education, health, selected infrastructure and small
business promotion. Cross-cutting issues were: (a) empowering women and increasing their
access to land in rural areas, (b) addressing the challenges of environmental degradation, and (c)
HIV/AIDS.
97. Despite the challenges under this programme progress was achieved in a number of areas in
particular institutional and legal reforms culminating in the establishment of GRA, GBoS, GPPA
and other governance structures; the enactment of a number of laws: Local Government Act of
2002; the Public Utilities Regulatory Agency (PURA) in 2001; the Finance Audit Act of 2004; as well
as significant achievements in education, health and agriculture.

33
98. PRSPII covering the period 2007-2011, concentrated on programmes aimed at achieving the
Millennium Development Goals by improving the productive capacities of the poor, promoting
growth and reducing poverty. The programme was rather successful in achieving macro-
economic stability and economic growth above the PRSP target. During this period a number of
significant developments were made in the area of infrastructural development and the
successful completion of the HIPC process.
99. Long term GDP growth in the Gambia (1994 through 2013) has been quite moderate due to the
erratic nature of performance of the agriculture sector which in itself depends on weather
conditions - and the ability of the other sectors of the economy, especially tourism, to eventually
counterbalance swings in output. However, the Gambia has been able to maintain steady growth
while also lowering poverty levels in the country.
100. Although The Gambia has been able to reduce poverty by almost 10 percentage points over a 7-
year period, the gains have been extremely skewed towards those living in the urban areas. The
national average of 48.4 percent for the poverty rates masks a wide gap in the incidence of
poverty in the urban areas (32.7%) compared to the rural areas (73.9%). A person living in the
rural areas is twice as likely to live in poverty as opposed to someone living in the urban areas.
These extreme differences in income levels can exacerbate the rural urban migration trend that
is currently being witnessed in The Gambia.
101. The Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment (PAGE) was implemented during the
period 2012 to 2015 (extended to 2016) as the successor to the Gambia’s Poverty Reduction
Strategy Paper II. The PAGE built on the gains of the PRSP II and drew lessons from the challenges
experienced during previous programmes. Its main thrust was to improve – inter alia-
employment levels, per capita income, social services, gender equity and The Gambia’s economic
competitiveness.
102. The PAGE had five pillars: Accelerating and Sustaining Economic Growth; Improving and
Modernizing infrastructure; Strengthening Human Capital Stock to Enhance Employment
Opportunities; Improving Governance and Fighting Corruption and Reinforcing Social Cohesion
and Cross-Cutting Issues.
103. The PAGE succeeded in improving access to education, health, water and sanitation during its first
two years; attainment of most social oriented MDG targets; expansion of public infrastructure;
and significant reductions in child and maternal mortality.
104. PAGE II, covering the period 2017-2020, fully incorporates the pillars and priorities of the first
PAGE considering the evolving environment and the need to incorporate new developments such
as the SDGs, new partnerships, and anticipated exploitation of potential endowments the country
is blessed with taking account of future development needs. The four pillars: Macroeconomic
Management Framework; Strengthening Public Institutions; Sustainable Inclusive Growth; and
Investing in Human Capital.

34
The Process for Developing PAGE II
105. The Process for developing PAGE II started with the Mid-Term evaluation of the PAGE way back
in 2013 and picked momentum with the validation of the roadmap for the preparation of the
successor to the PAGE in May 2015. Following the inception workshop a number of consultative
processes were launched including the joint Common Country Assessment (CCA), the setting up
of various Thematic Working Groups (TWGs), the constitution of CLUSTERS grouping together the
TWGs, as well as workshops and retreats including specific workshops for the various stakeholder
groups – the National Assembly, the regional governments, the private sector representatives and
the CSOs. Over this period updated sectoral strategic plans and analytical studies were used to
draw key lessons going forward. These consultations, dialogue process and validation, pillars and
priorities of PAGE II were developed that spearhead the implementation of the last phase of the
Vision 2020.
106. The PAGE II coincides with the end of the MDGs and the beginning of the implementation period
for the SDGs. In the context of implementing programmes for the last phase of Vision 2020, PAGE
II will accelerate the measures geared towards achieving the objectives while streamlining the
SDGs and taking account of the Agenda 2063 and the Instanbul Plan of Action and other
international commitments.

Report Outline
107. The PAGE II document starts with an executive summary highlighting the roles of the key players
– the private sector and the government – employing The Gambia’s endowments facilitated by
trade to generate growth and employment with the support of the growth enablers. The PAGE II
has three main parts divided into seven chapters. Part One provides the context of where The
Gambia is situated regionally and globally and consists of three chapters. Chapter ONE provides a
historical perspective of development planning in the Gambia since independence, including the
PAGE and a short synopsis of the process for developing PAGE II. Chapter TWO gives a short
overview of where the Gambia is situated geographically, socially and economically within the
region and in the global context. Chapter THREE elaborates on Why PAGE II? in terms of using the
private sector to exploit the endowments supported by the enablers and driven by the
Government to deliver sustainable inclusive growth during the last phase of Vision 2020.
108. Part Two of the Plan delves deeper into the four Pillars that are the drivers of growth to deliver
sustainable inclusive growth and prosperity during the last phase of Vision 2020. Chapter FOUR
provides the situation analysis of the priority areas of the four Pillars that will be used to deliver
the objectives of Vision 2020 – sustainable inclusive growth and prosperity. The macroeconomic
pillar (PILLAR I) touches on macroeconomic stability in particular fiscal discipline, monetary policy,
employment and public finance management. Pillar Two on Strengthening Public Sector deals
with strengthening the public sector to provide the services to the drivers of growth. Pillar Three
deals with Promoting Sustainable Inclusive Growth using a number of growth nodes from
agriculture to trade, private sector development, climate change, ICT, etc. as well as addressing
some of the bottlenecks in transport and energy that impinge the development of the private
sector to grow and create jobs. Pillar Four covers human capital in particular education and skills

35
 development, health upgrading, population management and urbanisation as well as social
protection. Chapter FIVE puts the case of how The Gambia will use the Pillars to grow to
accommodate the demands of a youthful population. It sets out the strategies under each Pillar.
109. Section Three of the Plan is devoted to the M&E Framework and the Resource Framework that
are covered in Chapters SEVEN and EIGHT of the Plan respectfully.

36
CHAPTER TWO: THE ECONOMY
Physical
110. The Gambia is the smallest country in mainland Africa mostly surrounded by Senegal with a
short strip of 60 km along its coastline bordering the Atlantic Ocean . The River Gambia divides
the country into two halves. The Gambia is less than 48.2 km (30.0 mi) wide at its widest point,
with a total area of 11,295 km2. About 1,300 km2 (11.5%) of The Gambia's area is covered by
water. Banjul is the capital and the largest cities are Serekunda and Brikama.
111. Gambia has a tropical climate. A hot and rainy season normally lasts from June until November,
but from then until May, cooler temperatures predominate, with less precipitation.
112. The Gambia's economy is dominated by farming, fishing, and especially tourism.

Demography
113. The population of The Gambia as at April 15, 2013 was 1,857,181 persons, comprising 943,426
females and 913,755 males. This shows that females constitute 50.8 per cent of the population.
Of the total population, 1,073,827 live in urban areas while 783,354 persons live in the rural areas.
Thus, in 2013 57.8 per cent of the population lived in urban areas compared to 50.4 per cent in
2003. The population grew at an annual rate of 3.1 per cent for the period 2003-2013, an increase
of 36.5 per cent when compared to 2.7 percent for the period 1993–2003.
114. The largest proportion of the population live in Brikama (37.1%) followed by Kanifing (20.3%),
Basse (12.8%) and Kerewan (11.9%) Local Government Areas (LGAs). All the LGAs recorded an
increase in population size except Banjul which recorded a negative growth of 11.4 per cent over
the 2003-2013 period. The population density increased to 174 persons per square km in 2013
from 127 persons per square km in 2003, 97 persons per square km in 1993, and 64 persons per
square km in 1983.
115. The total number of households has increased by 38.2 per cent from 157,494 in 2003 to 217,610
households in 2013. The average household size in 2013 was 8.5 persons, marginally lower than
8.6 persons per household in 2003. In 2013 about 21 per cent of households were headed by
females.

Population dynamics
116. The crude death rate (general mortality rate) has decreased to 6.5 deaths per 1,000 persons in
2013 from 7.6 per 1,000 persons in 2003. The infant mortality rate has dropped significantly from
75 deaths per 1,000 live births to 35 deaths per 1,000 live births between 2003 and 2013,
representing a 53 per cent reduction during the period; consistent with the findings of the
Demographic and Health Survey 2013. The under-five mortality rate has also decreased to 63
deaths per 1,000 live births from 99 deaths per 1000 live births in 2003. The life expectancy at
birth was 63.4 years in 2013 (65.9 years for females and 60.8 years for males). The Total Fertility
Rate (TFR) has increased slightly to 5.9 children per woman in 2013 from 5.4 children per woman
in 2003.

37
117. There has been marked internal migration in The Gambia with 321,783 persons (17.30% of the
population) migrating internally, of whom 140,761 (43.74%) were rural-urban migrants. More
than 28% of these were born in Kerewan, while Kanifing and Brikama were major destinations.
Except for Kanifing and Brikama, net internal migration was negative in all other LGAs. Urban–
urban and urban–rural migration was less significant, with 86,861 persons being urban–urban
migrants while only 18,378 were urban–rural migrants.
118. As in internal migration, Kanifing and Brikama attract most foreign nationals with 69.7 per cent
resident in these two LGAs. Most immigrants originate from Senegal (49.2%) and Guinea Conakry
(20.6%). Of the external migrants, 29.6 per cent came into the country in search of employment,
23.2 per cent followed their families and 21.7 per cent came to join their spouses.

Access to basic amenities

119. Households using electricity as their main source of light has significantly increased from 27.8 per
cent in 2003 to 47.9 per cent in 2013. Access to piped water also increased from 57.5 per cent in
2003 to 60.8 per cent in 2013, while households with access to safe drinking water facilities
increased from 76.0 per cent in 2003 to 83.6 per cent in 2013.
120. The gross school attendance rate (GAR) was impressive at 91.5 percent at primary school, but less
so in lower secondary (70.9%) and in upper secondary school (61.4%). About 45 per cent of the
population aged 3 years and above have never attended school. Of those attending school 48.7%
were females and 40.7% males. Among the population aged 3 years and above, the highest level
of education attained was 7.7 per cent for early childhood education; 40.8 per cent for primary
level; 21.3 per cent for lower secondary; 25.4 per cent for upper secondary, 1.8 per cent for
vocational; and 3.1 per cent for tertiary. The literacy rates (those who can read and write) among
the population aged 15 years and above is 47.7 per cent; the literacy rate for women was 41.4 per
cent compared to 54.2 per cent for males. Of the total population of 1,442,974 persons aged 7
years and above; 654,100 persons (45.3%) were economically active. On average, one employed
person supports 2 extra persons.
121. The main challenge facing The Gambia is population growth and the composition of the
population, the majority of whom are the youth.

Table 1: The Gambia Population 1973-2013

2013 2003 1993 1983 1973

Total Population 1,857,181 1,360,681 1,038,145 687,817 493,497
Urban population 1,073,827 685,783 385,400 206,746 125,337
Rural Population 783, 354 674,898 652,745 481,071 368,160
% Urban Population 58% 50% 37% 30% 25%
Urbanisation rate % = rate of growth 15% 36% 24% 18% NA
Absolute urban growth % = change from year to year 57% 68% 86% 65% NA
Source: Population Census 2015

38
The Economy
122. The economy has shifted over the years from agriculture to a service oriented economy supported
by tourism and financial services. Even though the share of manufacturing has remained stable
without much transformation and value addition activities. This situation has provoked the move
of the population from agriculture to whole sale trade which has not assisted in bringing about
the desired structural transformation. With an effective illiteracy rate of 52% for working age
population future transformation will remain constrained. This shift was equally driven by the
weak performance of the agriculture sector which in itself depends on weather conditions; and
the ability of the other sectors of the economy, especially tourism, to eventually counterbalance
swings in output. As a result, cereal production fell and now accounts for only 60 (40??) per cent
of annual consumption requirements making the country reliant on food imports, especially rice,
which is the main staple food.
123. The Gambia's economy is dominated by farming, fishing, and especially tourism. The economy is
largely dependent on agriculture, which accounted for around 26 (24, 25??) percent of GDP over
1994-2013 and provides an activity for 70 (71, 72, 75???) percent of the labor force. The
industrial sector (about 15 percent of GDP over the same period), consists mostly of
construction and agro-processing activities. Services account for 60 percent of GDP, with trade
and transport, and communications being its two largest components. Tourism is The Gambia’s
primary foreign-exchange earner.
124. The Gambia is endowed with agricultural land that continues to be the backbone of the
economy; some of the best beaches in the world for tourism; a unique location that has over
the years made The Gambia an entrepot into the region; and now services in the areas of ICT,
transport logistics and financial services. Trade and industry have traditionally played an
important role in the economy of The Gambia; with exports largely comprising of re-exports,
while domestic goods account for about 5 (10) percent of merchandise exports.
125. Although The Gambia has been able to reduce poverty by almost 10 percentage points over a 7-
year period, the gains have been extremely skewed towards those living in the urban areas, with
30% of urban households (in 2013) multi-dimensionally poor (poverty headcount) as opposed to
80% in the rural areas. According to the 2013 Population Census 58% of The Gambia’s population
live in urban centres; the highest level of rural migration in Africa. According to the IHS 2010,
these differences can exacerbate the rural urban migration trend that is currently being witnessed
in The Gambia. The urban population was 25% in 1973 compared to 58% in 2013.
126. According to The Gambia Labour Force Survey of 2012, unemployment rate stood at 29.8% with
the youth being disproportionately affected – 38% unemployment rate. It further shows that
female youth are less likely to be employed or in education, and more likely to be inactive (31
percent against 27 percent for male youth). The increasing joblessness and under-employment
among the young people leaves many of them with a sense of desperation and helplessness
forcing many of them to seek opportunities elsewhere including illegal migration to Europe. With
an increasing urban population and with many unemployed young people, the government faces

39
 serious challenges of providing services to the population while generating the growth necessary
to absorb the unemployed.
127. PAGE II will focus on delivering economic growth through a private sector that is fully
empowered to sustainably exploit The Gambia’s endowments as sources and drivers of growth
facilitated by the “enablers of growth” and driven by the government providing institutional
support and quality services as well as creating the necessary conducive environment in which
to operate.

GDP Growth
128. The Gambia remains fully committed to building a resilient economy to achieve sustainable
growth, and create opportunities for all its citizens. This is amply demonstrated by the plethora
of development initiatives taken in the last two decades and a number of development plans
implemented since 1964 (see Chapter One). The Gambia has been implementing economic
policies with emphasis on macroeconomic stability, liberalization and private-sector
development espoused in post independent development plans and articulated in Vision 2020.
Performance on successive plans was dogged with growth variabilities. The Gambia has been
able to achieve an average GDP growth rate of about 3.5 percent over the past decade, even
though it has fluctuated from a high of 7.1 percent (2004) to a low of -4.3 percent (2011); the
growth has been erratic to say the least. Erratic growth makes it difficult for the poor to save
and build assets to achieve sustainable poverty reduction.
129. These erratic swings in growth were largely determined by the behavior of agriculture. Because
of its heavy dependence on rainfall and its size in the economy, erratic rainfall patterns have been
mirrored by a corresponding pattern in GDP growth. For instance, in 1997-2001 and in 2007 -
2010, agriculture registered as a result of good rains, a bumper harvest, which coupled with
enhanced macroeconomic framework, resulted in a corresponding strong GDP growth. In
addition, the ability of other sectors, especially tourism, to compensate for agriculture’s poor
performance, explains the alternating periods of expansion and contraction and the
countercyclical effects (see figure 2) sometimes registered in the GDP growth trends (WB, 2015).
130. Perhaps the most important determinant of agricultural output in The Gambia is rainfall; the
amount, duration and distribution. Over the past 25 years, rainfall volumes have been erratic
(from a low of 55mm in 1984 to a high of 102mm in 1999), making it difficult to predict rains and
therefore plan for the season adequately. Added to this is the shortening of the rainy season over
time from 5 months a year in 1985 to less than 4 months in 2014 (Department of Water Resources,
2014). The result has been varying agricultural output that cannot be planned.
131. The Gambia is extremely susceptible to weather shocks, either in the form of drought, erratic
rainfall or less than optimal rains. This has, over the past 4 decades, led to erratic output in the
agricultural sector that has also been accompanied with a value added per worker that has been
trending downwards. Unreliable rains, an Ebola epidemic (despite the country not registering a
single case of Ebola) that threatened the sub region and had an adverse effect on tourist arrivals,
negatively affected foreign exchange earnings and put pressure both on the Dalasi and

40
 government revenue. The result was a depreciation of the Dalasi by nearly 30% against the dollar
over the period. The Gambia, being an open economy, relies heavily on imports, has a very high
exchange rate pass through to domestic prices. This means that, a depreciation of the dalasi
translates to an increase in prices fairly quickly and nearly one for one; resulting in a faster growth
of prices.

Figure 1: Time series values for GDP Growth, log of rainfall Figure 2: Contribution to GDP growth by sector
and log of Value Added per Worker in Agriculture

132. The adverse effects of the 2014 late and insufficient rains further weakened activities in the
Agricultural sector. In light of this, the sectors’ annual growth contracted to -7.2 per cent in
2014, from 1.8 per cent. Poor performance of agriculture, a sector that employs the majority of
the rural population, has stunted and hampered inclusiveness of growth in the country. (Insert
IHS 2015 data on (Rural /urban disparity of income, employment numbers as well as sectoral
disparity)
133. The ANR sector is characterized by a weak policy and investment framework; a sector heavily
dependent on rainfall and subsistence farming. Lack of a clear policy has impeded sustainable
development, growth and management of the fisheries and aquaculture. Women farmers face
challenges such as limited access to investment resources, poor nutrition, inadequate labour
saving devices, low functional literacy, and difficulty in getting access to and control of land
because of gender-discriminating customary land tenure systems. Low soil fertility, pest and
disease, climate change and related problems of erratic and declining rainfall further make
Gambian agriculture risky and food nutrition and security, a huge development challenge, as well
as affordability and access to credit. Given the risks posed by these factors, the sector has
remained underdeveloped. The reluctance of the private sector to take advantage of available
opportunities in agriculture has been exacerbated by the fact that public resources are channeled
to low productivity activities, mainly to the informal sector.

41
134. The tourism sector remains the dominant sector of the economy with 65 per cent contribution to
GDP; it registered a growth of 6.1 per cent in 2014 compared to a year earlier. Although the
achievements registered have been impressive, a number of challenges still remain that continue
to limit the industry’s contribution to GDP and therefore the potential to create jobs. Most
recently, the Ebola epidemic in some West African Countries (the Gambia had no case of Ebola)
had a negative impact on the industry, leading to cancellation of bookings and a reduction of
tourist arrivals in the 2014/15 season by 60.2% compared to the previous seasons. However,
according to the World Bank (2015) the industry is expected to rebound from this external shock
in 2016. While overall impact on growth of the tourism sector is positive, its impact on
inclusiveness is less evident. There is potential therefore for developing backward linkages with
the ANR sector to enhance its inclusiveness and contribution to the growth process.
135. Finance and Insurance is the sector with the highest output per worker. A worker in this sector
produces more output than the workers in all other sectors in the economy combined. However,
the sector accounts for less than 1 percent of the people in active employment. This means that
virtually all employed Gambians domestically are engaged in sectors with extremely low labour
productivity. An economy with a poverty headcount of nearly 50 percent nationally (and 70
percent in rural areas), that has its workforce employed in low wage, low productivity sectors and
a high fertility rate is walking a tight rope to development. The mix of these factors is likely to
keep poverty levels in the country high for a very long time calling for urgent and dramatic
measures to spur growth and development.
136. The Information, Communication and Telecommunication (ICT) sub-sector is one of the fast
growing sectors of the economy and a major contributor to the service sector.
137. The Telecoms sector has seen a revamp of its capacity through the establishment of the Africa
Coast to Europe (ACE) Submarine Cable Landing Station and the ACE Consortium, which has
improved internet connectivity more than tenfold. The Government is boosting the capacity of
the transmitter at Kudang in order to increase the coverage of both TV and Radio in the North
Bank Region. The new capacity needs provide ample room for private sector investment.
138. The transport sector is an essential catalyst for The Gambia’s development by providing vital and
essential links between areas of production with markets and facilitating access to social and
economic facilities. The country’s strategic location makes it a natural hub for sea, air, river and
land transport and as a logistics service centre.

42
 Fig 3: Annual Growth rate of GDP, Agriculture, Industry and
Services
30.0%

20.0%

10.0%

0.0%
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Rev. Rev. Est.
-10.0%

-20.0%

-30.0%

GDP Agriculture Industry Services

139. The industrial sector is another major player in the Gambian economy, accounting for 15% of
GDP in 2014; representing a growth of 2.7 per cent in 2014. Manufacturing and construction
sub-components provide opportunity for investment and growth however.
140. Trade has traditionally played an important role in the economy. The country’s exports largely
comprise of re-exports, with domestic goods accounting for only 5 percent of merchandise
exports. The country remains an important supplier of foreign-manufactured goods and other
essential items to the sub-region. Locally produced goods comprise of groundnuts, and to a lesser
extent cashews and fishery exports.
141. Over the past decade transit trade has been hampered by a number of developments including
political disruption in key destination countries (Guinea and Mali) and deterioration in the
country’s export competitiveness, as neighboring countries have taken advantage to reform their
port facilities and management. These developments, while challenging, offer a unique
opportunity that would be exploited under PAGE II.
142. Although The Gambia has been able to reduce poverty by almost 10 percentage points over the
last 7-year period, the gains have been extremely skewed towards those living in the urban
areas. A person living in the rural areas is twice as likely to live in poverty as opposed to
someone living in the urban areas.
143. While there has been an effort by the government to provide basic social services such as basic
education, health care services and electricity to rural settlements, poverty and deprivation
levels in rural areas are still rife. Continued provision of these basic social services requires
prudent fiscal management in order to curb the debt stock and cost of borrowing.

43
Inflation
144. Price stability is essential to attain sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction. The rate
of inflation over the past decade has been generally low and stable. Price developments in 2015
indicated a declining trend in all major indicators. However, pressures emerged in 2015 with
headline inflation reaching 7.2 percent in June 2015 before declining slightly to 6.9 percent in
December of the same year.
145. Inflation, as measured by the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) decelerated to 6.7 percent
in December 2015, from 6.9 percent in December 2014. Food inflation declined to 7.6 percent at
end-December 2015 from 8.4 percent a year ago. In contrast, non-food inflation increased from
4.7 in December 2014 to 5.2 percent in December 2015. As international commodity prices and
the exchange rate of the Gambian Dalasi against major currencies remain somewhat stable in
2016, it is expected that inflation will remain around 5.0 per cent in the medium term (2016-
2020). However, the downside risks remain if increases in international commodity prices such
as rice, flour, sugar, oil prices, etc. materialize. In addition, if the gains in the Dalasi against the
four major trading currencies3 reverse, inflation may rise above the anticipated 5.2 per cent in
2017 before stabilizing to 5.0 per cent in the medium term.
146. Price movements during this period have been largely influenced by developments in the fiscal
sector, depreciation of the exchange rate and supply constraints related to disruptions in food
production due to poor harvest in the cropping season.

Fig 4: Real GDP Growth and CPI Inflation

10

6
Percentage Growth

4
CPI Inflation
2
Real GDP Growth
0

-2

-4

-6

3
The USD, EURO, GBP and the CFA

44
Monetary Policy
147. The policy rate increased in graduated steps from 12 percent in 2013 to 22 percent in 2014
before increasing further to 23 percent in May 2015. As a result, interest rates remained
elevated including yields on government securities. The statutory required reserve ratio for
commercial bank deposits was increased to 15 percent in 2013, and in 2015 cash in vaults of
commercial banks was eliminated as a reserve asset in the computation of required reserve
ratio.
148. The capacity of the Central Bank of the Gambia (CBG) to supervise the banking sector has
improved with the introduction of a new electronic system to collect data from banks as well as
with the hiring of additional staff. However, it remains constrained by low capacity particularly
for effective off-site analysis and assessment. Efforts to move to a more risk based supervision
model are nascent. The CBG regularly engages in joint supervision of cross border banks,
particularly with the Central Bank of Nigeria, which is helping with the introduction of a risk
based supervision model.
149. Growth in the monetary aggregates decelerated in 2015. Broad money (M2) contracted by 0.9
percent in 2015 compared to the growth of 11.2 percent in 2014. In contrast, the net domestic
assets (NDA) of the banking sector rose by 13.9 percent compared to 14.2 percent a year earlier.
Reserve money grew at an annual rate of 10.0 percent, lower than the 11.9 percent a year before,
owing to the marked contraction in the NFA of the Central Bank. The key financial soundness
indicators show that the fundamentals of the banking industry remain strong. The industry risk-
weighted capital adequacy ratio averaged 32.6 percent in 2015, higher than the required
minimum of 10.0 percent.
150. The continued depreciation of the dalasi has contributed to an inflation rate above the Central
bank of The Gambia’s target range of 5% to 6%. Furthermore, there has been an increase in the
current account deficit, from 9% of GDP in 2012 to a projected 18% of GDP in 2015. Fiscal
expansion in the face of reduced foreign exchange earnings has led to increased use of domestic
debt (CBG financing of debt) as a means to make up for the shortfall. The result has been a
significant increase of government debt over the last 3 years. In 2014, domestic public debt
increased by 12.5% of GDP, an extremely high number for any country. The result was a jump in
the debt stock to 100.2% of GDP in 2014 and stood at 105% in 2015. In the first half of 2015, the
government debt was 10% of GDP, with the interest payments on debt accounting for 35% of
government’s revenue collected.
151. Remittances, on the other hand, have been increasing for over a decade at a rate of about 12%
per annum. Annual remittances currently stand at about $181 million, representing about 22% of
GDP. According to the World Bank, The Gambia received the most remittances in 2013 as a
percent of GDP followed by Lesotho and Liberia. Remittances provide a huge potential as a source
for long-term capital expenditures particularly for major infrastructure projects.

45
Balance of Payments
152. The balance of payments for 2015 indicated an overall deficit of US$51.6 million compared to
US$0.7 million in 2014. The current account deficit widened to US$135.8 million compared to
the deficit of US$89.8 million in 2014. Of the components of the current account, the goods
account recorded a deficit of US$263.8million, higher than the deficit of US$231.5 million a year
earlier. The services account surplus decreased slightly to US$33 million from US$51.7million in
the year.
153. The capital and financial account recorded a surplus of US$84.1 million, lower than the surplus
of US$89.1 million in 2014. As at End-December 2015, gross international reserves amounted to
US$76.0 million, equivalent to 1.7 months of import cover, lower than the US$111.6 million, or
4.5 months of import cover in December 2014.

Fiscal Deficit
154. The persistent fiscal deficits have largely been financed by short-term domestic borrowing,
pushing up interest rates and crowding out private sector investments. The Gambia’s economy
and macroeconomic stability is also vulnerable to various risks and structural constraints. The two
most critical channels of vulnerability include the heavy debt burden and susceptibility to
macroeconomic shocks and environmental risks (African Economic Outlook, 2013).
155. The persistent fiscal deficits have largely been financed by short-term domestic borrowing,
pushing up interest rates and crowding out private sector investments. The Gambia’s economy
and macroeconomic stability is also vulnerable to various risks and structural constraints. The two

46
 most critical channels of vulnerability include the heavy debt burden and susceptibility to
macroeconomic shocks and environmental risks (African Economic Outlook, 2013).
Fig 5: Fiscal deficit

Domestic Tax Revenue Government Expenditure

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 (prelim) 2015 (est.)

156. Reduced income from foreign exchange, a depreciating currency and a widening current account
balance by themselves are a challenge for a country seeking to reduce poverty through growth
and job creation. Adding the extra burden of a high debt stock that is costly to finance, this potent
mix has the makings of a perfect storm. In small amounts debt can serve as a good policy tool and
allow for stable tax rates whilst the country tries to increase the tax base. In large doses, domestic
debt has the ability to crowd out the private sector from the market and ultimately have an
adverse effect on the economy. This is what is currently occurring in the Gambia, with private
sector credit growth reaching negative levels for two consecutive years. This means that there
has been a fall in the amount of money banks lend to the private sector. Credit to the private
sector (14.7% of GDP) is well below the regional average of 58.7%. Domestic banks are more
willing to lend to the government at 19% (1-year Treasury Bills) than to the private sector. The
result has been the sectors such as Industry, Tourism and Agriculture have adversely suffered,
being starved of the necessary funding to expand their businesses.

Public Debt
157. Total Public debt which stood at 105 percent of GDP as at end 2015 is on an unsustainable path
that requires restructuring to bring it to sustainable levels. The total domestic debt outstanding
as at end 2015 stood at GMD 18.8 billion (47 percent of GDP). The bulk of the debt is composed
of Treasury Bills which constitute 68% of the stock.
158. Interest cost as percentage of GDP is already high at 7.06%. This is mainly due to high cost of
domestic debt carrying an average interest rate of 13.4 percent. The portfolio is further
characterized by an exceptionally high share of short-term debt at 43.8 percent. The recent hike

47
 in domestic interest rates indicates high interest rate risk since the maturing debt will need to
be refinanced at higher rates. About 78.5% of domestic debt would be re-fixed within one year.

Figure 6: Composition of Domestic Debt by Instrument

T-bills

1%

12%
9% Government Bond

78% Government Bond

Government bond

Source: Directorate of Debt management and Economic Cooperation (DDMEC)

159. Foreign-currency denominated debt as a share of TPD stands at near 50 percent of the portfolio-
reflecting new on-take of external concessional loans- but also the very large share of domestic
debt in the portfolio.
Fig 7: Public Debt

48
160. The main risks to the public debt portfolio include: high refinancing risk, about 43.8% of total
debt is maturing within one year; high interest rate risk, about 45.9% of total debt is due for
re-fixing in one year; 78.8% of domestic debt is due for re-fixing within the same period
which, with expected higher interest rate and high foreign currency risk, the short-term
foreign currency debt to reserve ratio is high at 31.6%, due to external obligations and

Fig 8: Summary of MTE Findings

Objectives Level of Achievement of PAGE Objectives

Very High High Moderate Low Very Low
Development Results: Poverty Reduction,
Increasing Employment and Raising Per
capita Income
Pillar 1: Accelerating and Sustaining
Economic Growth – Macroeconomic
Management
Pillar 1: Accelerating and Sustaining
Economic Growth – Economic Growth
Pillar 2 - Improving and Modernizing
Infrastructure
Pillar 3: Human Capital Stock and
Employment Opportunities
Pillar 4 - Improving Governance and
Fighting Corruption
Pillar 5 - Reinforcing Social Cohesion and
Cross Cutting Interventions

161. Given the exposures of the debt portfolio to market risks and other macroeconomic
variables, The Gambia’s debt remains vulnerable to both external and domestic shocks. Any
further rise in interest rates would increase the cost of domestic debt, while direct controls
in foreign exchange markets and the resultant volatility would threaten the prospect of
medium term external financing.
162. The successor National Development Plan (PAGE II 2017-2020), building on the Programme for
Accelerated growth and Employment (PAGE 2012-2016), is designed towards the attainment of
the Gambia’s national Vision 2020 goal of a prosperous nation. Towards that end the Plan is
anchored on a viable macroeconomic framework whose primary objective is to achieve
sustainable inclusive growth and prosperity. The path to stability starts with measures to
reversing and correcting the imbalances in order to restore macroeconomic stability. The
measures involve pursuing sound fiscal and monetary policies directed at improving efficiency in
revenue generation and public spending that meets the growing needs of the Gambian people
in a globalized world economy.

49
163. Economic and poverty outcomes still remain a challenge propelled by domestic policies but also
external factors such as weather and regional integration challenges. Nevertheless, the fiscal
challenge is causing a drag on growth, poverty reduction and employment generation.

Challenges to sustainable growth

164. Growth in the Gambia has been slow and erratic over the past 25 years. Erratic growth is not
conducive to poverty reduction; not pro poor. Stable growth is the key to reducing poverty.
Growth has been anchored mainly in the service sector. Foreign exchange earnings are based
primarily on groundnut exports, tourism and remittances meaning that the relatively
undiversified economy makes The Gambia highly vulnerable to external shocks exacerbating the
need for aid support.
165. Over the medium term, the main challenges for The Gambia are strengthening economic and
financial stability, enhancing growth prospects, and reducing poverty, in line with Vision 2020.
The level of growth achieved so far was not sufficient to reduce poverty, reduce unemployment
and increase per capita income.
166. The Gambia’s development programmes, as encapsulated in the Vision 2020, call for a private
sector-led growth that responds positively to trade, investment and market opportunities. The
private sector in The Gambia is dominated by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs),
mainly operating in the productive sectors with 97% of businesses having less than 5 employees
(formal or informal sector). Small firms, those with 5 to 9 employees, make up 2.2% of the private
sector while medium and large firms, together, make up less than 1% of firms. This demonstrates
the clear potential of the private sector to grow and play its sizeable role in the economy.
167. Challenges to policy development have led to confusion, duplication and inertia in the policy
landscape. Fragmented policy making and limited alignment both vertical and horizontal are
issues that require addressing. Overlaps, conflicts and inconsistencies among sectors and their
policies tend to curtail cross-sectoral cooperation, collaboration and partnerships especially on
sector-wide issues such as environment, women, youth and employment but also in other crucial
areas.
168. The current policies tend to produce personnel that is not properly motivated resulting in high
turnover of staff that has adverse effects on policy implementation as knowledge and institutional
memory is never retained long enough to produce the required results and benefits. In addition,
and perhaps as a consequence of this, the economy suffers from limited technical skills and
inadequate experience in the public sector especially in the areas of policy development, analysis
and M&E. No wonder then that the linkage between PAGE and sector polices and strategies was
not that well defined.
169. Energy is not easily accessible and supplies are unreliable, which impacts all sectors of the
economy and citizens negatively. About 90% of domestic energy comes from forest resources
leading to rapid deforestation. Interconnection with available regional energy projects to access
cheaper and more reliable electricity and the promotion of private sector investment in mini-grids

50
 and off-grid power generation to improve accessibility, affordability and reliability are initiatives
that have not been fully exploited.
170. Lack of appropriate transport policies and regulations, including a road infrastructure master plan,
inadequate local expertise in the road construction industry, and lack of proper skills to manage
urban transport is another constraining factor. The Banjul Port has a public service model, which
is less efficient than the landlord model ports used by Dakar and Conakry, making them more
competitive. River Transport which used to be the backbone of the Gambian transport system
before road transport system was developed is now almost non-existent. The Banjul International
Airport is generally under-utilized, except during the tourist season.
171. The infrastructure sector – energy and transport in particular – is in need of heavy investment and
modernization that could offer opportunities to PPP joint ventures.
172. Good governance, justice and respect for fundamental human rights principles are important
national objectives set out in the 1997 Constitution of The Gambia. Human Rights institutions in
the Gambia remain weak and lack capacity to implement the reforms guaranteeing the basic
human rights. The Gambia hosts the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (ACDHRS)
and the ECOWAS Centre for Human Rights (ECHR); a demonstration of being a strong believer
and upholder of human rights and rule of law. In addition, the Government has signed and
ratified a number of relevant human rights instruments and conventions. Government has also
taken steps to set up a Human Rights Commission.
173. At present, lack of a Land Use Policy has tended to limit the potential of the land. Rapid,
uncontrolled and unplanned urban expansion has resulted in settlements in erosion and flood
prone areas with no urbanization policy and strategy in place. It also constrained revenue
generation from properties as most of them are not valued properly. Waste dumping has sprung
up as a consequence of unplanned settlements and due to lack of capacity by the local
government authorities to collect domestic waste for disposal.
174. There is acknowledgement of the impressive investment made in school construction, especially
at the basic cycle level. However, access to quality education for all children, retaining qualified
teachers, and availability of skills training centres for the youth remain a challenge. Priority areas
should therefore target the provision of skills training centres and availability of qualified teachers
to train and build capacity of skilled labour through improved access to TVET training, and
matching the labour market needs to the type of training provided by the educational institutions.
175. The challenges facing women include lack of access to education (with illiteracy as a debilitating
consequence), lack of sufficient access and equal opportunity to work, providing adequate
compensation, right to land and property (farmland and credit), low level of awareness of their
rights and negative impact of harmful traditional practices such as forced and early marriage. The
household chores also contribute to the disempowerment of women and girls as they affect equal
access to education of girls and give very little time to women to ensure equal access to decent
work and remuneration. To address these challenges, the government will continue to promote
measures aimed at equal access to land and credit for women; continuing the awareness raising;

51
 providing labour saving devices; and protecting and promoting equal access to education for girls.
Priority actions include the provision of credit facilities for women, supply of labour saving devices
and mechanisms that guarantee equal participation in decision-making.
176. The Gambia faces a huge migration challenge, particularly to Europe through the “back-way”. The
impact on the community has reduced agricultural production because of the shortage of labour
and increased poverty in the rural areas. Migration can be costly to families left behind, especially
the elderly. Migration has also resulted in increased loss of life on the way to Europe. The root
causes to the migration flow is the lack of skills and employment opportunities. To address these
challenges, PAGE II proposes the establishment of skills centres and business opportunities in the
regions
177. The Gambia is susceptible to the vagaries of the environment and climate change, in particular
droughts and flooding which cause a lot of damage to farmlands and settlements and livestock.
Deforestation through illegal logging and bushfires, and sand mining and illegal settlements and
other uncontrolled activities are the main contributing factors in a situation already made
precarious by climate change. The priority intervention areas are reforestation and ecological
restoration programmes, and developing the resilience and adaptive capacity of people to flood
and other natural disasters.

Poverty in The Gambia4

Introduction

While the PAGE was relevant, it has not been effective in delivering
results in key outcome areas such as growth, macroeconomic stability,
poverty reduction and employment.

178. The Gambia, has a significant number of people living in poverty. The last poverty survey,
Integrated Household Survey 2010, estimated the poverty headcount at 48.4 percent for those
living on less than $1.25 a day, with over 73 percent of them staying in the rural areas. The poverty
headcount in the urban areas was estimated to be significantly lower; 32 percent. The extremes
in poverty levels between the urban and rural areas are a great cause for concern. Inequality
regarding wealth and incomes between urban and rural areas is to be expected, but to have a
situation where a household in the rural areas is twice more likely to be poor than one in the
urban areas ultimately leads to friction within society. It also accelerates rural urban migration,
which has the effect of causing a strain on public goods in the urban areas.

4
This section and PAGE II as a whole will need to be updated when the results of the Integrated
Household Survey 2016 becomes available.
52
Poverty in regions
179. The National Poverty Headcount (in terms of deprivations) is 57.27 percent, with the average
intensity of deprivation 51.18 percent. This means that, 57.27 percent of households in The
Gambia are deprived in at least a third of the indicators above. The MPI for the Gambia has
dropped over the past 7 years from 0.3240 to 0.2931. Similarly, the headcount and intensity have
also dropped over the same period. The poverty head count and intensity of deprivations in 2006
were 60.4 percent and 53.6 percent respectively. This shows that there has been an improvement
in reducing both the number of people who are considered multi-dimensionally poor as well as
the intensity of their deprivation. It is important to reiterate that the measure of intensity only
convers those households that are considered multi-dimensionally poor, those that have a
deprivation score above a third.
180. According to the Integrated Household Survey of 2010 and the Light Poverty study of 2014,
approximately 9 out of every 10 households are multi-dimensionally poor in the Kuntaur LGA;
deprived over half of the basic needs. The situation in the Janjanbureh LGA is very similar, with an
average poverty headcount of about 85%. Although there is a significant variation in the poverty
headcounts, the intensity of deprivation is fairly stable across the country.

THE INTEGRATED HOUSEHOLD SURVEY 2015

53
CHAPTER THREE: WHY PAGE II

Why The Gambia needs PAGE II

 Achieve sustainable inclusive growth;

 consolidate achievements of the PAGE and its predecessor programs in terms of policies that have
worked, institutions that have performed, and programs that have delivered;
 take stock of results and address the challenges identified and draw lessons from past programs;
 identify and provide the resources required to exploit the opportunities;
 incorporate the sectoral strategic plans and priorities into the PAGE II process;
 mainstream the SDGs, the AU Agenda 2063 and the Istanbul Plan of Action and other international
commitments so as to achieve sustainable inclusive growth, reduce poverty and achieve prosperity;
 act as a display window for investors, stakeholders and donors; and
 serve the Gambian people better through efficient and effective management and use of resources.

Vision 2020 Objectives

181. The Vision 2020 recognizes agriculture, industry, financial sector, the tourism industry, trade,
transport, energy and telecommunications sectors, as the main drivers for transforming The
Gambia into a middle income country by the end of the first quarter of the 21st Century. In
support of these sectors Vision 2020 undertook to remove the constraints including: improving
monetary and fiscal policies needed for mobilising savings; encouraging industries with
technologies most suited to the present workforce; designing policies and building institutions
capable of reducing failures of industry start-ups; improving spin-offs of direct investments; and
locating industries in the regions to curb the rural-urban drift.
182. The social sectors: health, education and other social services form essential pillars of human
capital development under vision 2020. A coherent and consistent human resource
development strategy, would provide "a decent standard of living" as embodied in the mission
statement of vision 2020. Constitutional and other legal matters are best dealt with outside
Vision 2020. In support of the sectors a number of strategies are proposed.
183. In the ANR the objective is to ensure balanced growth and an equitable distribution of incomes:
a. Increase output of both domestic and exports in order to ensure food security and
generate foreign exchange needed to finance other aspects of the development
process.
b. Create employment and generate income for the rural population who are largely
dependent on ANR.
c. Diversity the ANR base in order to reduce the fluctuations and uncertainties associated
with rural household incomes and export earnings.
d. Reduce disparities between rural-urban incomes as well as between men and women,
curb rural-urban drift and accelerate the pace of development of the rural sector.
e. Provide effective linkages between ANR and other sectors of the economy.

54
 f. Create a sustainable and balanced mix between rain-fed and irrigated agriculture.
184. In Industry, Vision 2020 targets improving the contribution to GDP of the industrial sector from
11 per cent to between 25-30 per cent by the year 2020 relying on the manufacturing sub-sector
to achieve that objective. Vision 2020 expected the manufacturing sector to undergo substantial
transformation aimed at increasing and diversifying industrial output: in particular increasing
the number of industrial units, greater diversification of industry, greater employment
opportunities and increased access for Gambia’s manufactured products to new and existing
export market. The increase in the share of industry would come from quality institutional
support services and targeted incentives. A manufacturing base supplying both the domestic
and export markets will reduce dependence on agriculture and trade.
185. On Energy, the prime objective is to ensure a reliable and adequate supply of energy, both
conventional and renewable, at affordable prices. The total generating capacity for electricity
would be increased to 150 megawatts by the year 2020.
186. Under Vision 2020 the sea port, airport and road and waterway network will provide efficient
infrastructural services. The sea port will be upgraded and made more efficient and competitive
in order to cater for the transshipment needs of the countries in the sub-region - both coastal
and land-locked. The Port of Banjul would be transformed into an industrial and entrepot
Freeport. These investments will be effected through joint ventures with private sector
partners. A Freeport Authority will be created to accelerate the growth of the maritime
industrial development area.
187. The up-grading and expansion of the airport is a major component of the Gateway Strategy. The
multi-modal transport initiative will spearhead the strategy to make The Gambia a key player in
international trade. In this regard, facilities at the airport will be upgraded and modernized,
security will be improved to international standards to handle an increased number of
passengers and cargo traffic.
188. The development of inland road and water-way transport networks will focus on improving
connections to regional trading centres, while offering logistic services such as storage and
communications facilities.
189. Under Vision 2020, the requisite regulatory and investment support will be guaranteed to
ensure that The Gambia's competitiveness in telecommunications is not eroded. The long term
objectives for telecommunications under vision 2020 are to integrate the country into the
Global Information Infrastructure (GII) via the global information highway, to make The Gambia
a major centre for data processing and training and to make telecommunication services
accessible to every household and business in the country.
190. Vision 2020 calls for the multiplication, diversification and decentralisation of the media to
facilitate the creation of a well-informed and self-reliant population. Mass media will therefore
be harnessed as an instrument for pluralistic information, education, entertainment and
mobilisation of people for national socio-economic development.

55
191. An important pillar of Vision 2020 is to transform the Gambia into a sub-regional financial
services centre that will offer a variety of investment instruments. The ultimate objective is to
mobilize domestic savings and attract foreign private and institutional investors to enhance
growth. Without affordable credit to the private sector, little will be realised in terms of growth
and prosperity. In this regard, the financial sector reforms embarked upon in 1985/86 will be
pursued with renewed vigour and the liberal financial policies already in place will maintained.
192. The Gambia as the gateway to the sub-region is another important pillar of Vision 2020. Vision
2020 would exploit the potential role of the country as an entrepot economy and the
widespread international connections of the banking and trading systems.
193. The objective of Vision 2020 is to make The Gambia a tourist paradise and a major tourist
destination, through product innovation, quality improvement and diversification of the
Gambia’s tourism product. Special emphasis will be on attracting high value and high spending
tourists. Diversification will entail the introduction and promotion of eco-tourism, cultural,
inland and community-based tourism as well as conference tourism. Marketing efforts will be
intensified in order to diversify and expand source markets. Efforts would be directed to
strengthen the linkages between tourism and other sectors of the economy and increase
Gambian participation so as to maximise returns to the domestic economy. In addition, greater
collaboration between the public and private sectors is envisaged, including domestic tourism
for nationals as well as recreational and leisure activities.
194. The developments envisaged under Vision 2020 would be supported by a deliberate policy of
investing in human capital resources; the education and health sectors therefore, have a central
place in vision 2020. The objectives in education include increasing the accessibility of education
to 90 per cent of the school-age population, a diversification of institutions to favour vocational
and skilled based training, encouraging entrepreneurship as a cornerstone of education and an
overall enrichment of curricula and extra curricula activities to induce the skills-mix of the
population.
195. Vision 2020 objectives are to provide adequate, effective and affordable health care for all
Gambians in the long term. In the short and medium term, the objectives include: improving the
administration and management of health services, providing better infrastructure for Referral
Hospitals and health facilities and the extension of Primary Health Care services to all
communities. Equally important is a well-motivated and trained staff and the establishment of
efficient procurement arrangements to ensure effective and efficient health services for all.
196. Vision 2020 aims at maintaining social stability through an equitable distribution of
development resources and by fostering good governance. Furthermore, Vision 2020 aims to
control immigration and manage the population in a manner that will contribute fully to the
achievement of the objectives of Vision 2020.
197. The prevailing demographic trends, rapid urbanisation and concentration of the urban
population pose challenge for providing decent housing Under Vision 2020, particular focus will
be aimed at providing decent housing, reducing dependence on imported building materials,

56
 building manpower and technical competence for the construction industry, and developing and
supporting specialised housing finance institutions such as housing banks and housing co-
operatives.
198. Conservation and promotion of rational and sustainable use of the nation's natural resources
and environment for the benefit of present and future generations is a top priority under Vision
2020. A National Disaster Preparedness Plan will be elaborated and tested for adequacy. The
capacity of community organisations and sectors will be enhanced to better participate in the
process.
199. Vision 2020 recognizes the great potential of the private sector as an engine of growth.
Government has made a firm and irreversible commitment to focus on the provision of public
goods while putting in place an enabling environment for the realisation of the full potential of
the private sector. Consequently, Vision 2020 aims at a fully-fledged private sector that is
responsible to the development needs of the country and one that can play an active role in the
domestic economy. Government will ensure the smooth functioning of a free market under a
stable macro-economic environment. On the external front, the government will maintain a
steady exchange rate policy between the Dalasi and major foreign currencies as well as the
implementation of global commitments including those with International Financial Institutions.
200. Institution performance is a critical factor in the effective realisation of policy goals and
development targets. Vision 2020 integrates institutional capacities as a key factor of production
and sets as an objective the correction of institutional failures in order to accelerate the
implementation of development programs. Public sector institutions have a critical role to play
in the delivery of support infrastructural and social services to buttress the development efforts
of the private sector.
201. Vision 2020 further recognizes that most civil service institutions operate in non-specific, non-
competitive task environments. Cost efficiency, service quality and institutional response
capacity will therefore form the corner stone of appraisal of civil service institutions.
202. Improvements in the efficiency of parastatals are key to reducing operating costs for private
sector enterprises. Improvement in productivity within parastatals will enhance total
productivity in the economy. Decision-making should be less influenced by political
considerations in order to allow for an efficient allocation of resources within parastatals.
203. More pro-active boards will be set up to oversee the performance of parastatals including the
formulation, implementation and monitoring of strategic plans of public enterprises.
Performance indicators within parastatals will focus on financial and economic aspects to create
optimum value for all stakeholders to their assets and activities.

Achievements of Vision 2020 Objectives

204. Many of the programmes under Vision 2020 have been implemented over the past 18 years to
steer the development of The Gambia forward. With nearly a quarter of a century experience in
development planning The Gambia, in 1998, decided to implement a long term plan with a view

57
 to transforming the country into a middle income economy by 2020. Since then it has
implemented a number of development plans, with a marked level of success in some areas.
Looking back over this period a number of achievements have been made and the objectives of
Vision 2020 have become more of a reality despite the challenges. For example:
a. There was a marked improvement in the access to primary health care services;
significant gains in the reduction of child and maternal-mortality; significant
improvements in the enrollment rates in primary schools; marked Improvements in rural
household water supply and food security projects; and therefore major strides were
made in the attainment of MDG social targets in education, health and agriculture
sectors;
b. A number of micro-finance projects were implemented co- financed by Government and
its partners;
c. Many major infrastructural developments were completed including major roads,
bridges, health centres and hospitals, primary, secondary and tertiary institutions,
University village, rural electrification, access to piped clean water, etc.;
d. Many institutions were set up including GBoS, GPPA, GRA, the Public Utilities Regulatory
Agency (PURA) and other governance structures;
e. Under agriculture, private sector investment in horticulture, dairy, and poultry was
increased. Many laws were enacted including the Local Government Act passed in 2002;
the Finance Audit Act passed in 2004; etc.;
f. For some years Macroeconomic stability was achieved while debt levels were significantly
reduced;
g. Successful completion of the programme with IMF led to HIPC completion point and
granting of debt relief;
h. Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) was implemented resulting
in improved transparency, monitoring and timely retrieval of reliable financial
information.

Challenges under Vision 2020

205. These achievements notwithstanding, a number of challenges during Vision 2020 have persisted
including:
a. weak linkage of programmes to sector policies and the budget process accompanied by
weak implementation capacity in the public sector;
b. Shortfalls in financing the plan and the allocation of resources to priority areas to reduce
poverty;

58
 BOX1: MAIN FINDINGS OF CCA

c. Government expenditure biased towards a. Erratic and slow economic growth rate
recurrent expenditure, due to the steady leading to limited poverty reduction and
increase in the wage bill and debt interest inclusion and therefore high level of
payments; vulnerability.
b. Structural issues in the labor force - low
d. high staff turnover has affected institutional skills and high unemployment rate.
capacity and retarded implementation of c. High level of poverty and prevalence in
programmes; rural areas.
d. Continued institutional and policy
e. Pledges of support by donors were not fully
weakening.
honored under the vision programmes during
e. Expanding fiscal deficit with both domestic
the past 18 years; and Foreign Debt increasing due to
f. Inadequate and insufficient implementation of excessive borrowing by the Government
strategies to address quality education and leading to other macroeconomic
challenges such as crowding out the
relevant vocational skills leading to low skills and
private sector and high interest rates.
productivity;
f. Narrow tax base leading to high tariff rate
g. Health system weakness unable to cope with reducing Gambia’s competitiveness.
increased demand; g. Volatile and unpredictable resource flows
with untapped development finance
h. Under exploited private sector potential: limited potential, particularly from diaspora
support to private sector development remittances which accounted for 22.4% of
complicated by an environment not seen as GDP in 2014.
conducive to private sector development and
investment;
i. Weak M&E framework; poor and unreliable data
quality, collection and inadequate analytical
capacity of the institutions involved with data management;
j. External factors including Ebola, erratic rainfall and regional integration challenges (weak
roads, air and maritime transport connectivity, energy, market access, etc.);
k. Shift of the economy from agriculture to a service economy led by tourism and financial
services;
l. Weak commitment to decentralisation; and
m. Urban migration with its attendant problems.
206. As a result, the level of poverty reduction, employment and per capita income projected in the
Vision 2020 were not entirely achieved.

The Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment (PAGE)

207. The Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment (PAGE 2012-2016) was instrumental
in pushing the MDG agenda under Vision 2020. It had five pillars: Accelerating and Sustaining
Economic Growth; Improving and Modernizing infrastructure; Strengthening Human Capital

59
 Stock to Enhance Employment Opportunities; Improving Governance and Fighting Corruption
and Reinforcing Social Cohesion and Cross-Cutting Issues.
208. The PAGE outlines Gambia’s priority actions to promote inclusive growth and employment to
ensure that all Gambians have decent and improved living standards. The main objectives of the

Box 2: Key Findings from the MTE

The findings indicated mixed results. While significant achievements have been registered in some areas, efforts must be made to
address the challenges identified. The level of poverty reduction, increase in employment and raising per capita income planned under
PAGE were not attained and not likely to be so by 2015. The double digit rate of annual economic growth which underpins performance
in the three goals was not achieved by 2013 and not likely to be attained in any year under PAGE. Two reasons are behind the growth
rate shortfall:

(I) Drought in 2011 that held back better performance during the PAGE period; and,

(ii) Overoptimistic projections of annual rates under PAGE that set such high growth without having game changers in the growth
drivers to make significant shifts in the baseline level.

The Agricultural sector being the main employer and key sector in the fight against poverty, showed fluctuations in output and
productivity. Tourism as the main foreign exchange earner on the other hand, registered steady progress in the number of visitors during
the period under review.

Pillar 1 - The macroeconomic environment witnessed serious setbacks emanating from widening budget and current account deficits.
However, much effort has gone into improving competitiveness with increased number of companies opening businesses in the country.

Pillar 2 - With heavy public and private sector investments, improving and modernizing infrastructure in transport, energy and
information and communications technology are likely to be attained by 2015. Major road projects have been completed during the
period under review while resources are being mobilized for the Laminkoto-Pasimus road and upgrading the quality of a number of main
roads in Banjul. However, more emphasis should now be placed on construction of feeder roads, especially in the agricultural areas.
Also, Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) Submarine Cable project is fully operational, providing wider access to the internet. Nonetheless,
service providers must endeavor to constantly increase access especially in schools.

Pillar 3 - Access and quality of education, health, water and sanitation was improved during the period under review and further gains
are likely by 2015. Universal access to primary education and gender parity (1:1) in primary and secondary schools under the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) are also likely to be achieved. Secondary education, seen as a basis for employment under PAGE, is making
satisfactory progress. Access to health services and doctors has also improved registering significant gains in reducing child and maternal
mortality which is the biggest challenges of the health sector. Notwithstanding, financial ability to purchase prescribed drugs, long
waiting time at health facilities are also challenges.

Pillar 4 - The Gambia scored 3.3 out of a maximum possible score of 6 in the 2013 Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA)
report by the World Bank. The country lost ground in Quality of Public Administration, Transparency, Accountability, and Corruption in
the Public Sector between 2011 and 2013. To promote good governance Public Financial Management (PFM) reforms were embarked
upon to ensure a more effective and efficient service delivery.

A review of the Government’s decentralization policy has been recently completed. The report found that the process of
decentralization is challenged by the commitment to pursue decentralization by devolution; this is mainly due to limited capacity on the
part of the local councils to carry out their responsibilities.

Pillar 5 - addresses a series of cross-cutting issues like social protection particularly for children, women and the poor, disability,
environment, food security, nutrition, gender equality, women empowerment and HIV and AIDS. In these regards, the Government has
taken strides to strengthen social safety nets to enhance the participation of the most vulnerable groups in the development process,
resulting in the preparation of a daft social protection policy, strategy and action plan which has been validated.

60
 PAGE are in line with those of Vision 2020 and are aimed at reducing poverty, increasing
employment levels and raising income per capita.
209. In line with the challenges identified above under Vision 2020, halfway into the implementation
of the PAGE, the mid-term evaluation (MTE) found mixed results with limited achievements
registered in some areas, the need to enhance efforts to address the challenges in other areas
and the need to be bolder and innovative in addressing the failures in yet other areas. The MTE
found that the targets related to: level of poverty reduction, increase in employment and raising
per capita income of Gambians were not realized. It is also evident now that the double digit
rate of annual economic growth which underpins performance under the PAGE was not
attained. The failure to achieve these targets has had a significant impact on the attainment of
the Vision 2020 objectives which has had the effect of retarding Gambia’s growth and the
efforts to combat poverty.
210. While the Government should take responsibility for the weak performance of the economy
during this period, there were other factors that affected performance under the PAGE. In
particular while the Government coped with domestic environmental challenges, it had no
control over the global environment and especially the drought that occurred in 2011 and 2014,
which had a serious effect on the agricultural output and therefore the performance of the
economy. Neither did it have control over EBOLA outbreak that ravaged the region with serious
consequences for the tourism industry in The Gambia in 2014. Thirdly, the available domestic
resources were inadequate to meet the objectives of the PAGE given the poor response of
Gambia’s development partners to provide resources during the PAGE period. Moreover,
appropriate game changers and growth drivers that would have made significant shifts in the
baseline level were not put in place.
211. The Agricultural sector being the main driver in the fight against poverty experienced
fluctuations in output and productivity; tourism as the main foreign exchange earner on the
other hand was affected by Ebola even though the sector is now in the process to recovery. At
the same time, the private sector was constrained by lack of access to affordable credit and
reliable and affordable services necessary for growth and was thereby not able to generate the
employment that the economy needed.
212. Nevertheless, the difficulty of coping with the macroeconomic environment contributed
significantly to the serious setbacks emanating from widening budget and current account
deficits. While effort has gone into improving competitiveness, access to affordable credit and
reliable and sustainable services still remain a challenge.
213. With heavy public sector investments, improving and modernizing infrastructure in transport,
energy and information and communications technology are likely to have a positive impact on
the economy. However, bottlenecks to the industry still remain, which need to be addressed.
More emphasis should now be placed on constructing feeder roads, especially in agricultural
areas and on providing a conducive environment for private sector to grow. Furthermore, while
the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) Submarine Cable project is fully operational and providing
wider access to the internet, its use is limited by the lack of participation by the private sector.

61
 This is a sector that The Gambia could leverage to turn itself into a hub providing various
services to the region.
214. Access and quality to education, health, water and sanitation have improved during the period
of the PAGE. In particular universal access to primary education and gender parity (1:1) in
primary and secondary schools under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) was almost
achieved. Secondary education, seen as the base for generating employment opportunities
under PAGE, is making satisfactory progress. Despite this impressive development many young
people who leave school have not been able to obtain a decent job. Education needs to be
tailored to the Gambian job market by orienting the curriculum offered through TVET. Access to
health services and doctors has also improved, registering significant gains in reducing child and
maternal mortality which is the biggest challenge of the health sector. Notwithstanding this
commendable effort, financial ability to purchase prescribed drugs and long waiting time at
health facilities require addressing.
Table 3: MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS (MDGs) REPORT 2014 MDG Status

Goal1 Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger Improvement Made

Goal 2 Achieve Universal Primary Education Significant Improvement

Goal 3 Promote Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Partially Achieved

Goal 4 Reduce Child Mortality Achieved

Goal 5 Improve Maternal Health Improvement Made

Goal 6 Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other diseases Improvement Made

Goal 7 Ensure Environmental Sustainability Partially Achieved

Goal 8 Global Partnership for Development Partially Achieved

215. Improving governance and fighting corruption focusing mainly on public service, local
governance and decentralization, land use planning, public financial management and
strengthened Government institutions has been wanting. While The Gambia scored well in the
2013 Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA) report by the World Bank, it lost
significant ground on Quality of Public Administration, Transparency, Accountability, and
Corruption in the Public Sector. In terms of doing business the Gambia is ranked 151 out of 179
countries in 2016. To promote good governance and the underlying issues, Public Financial

62
 Management (PFM) reforms embarked upon to ensure a more effective and efficient service
delivery, need to be followed through to ensure their credibility and a lasting impact.
216. A review of the decentralization policy found lack of commitment to pursue decentralization
effectively while the local councils have not been empowered and capacitated to enable them
to carry out their responsibilities. Community based approach to development is more durable
and sustainable and has a greater impact in the long run.
217. On cross-cutting issues like social protection particularly for children, women and the poor,
people with disability, environment, food security, nutrition, etc. a lot of effort on the part of
the Government is still required. These are not simple issues; they require resources and human
capital in order to effectively address poverty and trigger productivity and employability of the
labour force.
218. Population growth and urban migration (58% urban population currently) and its consequent
needs for housing, sanitation, food, energy and other services poses a huge challenge on
national resources including environmental preservation. The consequences of population
growth and urban migration require attention. So too are the consequences of climate change
including soil erosion, floods, and sea level rise amongst others.
Table 4: Evolution of Selected Indicators
2000 2006 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Domestic credit provided by financial
sector (% of GDP) 7.40 23.39 38.94 43.55 44.11 49.41 53.68
GDP growth (annual %)
5.50 1.12 6.52 (4.33) 5.86 4.78 0.88
Agriculture, value added (% of GDP) ..
24.27 31.73 24.61 24.54 23.64 21.36
Industry, value added (% of GDP) ..
16.16 13.51 15.38 15.89 15.75 15.87
Services, etc., value added (% of GDP) ..
59.58 54.76 60.01 59.58 60.61 62.77
Gross capital formation (% of GDP)
4.56 30.70 18.38 25.36 23.38 21.90 21.17
Personal remittances, received ..
(current US$ mill) 63.77 115.70 107.91 140.99 180.59 191.14
Foreign direct investment, net inflows ..
(BoP, current US$ mill) 82.21 37.37 36.18 33.52 37.64 28.40
Net ODA and official aid received
(current US$ mill) 49.64 74.94 119.97 134.54 138.74 115.26 99.68
Inflation, GDP deflator (annual %)
2.22 1.93 4.37 4.37 3.79 5.95 8.32
Source: World Bank data base

63
Why Page II
219. PAGE II continues the experience of the PAGE and past plans to advance the objectives of Vision
2020 to achieve sustainable inclusive growth and prosperity. The CCA and the MTE of the PAGE
identified areas that have not yet been achieved under the Vision 2020 objectives. PAGE II will
strive to drive this agenda forward while bearing in mind The Gambia’s obligations under the SDGs
and other global commitments. PAGE II has four strategic pillars to deliver sustainable inclusive
growth and bring about prosperity: Pillar One deals with Macroeconomic Management
Framework; Pillar Two deals with Strengthening Public Institutions; Pillar Three deals with
Sustainable Inclusive Growth; while Pillar Four deals with Human Capital. To this end, PAGE II will
address the following main issues to advance the Vision 2020 objectives during its last phase while
mainstreaming the SDGs and other international obligations.
220. Achieve Sustainable inclusive growth: Poverty levels remain high and are much higher in rural
areas even though there has been an effort by the government to provide basic social services
such basic and
Reduce poverty, reduce inequality and achieve growth and prosperity. secondary
education,
health care services and electricity in those areas. The benefits of growth have been skewed
towards the urban areas with 30% of urban households (in 2013) multi-dimensionally poor
(poverty headcount) as opposed to 80% in the rural areas. To further reduce poverty and
deprivation levels in rural areas, the government’s priority is to provide basic social services as a
package to the rural population under the PAGE II.
221. Consolidate achievements of PAGE: PAGE II consolidates the achievements of the first PAGE and
its predecessors by implementing policies that have worked, capacitating institutions that have
performed and implementing programs that have delivered.
222. Improve Revenue Collection: Revenue performance during the PAGE period was reasonable but
still below the regional threshold target of 20 percent of GDP, an indication of additional capacity
to optimize collection despite the drag in the economy due to the twin shocks of Ebola and the
2014 erratic rains. The Government will improve revenue collection; broaden the tax base; create
a conducive environment to private sector development and investment; and tap resources from
the diaspora with a view to increasing domestic resources in line with Gambia’s international
commitment to SDG target 17.1 of strengthening domestic resource mobilisation and thereby
reducing reliance on external aid.
223. Address the Challenges: While the Government takes responsibility for the weak performance of
the economy during this period, it recognizes that there were a number of other factors well
beyond its control that affected performance under the Vision. In particular, while the
Government coped with domestic environmental challenges, it had limited control over the global
environment and especially the drought that occurred in 2011, which effected the agricultural
output and therefore the performance of the economy and the EBOLA outbreak that ravaged the
region with serious consequences for the tourism industry in The Gambia in 2014. PAGE II

64
 addresses these challenges and provides appropriate game changers and growth drivers needed
to cope with similar developments during the plan period.
224. Rein in Debt: The current debt situation is on an unsustainable path and require fiscal
adjustment. The increase in debt is due to expansionary fiscal policy. Growth in spending has far
outpaced revenue mainly collected by GRA leading to a widening fiscal deficit. Challenges of poor
infrastructures, especially for energy and transportation results in high costs of logistics that place
a further burden on the private sector and its ability to create jobs. Furthermore, weaknesses in
public administration, legal system, complexities in the tax code, and difficulties in accessing
credit have had an impact on private sector operations and job creation during the planning
phases. The Government will continue to intensify its efforts in these areas to address the
concerns of the private sector in line with Vision 2020 objectives.
225. While effort has gone into improving competitiveness, access to affordable credit and reliable and
sustainable services still remains a challenge. Government expansion of electricity supply in the
country has been impressive, but its supply, reliability and affordability need to be addressed. The
programs on private sector development under PAGE II are geared towards addressing these
constraints and to empowering the private sector to play its rightful role in the economy.
226. With heavy public sector investments, improving and modernizing infrastructure in transport,
energy and information and communications technology have a positive impact on the economy.
However, bottlenecks to the industry still remain, which need to be addressed. PAGE II has
reoriented government priorities to ensure that the programs deliver to their potential.
227. Furthermore, while the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) Submarine Cable project is fully operational
and providing wider access to the internet, its full impact is yet to be realised as it awaits the full
implementation of the public private partnership consortium agreement. This is a sector that the
government will leverage to turn The Gambia into a hub providing services to the region.
228. Access to education, health, water and sanitation has improved during the period of the first
PAGE. The government will continue to build on these successes during PAGE II to accelerate
poverty reduction and achieve prosperity for all the Gambians.
229. To promote good governance and the underlying issues, Public Financial Management (PFM)
reforms embarked upon during the Vision 2020 period will be fully implemented under PAGE II to
ensure a more effective and efficient service delivery, and a lasting impact.
230. On cross-cutting issues like social protection particularly for children, women and the poor, etc. a
lot of effort on the part of the Government is still required. These are not simple issues; they
require resources and human capital in order to effectively address poverty and trigger
productivity and employability of the labour force. The Government will collaborate with
development partners to ensure that the social protection policy and action plan and its programs
are implemented to achieve their objectives during PAGE II.
231. Population growth and urban migration (58% urban population currently) and its consequent
needs for housing, sanitation, food, energy and other services poses a huge challenge on national

65
 resources including environmental preservation. The consequences of population growth and
urban migration require attention. So too are the consequences of climate change including soil
erosion, floods, and sea level rise amongst others. PAGE II’s programs are geared towards
mitigating the effects of these developments by ensuring that services meet demand.
232. A display window for investors: The long term objective of Vision 2020 is “to address poor savings
through improvements in output from the real sectors and enhancing financial intermediation. A
liberal market economy with undue administrative interference is seen as the best avenue for
improving the overall efficiency and competitiveness of the Gambian economy. The role of
Government is limited strictly to the production of public goods which cannot be produced by the
private sector while conducting a vigorous decentralisation drive to ensure a more democratic
process in the allocation, management and control of resources. A new diplomatic drive would
ensure good and fruitful neighborliness with both regional governments and other governments
further afield in addition to maintaining dialogue and co-operation with development partners”.
Vision 2020 recognizes the private sector as a serious partner in national development and the
very engine of growth and reconfirms its pro-private sector stance in the economy. It is only
through an effective and friendly collaboration between the public and private sectors that the
long-term aspirations of the country can be attained.
233. Streamline the SDGs: Table 5 below shows the ranking of the SDGs by the Gambian people in
terms of the importance that they accord to each one of them. While the overall prioritisation of
a particular goal could be low, some sub-components of that goal were ranked as high.

Table 5: Prioritisation of SDGs

Goals Priority in
scale

Goal 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere

High
Goal 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
High
Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
High
Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for
all High
Goal 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Medium
Goal 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
Medium
Goal 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Medium
Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment
and decent work for all Medium
Goal 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster
innovation High
Goal 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
High

66
Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Medium
Goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Medium
Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts*
High
Goal 14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable
development Medium
Goal 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage
forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss Medium
Goal 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice
for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels Low
Goal 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable
development High

234. Accountability: The main purpose of a development plan is to ensure that available resources are
used efficiently and managed effectively for the benefit of the citizens of a country. A
development plan identifies, and prioritizes the requirements of the population so as to allocate
resources in an efficient and effective manner. PAGE II anticipates these needs as it aspires to
meet the objectives of Vision 2020.
235. M&E Framework: While there are institutions in place to collect data, timely, quality and
complete data still continues to be a challenge for government institutions, especially for GBoS
and CBG. The need for timely quality and complete data requires a comprehensive database
coordinated within the National Statistical System, which is comprised of MDAs and non-
government institutions. Efforts would continue to be made to produce and disseminate timely
data that would inform government’s spending decisions. This would allow government to adjust
budgets to be in line with the reality on the ground.

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PART TWO: DELIVERING SUSTAINABLE GROWTH

CHAPTER FOUR: PAGE II SITUATION ANALYSIS

Economic Growth in The Gambia

236. The growth in The Gambia is driven by a few key sectors: Agriculture and Natural Resources, the
Trade Sector, the Services Sector in particular tourism and Industry. Currently, the services sector
is the major contributor (61(??) percent) to GDP; followed by the agricultural sector, which
accounts for 19 percent of GDP; while industry contributes 14 percent to GDP. Therefore, The
Gambia’s achievement of sustainable inclusive growth (one that is pro-poor) depends, among
others, on the performance of the four main sectors – including how well the respective sectors
manage the external shocks and supply side constraints confronting them.
237. The impact of Climate Change (CC) has emerged as one of the most significant external factor
hindering the performance of the growth driving sectors, especially agriculture, tourism and
industry which bears the greatest impact. As a result of the CC manifestations of droughts, floods,
soil degradation, coastal erosions, erratic rainfall patterns and global warming, The Gambia has
experienced poor yields, pest and disease incidences, infrastructural damages and even loss of
lives in extreme cases. The performance of the growth sectors is hindered by supply side
constraints which have also limited their expansion capacity.
238. The Government on will drive the process and ensure that the private sector has the space and
is accorded the necessary environment in which to operate. To provide the growth required to
achieve sustainable inclusive growth, the Plan projects an average real rate of about 7.0 percent
during the Plan period 2017-2020, raising the GDP per capita in real terms above 5.0 percent.
Thus, overall real GDP growth will rise to 5.5 and 7.0 per cent in financial years 2016 and 2017
respectively, while in 2018-2019, real growth is projected at 5.9 per cent. Government is
committed to significantly reduce the budget deficit and domestic borrowing to achieve long-
term fiscal sustainability. The overall budget balance, which includes foreign financing and
privatization receipts is projected to fall from a deficit of 10 percent of GDP in 2015 to 0.8
percent by 2020. The net domestic borrowing (NDB) is targeted to fall from 11 percent in 2015
to 1.5 percent by 2019 and 0.5 percent of GDP by the end the plan period.

Private Sector to lead growth for job creation

239. Economic activity is private sector driven, which is the main engine of growth and employment.
The private sector, as an engine of economic growth, plays a key role in a country’s drive to
reduce poverty and foster an inclusive society. Economic growth generates wealth necessary for
improved income and employment.
240. In many developing countries, and more so in The Gambia, the private sector – in particular
through its micro-businesses as well as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – is the
main source of employment. A dynamic business sector is therefore a basic pre-requisite for

68
 economic growth; poverty reduction; income generation; and the creation of decent jobs for all,
including women and the youth. To benefit development, growth must be sustainable and
inclusive. Inclusive and sustainable growth requires a stronger business environment, a
competitive local private sector and integration into the world economy. Furthermore, growth
raises the importance of the private sector as a delivery channel with a strong multiplier
development impact on agriculture, energy and other sectors.
241. The private sector has a major role in providing access to basic goods and services, such as clean
water and sanitation, energy, financial services, communication technologies, housing, education,
medicines, etc. In doing so, the private sector contributes to better lives for the people, by serving
them as consumers and by providing them with opportunities to develop their own productive
activities. A growing private sector will generate the tax revenues to finance government
operations for development.
242. A growing private sector is essential for a country’s development; it generates new investments
for producing goods and services, and propels the economic growth needed in an economy to
create employment and increase incomes of the population and so lead to improved quality of
life. Government in their own part, create the enabling business environment through which
private sector led-growth as envisaged in Vision 2020, can be propagated and actualized to spur
economic development and reduce poverty.
243. Private sector development benefits the population, especially the informal sector and the poor.
Many people living in poverty look at getting a job – whether through self-employment or formal
employment – as the most promising path out of poverty. Better employment opportunities
increase incentives for people to invest in their education and skills. Competitive, profitable and
growing businesses, including those in the informal sector, provide opportunities for better wages
and investment in training.
244. As new entrepreneurs, the MSMEs including those in the informal economy, face the same
problems as officially established companies that include insecure property rights, bureaucracy,
policy unpredictability, and limited access to finance and public services.
245. One of the main challenges in The Gambia is the limited institutional, organisational and
regulatory framework conducive to private sector development and growth. Fostering a thriving
private sector requires reforms including legal and regulatory framework, fiscal discipline to reign
in external debt and reduce domestic borrowing, increase access to affordable finance and
thereby create the confidence needed to provide investment for development and employment.
246. The private sector in The Gambia is dominated by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs),
with 97% of businesses at the micro level and having less than 5 employees (formal or informal
sector). Small firms, those with 5 to 9 employees, make up 2.2% of the private sector while
medium and large firms together make up less than 1% of firms. The sectors in which these firms
operate are also highly concentrated as 61% of businesses operate in the distributive trade while
16% are in manufacturing, 4% in the repair (automotive repairs), with the remaining 19% spread
across 13 different sectors.

69
247. The Gambia has made a bold commitment under Vision 2020 to establish a strong foundation for
the private sector to thrive. The government has backed this commitment with policies that
include sectoral policy development and improvements in overall public finance management
which position The Gambia as a prime choice for private sector investment. In particular, the
Government has formulated an investment policy, sectoral policies such as the Agriculture and
Natural Resources Policy as well as the recently approved Public Private Partnerships policy
frameworks that aim to improve the business environment, enhance trade and investment as well
as encourage private sector participation.
248. In 2010, Government created the Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA) to
sustain the gains of the Gambia Investment and Free Zones Agency (GIPFZA) and give a new
impetus to the promotion of investments, exports and promotion of indigenous businesses in the
Gambia. The GIEPA Act provides attractive incentives for investment, export promotion and
enterprise development particularly MSMEs - which is guided by the National MSME Policy and
Strategy. The GIEPA Regulations relating to the award of fiscal incentives and monitoring of
beneficiary projects are now in place and an Investment Monitoring Committee was established
and is now functional.

Sources and Drivers of Growth

Trade
249. Trade has always been an important economic activity since colonial times and is nowadays an
engine of growth, creating job opportunities, generating income and contributing to poverty
reduction. For decades, The Gambia had served as a regional entrepôt, with imported goods being
transported to the hinterland using the river Gambia. Supported by relatively low import taxes, a
well-functioning port and customs services, and limited administrative barriers, The Gambia’s
position as a trading centre was reinforced (DTIS 2014). Business boomed and riverine
settlements mushroomed along the river Gambia; Kaur-whaftown, Kuntaur, Tenda-Ba, Njawara,
Janjabureh, Basse and Fatoto became bustling trading capitals of The Gambia.
250. Imports dominate trading - accounting for 39% of GDP in 2014 (CCA, 2015). Out of this, 33%
comprise of food and agricultural products while 43% constitutes fuel and manufacturing inputs.
251. In terms of the value of total imports, The Gambia registered a 6.6% increase from D16.1 billion
in 2014 to D17.2 billion in 2015, due mainly to an increase in domestic demand, although a
significant proportion of imports (estimated around 30%) is still destined for re-exports. The
Gambia serves as the port to many countries within the sub region (such as Mali, Guinea Bissau,
Guinea Conakry and Southern Senegal) although this has since declined as The Gambia has lost
competitiveness due to a number of trade related policy decisions.
252. In 2015, The Gambia’s main exports were groundnut (32.7%), followed by Cashew nuts (20.6%),
wood and articles of wood (mainly logs 20.1%) and fish and fisheries products (13.6%). These four
products accounted for 87% of the total value of Gambia’s domestic exports valued at D3.8 billion.
Re-exports mainly focus on textile and wood. Cashew and sesame are also showing promise,
although both currently account for approximately 5% of export revenue. Other export products

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 relate to the tourism sector which constitute the country’s main foreign exchange earner
accounting for 60%. The trading base in the Gambia is thus narrow, with heavy reliance on two
sectors (agriculture and tourism) for foreign exchange earnings over the past 5 decades.
253. ECOWAS, Asia, and the EU continue to be the main sources of Gambian imports as well as the top
destinations for The Gambia’s exports.
Fig 9: Share of imports by region Fig 10: Share of exports by region

254. Consequently, The Gambia’s trading landscape is characterized by declining and stagnant
domestic exports and an increasing growth in imports which has led to a continuous current
account deficit, which by 2015, stood at 13.3% of GDP. Indeed, this has been the trend over the
last 30-years except for a few years (in 2003, 2007) when The Gambia’s trading activities
registered a trade surplus. For decades, The Gambia has been faced with serious trade challenges,
which explains the country’s less than desirable GDP growth and ultimately the economy’s
inability to create jobs, equitably generate income and eventually make a “dent” on poverty to
assure inclusive growth and prosperity. In simple terms, the Gambia’s trade competitiveness is
weak and therefore the country is unable to seize market opportunities and claim a bigger share
of the global market.
Table 6: Summary of The Gambia’s external trade in D’ 000
Trade 2012 2013 2014 2015 %Change
Total Trade 16,687,912 16,201,935 19,772,215 20,995,589 6.2%
Imports 12,898,329 12,394,622 16,105,573 17,164,892 6.6%
Domestic export 590,351 426,688 656,713 668,108 1.7%
Re-export 3,199,232 3,380,625 3,666,642 3,162,589 -13.7%
Total exports 3,789,583 3,807,313 4,323,355 3,830,697 -11.4%
Trade Balance -9,108,746 -8,587,309 -11,782,218 -13,334,195 13.2%

Source: MOTIE Trade Information Centre

The ANR Sector

255. The ANR policies take cue from the country’s long term development blueprint, Vision 2020 as
well as the recent Vision 2016 policy pronouncements, a concept which has since evolved to
include all aspects of agriculture and food production mobilized towards national food self-
sufficiency. The agricultural sectors’ policies also take account of the relevant global and regional
initiatives, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the New Partnership for Africa

71
 (NEPAD) - African Union Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and
the recent AfDB 18-point agenda for agricultural transformation in Africa.
256. The agriculture sector typically contributes up to 30% of national GDP, though in recent years this
has declined to 26%. It provides employment for up to 70 percent of the labor force, meets 50%
of national food requirements, and accounts for 70% of exports (CCA, 2015). In The Gambia, about
91 percent of the extremely poor and 72 percent of the poor work in agriculture.
257. The soil resources in the Gambia are fragile and not renewable, possessing relatively low fertility,
given the country’s geo-physical location in the semi- to arid zone of West Africa, with an almost
drought prone ecology. Current farming practices (crops and livestock) have not been overly
helpful to prevent the depletion of the already limited soil fertility, especially continuous use
without proper soil cover or fertilizers, and unsupervised modernisation with tractor powered
implements during land preparation. The result has been consistently less than optimal yields and
low agricultural productivity.
258. The low soil fertility levels are further exacerbated by the national overdependence on rainfall for
agricultural production with low use of irrigation systems. While the rainy season lasts for roughly
5 months in the year only 6% of the arable land is irrigated. Therefore, very little production takes
place during the dry season. In addition, various studies have shown that the maximum threshold
for pump irrigation using river Gambia is at 6,000 ha. Stretching beyond this will correspondingly
over stretch the salinity front which, limits the potential for rice production.
259. Yield and production achievements for major field crops are still a long way from the national
targets. For instance, swamp rice, the major driver for food self-sufficiency, scored less than 1t/ha
(.887) which translates to 22% achievement of the national yield target of at least 4MT/ha for
attainment of rice self-sufficiency. Despite the use of sustainable land and water management
techniques to improve the status of 56,001.5 ha of land in 2014, only 11.6% of the national
requirements for grains was achieved (38,138.75mt grains yields and 14,410.51mt groundnuts
yields) in 2015.
260. Currently agricultural operations are characterized by drudgery and low yields. While there is
some level of mechanization with the addition of a fleet of tractors mainly for land preparation,
the demand to meet the SDGs will involve improving land and labour efficiency through increased
and sustained mechanization (both mechanical and animal draught). The critical areas for such
modernisation of crop production are land preparation, planting, weeding, and post-harvest
processing.
261. At the policy level, the absence of a comprehensive ANR policy, integrating the sub-sectoral
policies has resulted in incoherent and fragmented policies, as well as weak linkages in the
planning, coordination and implementation of agricultural programs. Furthermore, many of the
challenges facing the sector lie elsewhere; such as undeveloped markets, poor road
infrastructure, energy, and financing issues. Inter-sectoral collaboration and the development of
synergies is therefore essential.

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262. Farming in the Gambia is mainly small-holder based and characterized by subsistence farming of
food crops and the semi intensive cultivation of selected cash crops. Presently, the production of
primary agricultural commodities and value addition is challenged by: inadequate supply of
fertilizer (limited supply of crop specific types, high cost and supply of quantities way below the
national requirements); inadequate supply of certified seeds due to underdevelopment of the
seed market; inadequate quantity of pesticides required for seed dressing; inappropriate farm
implements and inadequate machinery; poor access to finance due to high cost of borrowing;
overdependence on erratic rains and low use of irrigation; poor marketing due to weak linkages
among small holders and with market outlets; high post-harvest losses due to poor handling,
inappropriate storage as well as poor adherence to SPS & TBT standards of the export markets;
inadequate research and extension support; and the effects of climate change – including crop
loss from pests, disease, floods and droughts.
263. For agricultural value addition, the main constraint is high cost and unreliable electricity supply as
well as low and inconsistent supply of primary commodities.
264. Export of groundnuts and groundnut products has declined over the years due mainly to the
effects of erratic rainfall. Additionally, the groundnut value chain is affected by lack of credible
institutional structures for the provision and management of farm input credit, crop finance and
implementation of quality improvement programmes. Moreover, at the final stage of the value
chain, the current processors are unable to sell in the stringent Hand Picked Selected (HPS) market
given the strict aflatoxin content limitations. Gambia’s groundnuts are instead sold in the lesser
lucrative Bird feed market.
265. Cashew production on the other hand is constrained by lack of irrigation and fertilizer application.
At exporters’ level, accessing crop finance from local banks is difficult and expensive. Further
challenges include: limited use of good plantation management techniques, insufficient business
management skills across the value chain, the absence of improved varieties of cashew seedlings,
limited processing of raw cashew nuts (RCN), unstructured nature of public private dialogue, low
knowledge of buyer requirements and market trends, difficulty in implementing and maintaining
quality controls, and the limited promotion of cashew products.
266. Sesame is another non-traditional crop with real growth prospects but whose production is kept
low by ineffective marketing arrangements, low private sector involvement, low yield varieties,
and limited cleaning and storage facilities. Productivity is further reduced by lack of certified
seeds. Sesame also requires high fertilizer inputs; which farmers cannot afford without credit
support. There is also no structured information network for the provision of prices to farmers
and at the export level. The development of the sesame sector has been hindered by a variety of
supply-side issues such as limited cultivated areas dedicated to sesame production; inadequate
quality and quantity of seeds available for planting; low application of Good Agricultural Practices
(GAP); imperfect access to key inputs for efficient production; important post-harvest losses; and
insufficient business management skills. Numerous challenges, such as the fragile organization
and limited coordination of the sector and the absence of structured government support for
development of the sector, also impede its growth.

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267. The Gambia’s fisheries sector consists of two subsectors: an industrial subsector and the artisanal
fisheries sub-sector. The country has some of the richest fish resources in the world along the
Atlantic Ocean. However, industrial fishing for local processing has nearly collapsed, and exports
have plummeted due to increased illegal fishing, poor surveillance of the fisheries resources in
the high seas, unsustainable number of commercial fishing licenses, declining landed catches, high
cost of energy needed for processing, and stringent sanitary and phytosanitary requirements in
the EU market.
Table 7: Annual Distribution of Total Fish Catches by Stratum
ANNUAL CATCHES
Stratum
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Atlantic 34,893,065 38,011,248 29,181,538 36,226,129 40,073,377
Inland 9,016,733 5,662,063 6,884,782 9,900,352 11,426,195
TOTAL 43,909,798 43,673,311 36,066,320 46,126,481 51,499,572
Source: Department of Fisheries
268. Despite this current setback, the sustainable management of fisheries resource has great
potentials and is an area where the Gambia has comparative advantage. Therefore, the sector will
be an important part of the national drive to use the productive sector to increase exports, foreign
exchange earnings and income revenues, provide jobs, food security and build resilience to
climate change through adaptive and mitigation measures.
269. The inadequacy of a conducive environment has limited effective participation of the private
sector despite its distinct comparative advantage in financing of the agricultural sector, in
providing timely supply of agricultural inputs, in processing and adding value to farm produce and
in marketing. The high cost of domestic borrowing, coupled with the ingrained risks in agriculture
have contrived to make financing of agricultural investments less attractive. Presently only 4.8%
of commercial bank loans are allocated to agriculture, demonstrating significant room for
improvement in investing in the sector.
270. Agricultural commercialization will contribute to increasing the rate of economic growth,
improve economic conditions and food security and nutritional levels of household members,
especially women and youth. Other benefits include import substitution, increased foreign
exchange earnings and decent incomes and gainful employment.

Tourism
271. In the services sector, tourism is the dominant subsector, and like agriculture, it is also vulnerable
to external shocks, the most recent being the Ebola outbreak in 2014 in West Africa. Although no
case of Ebola was recorded in The Gambia, its occurrence in the subregion had the greatest impact
on the growth of international arrivals in The Gambia. However, unlike agriculture, tourism has
been able to recover from the Ebola shock.
272. The tourism industry is a major contributor to the national economy contributing 12% - 16% of
Gross Domestic Product (GDP), supporting over 35,000 direct and 40,000 indirect jobs, and
generating US$ 85 million in foreign exchange earnings (Tourism, Culture and Hospitality Strategy

74
 Plan, 2015-2020). It has attracted US$ 45 million in foreign investment over the last 5 years. It also
helps to provide the necessary air cargo opportunities to support the development of some of
The Gambia’s other sub sectors such as shellfish, horticulture and other international business
activities. Tourism has a catalytic role in accelerating growth and employment opportunities to
improve the welfare of the population.
273. The Gambia over the years achieved steady progress in tourist arrivals until 2013 when the
outbreak of Ebola in some neighboring countries, caused a 9.1% decline of tourist arrivals (from
171,200 in 2013 to 155,592), effectively causing a setback on the target of achieving half a million
arrivals by 2020. The recent growth is attributed to increased arrivals from countries such as
Netherlands, Spain, Nigeria and Poland as a new source market.
274. Most strategies of the sector planned under PAGE were implemented including: a number of new
products and initiatives undertaken to complement the 3s (sun, sea, and sand); a series of
marketing and promotional activities were undertaken to increase the destination’s footprint in
new and old source markets; a number of initiatives were undertaken to attract more investors
including free land allocation within the TDA, Special Incentive Certificates (SICs) such as Tax
holidays, and the organization of an international investment forum. As a result, 5 new outlets
were added to the existing tourism establishments. The Quality and Enforcement department
continued to tighten regulatory standards while the establishment of the Gambia Tourism
Hospitality Institute (GTHI) as a regional center of excellence continued to provide human capacity
training to serve the tourism industry.
275. In terms of supply side constraints, tourism in The Gambia faces competition from other
destinations that offer higher quality infrastructure, a more diversified product mix and lower
prices. Lack of diversity in the number of activities available to tourist is thus a major drawback
limiting growth in the sector (World Bank 2014). In addition, these competing destinations
provide higher quality hotels and more reliable public infrastructure such as electricity,
telecommunications and better roads. Thus, quality of hotel facilities has emerged as perhaps the
biggest challenge facing the industry with very little investment in 5 star hotels (the Cocoa Ocean
Resort & Spa being the last one, built in 2009).
276. The quality of service provided by hotel and restaurant staff along with the ever-present
“bumster” problem also affect the competitiveness of the industry. The Tourism, Culture and
Hospitality Strategic Plan (2015-2020) reveals that the “bumster” problem ranks number 1 among
complaints by tourists; with 73% of respondents citing bumsters as their biggest complaint about
the industry. The Vision 2020 objective of addressing this problem in order to attract high-end
tourists into The Gambia has yet to be realised. Other challenges include: sex tourism, child abuse
and exploitation; seasonality of the Industry that is highly dependent on charter flights; and global
shocks that can have adverse effect on tourist arrivals.
277. Allied to the issue of quality is unreliable electricity and its high cost ($0.23/kWh) which is a major
deterrent for investment. Unreliable and costly electricity eats into the profits of hotels and
reduces their ability to invest in major improvements.

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Industry
278. The industrial sector can play an instrumental role in reinvigorating growth in the economy, both
over the medium and long terms. It can be a driver for increasing productivity and growth,
generating employment opportunities and fostering integration into regional and global markets.
The long-term aspiration is to increase the industrial sector’s contribution to the GDP from 11 per
cent to between 25-30 per cent by 2020. However, the level of industrialization of the Gambian
economy is fairly low, as indicated by its Manufacturing Value Added (MVA) per capita, which has
almost stagnated at about US$16 since 1995 (UNIDO, 2010) - lower than the average for
developing countries. One of the critical challenges affecting the industrialization process is the
lack of technological innovation as well as an outdated industrial policy.
279. The attainment of the objectives of Vision 2020 require a greater role for the manufacturing
subsector in the economy. The manufacturing subsector contributes 5% to GDP (stagnated since
1995) and employs about 4,500 people. Manufacturing activities in The Gambia are dominated
by light manufacturing consisting of clothing and textiles, food and beverages, metals and metallic
works, wood and leather processing, and chemicals primarily used in the production of soaps and
plastics, fish processing etc. Small scale light manufacturing such as wood crafts, clothing and
textile, chemicals, foods, rice milling, fruit juice production), traditional medicine, electronic
assembly, etc. constitutes the manufacturing sector of The Gambia.
280. The cotton ginnery, the Kuntaur rice mill and the agro-oil mill used to be thriving industries that
have since folded. The agricultural sector is not well linked to the cottage industries and the value
chain of industrial processes to spur economic productivity and output. A competitive agro-
industry which offers value-added goods while improving product safety and quality will foster
development and poverty alleviation in The Gambia. Value addition thus remains a perennial
challenge for Gambian agricultural produce with the Gambia’s main agricultural export still in the
form of raw primary commodities.
281. The manufacturing subsector faces formidable challenges in particular lack of technical
competences to cater for the varying needs of the subsector; and the non-implementation of sub-
regional initiatives – notably the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme which is fraught with
challenges of member states not honoring the protocols of free movement of goods (the
protocols themselves are inadequate in a number of areas), lack of awareness and a cumbersome
application process. These challenges are compounded by the system wide challenges related to
energy, access to finance, quality and standard have made it difficult for the manufacturing
businesses to leverage the much bigger ECOWAS Market.

Other Services
282. Trade in services is a key driver of growth and development and constitutes a major source of
export earnings, and employment generation. Leveraging the services sector would not only assist
in unlocking further growth potential, but would also help reduce poverty and enhance the quality
of life through greater access to available services. Gambia as an LDC can take advantage of the
service waiver under the WTO to export not only tourism services but other services like sport,

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 consultancy, performance arts, etc. In order to operationalize the waiver, The Gambia needs to
identify areas where it could benefit from commercially meaningful preferences. However, there
is difficulty in collecting reliable economic data on Gambia’s services trade, exports, target
markets and existing barriers to enable The Gambia to apply for the waiver.
283. A sound financial sector matters for development as: i) it promotes sustained growth by
channeling savings to profitable investment opportunities and monitors firms to ensure proper
use of such financial resources; and, ii) it protect consumers and investors from the risks inherent
in every economic activity. Furthermore, a sound financial sector is critical to Gambia’s
development as two of the sectors most likely to generate significant growth and employment –
agroindustry and tourism – face significant challenges in accessing funding for working capital and
investment, which undermines their competitiveness.
284. The financial sector in The Gambia comprises of commercial banks, foreign exchange bureaus,
microfinance institutions, community based savings associations (VISACAS), and insurance
companies while the Central Bank of The Gambia serves as the apex regulatory body. The
Gambian financial system is relatively small and is dominated by the banking system. Financial
intermediation in The Gambia remains skeletal. The intermediation process that brings suppliers
and users of funds together provides a very limited framework through which to effect
intermediation which is provided by the commercial banks and to a very limited scale insurance
companies.
285. Private credit to GDP is only 14.4 percent compared to a regional median of 20.0 percent and an
income group median of 17.8 percent (Chart 9). This compares well with Liberia (4.2) and is on
par with the rate in Guinea-Bissau (14.8) but lower than Comoros (21.0) and Lesotho (18.8).
This, despite the fact that the domestic deposits are higher than comparator countries, which
suggests structural credit market constraints.
286. Transportation logistics has always been a key issue for The Gambia, given its historical role as an
entrepot. The Gambia has seen its relative advantage on maritime transportation decline as other
countries in the region have improved their port capacities and road transportation. Linking the
Gambia to the region by road is also a major challenge due to the state of the road network.
287. Government also recognizes the complementarity of river transport in the re-export trade and
tourism. The flow of road freight based on origin and destination indicates that weekly movement
consists of construction aggregates, cement and building materials, and other bulky freight that
can be shifted to river transport. However, the collapse of river transport and its associated
infrastructure has not made this possible.
288. FDI is the largest source of external finance in many developing economies. Attracting FDI is
currently an important priority for the Gambia, with the current policy being a deliberate shift
towards economic liberalization with an economy driven by a more outward market-oriented
strategy.
289. There has been a change in the structure of the labour force from agriculture to distributive trade
with this change driven by the youthful population preferring trade over agriculture.

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 Nevertheless, the majority of the labour force is still engaged in low productivity jobs with low
median wages and is characterized by a high degree of workers with no formal education. The
proportion of the labour force with TVET skills training is extremely low.

Table 8: Skills Development

The Growth Enablers

290. The Government’s desire to move towards a private sector led economy is without doubt.
Nevertheless, there are still towering obstacles standing in the way of a private sector led
economy. The most significant challenges faced include electricity, access to credit/finance, the
tax code, unskilled labour, weak quality and standards, uncompetitive sea port, weak transport
infrastructure, inadequate ICT platform and poor facilitation to international markets.

Energy
291. The Gambia has a dual energy system where traditional and modern energy systems co-exist. On
one side is the traditional energy system where biomass fuels and use of inefficient technologies
dominate the household energy needs. The other side of The Gambia’s energy spectrum
embodies a modern energy system where fossil fuel and renewable energy dominate using
modern appliances.
292. The main source of energy in The Gambia is fuel wood, followed in decreasing order by petroleum
products, and a small growing fraction of renewable energy (solar and wind). LPG is also an
important source of energy for Gambians although its use is higher among the affluent segment
of urban households. The biggest consumers of energy in The Gambia are households and the
transport sector, with a steady and consistent increase during the past decade in the consumption
of petroleum products. Approximately 44% of the electricity produced is consumed by residential
consumers. The small-scale industries including hotels and larger industries use approximately

78
 39% while commercial entities use about 8%. The remaining 9% is consumed by Government and
NAWEC (NAWEC, 2011).

Fig 11: Energy Balance

293. Electricity supply in The Gambia is insufficient, and is among the most expensive in Sub Saharan
Africa. It is unreliable and costly due to the high cost of fossil fuel, the high cost of installing the
transmission infrastructure, and electricity loss during transmission and distribution (about 23%
both technical and non-technical).
294. The Electricity tariff rate for industrial users as of July 2015 is D10.40 per kWh. The tariff rate for
agricultural sector was lower, at D9.10 per kWh just like those applied on domestic consumers.
The cost of electricity hampers the international competitiveness of industry related businesses,
which are relatively energy-intensive. Electricity supply cannot match existing demand.
295. Demand for power continues to rise. In 2012, generation amounted to 232 GWh against an
estimated electricity demand of 621 GWH, and this is expected to exceed 800 GWh by 2020.
Worse still there is disconnect between the 98 MW total installed capacity and the 45-55 MW
available generation capacity, which contributes to the low (55 %) electrification rate (PURA
2014). The low demand of electricity by rural communities makes it expensive to take electricity
to remote communities.
296. Renewable energy represents an area of tremendous opportunity for The Gambia. Renewable
energy has a long history in The Gambia and solar energy is the predominant source – particularly
Solar PV, which was first used for rural lighting and telecommunications facilities in the early
1980s. However, it is for rural water pumping that solar PV has had a major impact. More than
2MW of PV has been installed through various government and donor funded projects to provide
water to rural and isolated communities. The results are impressive with more than 90 per cent

79
 of these populations having access to clean drinking water. It is also gaining popularity in the
Tourism industry where many hotels have now installed stand- alone or grid connected solar
technologies. Small wind systems are also being successfully implemented along the coastline.
297. The resources in the Gambia vary by region depending on location or environment. This makes
access to renewable energy location site specific. The average annual solar insolation for The
Gambia is 4.5-5.3 kWh/m2-day, which represents a high generating potential for the country with
moderate wind conditions in the Gambia (below 4.0 m/s at 30 m height) all over the country. In
December 2013 the government passed the Renewable Energy (RE) Act whose key policy priority
is aimed at providing reasonable incentives and facilitation to promote private sector investment
in electricity-generation projects.
298. The Gambia’s modern energy service requirements are met from imported fossil-based energy
sources, which makes the country vulnerable to fluctuation in world oil prices. Fuel imports is a
major issue as it uses up a significant share of the foreign exchange the country generates. The
problem is exacerbated by declining groundnut production and associated drop in foreign
exchange earnings.
299. Like all petroleum products, LPG is imported and is sold in different sized cylinders. It is used by
affluent urban households and the tourism industry. Access to LPG continues to be hindered by
high cost to obtain cylinders and also high refill costs which currently is about D60/kg. Foreign
exchange fluctuations have also impacted on gas pricing and market contraction.
300. The country’s current energy status is beset with challenges that constrain the quest for
employment, inclusive growth and prosperity, particularly raising the cost of doing business,
eroding competitiveness, and reducing productivity. In addition, the sector suffers from a
distorted tariff structure that affects equitable use of electricity. There is an urgent need to reduce
waste and increase energy conservation.

Transport
301. Transport is critical for the efficient functioning of the national economy as it provides vital and
essential links between areas of production and markets and also facilitates access to social and
economic facilities. For the private sector an efficient, affordable and reliable transport
infrastructure is critical.
302. Presently, the national transport system is categorized into three modes; (i) road transport system
(consisting of a primary network, inter-urban trunk roads; gravel surfaced secondary roads; urban
roads confined mainly to Greater Banjul area; and gravel/earth surface rural feeder roads); (ii) Air
Transport System provided by Banjul International Airport at Yundum, and (iii) Maritime and River
Transport consisting of the Banjul Port and the River transport.
303. The Transport, Storage and Communication sector accounts for about 16% of GDP (GBOs, 2014)
compared to around 6% of the sector contribution to West African GDP.
304. Many of the policy directives relating to ‘institutional mechanisms for coordinated planning and
sector regulation’ whose objective was to ensure the application of commercial principles in the

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 management of the sector have not been implemented. This has negatively affected intermodal
coordinated planning, the regulatory environment, and ultimately the efficient functioning of the
market. Of particular concern are matters relating to pricing policy, control and penalties, technical
and quality standards for roads and vehicles, services/route allocation, environmental regulations,
axle load regulations, carriage of hazardous materials/liquids; and control of pollution emissions.
305. The Gambia lacks a transport sector-wide Master Plan which would help operationalize the objective
of integration and prioritization in Transport Investment Planning to ensure that goods and
passengers move by the mode that is least costly to the economy. This is important for the
harmonious development of the Road Transport, Air Transport, Port/Maritime and River Transport
modes and the facilitation of trade. The recommended creation of the National Transport Agency
(NTA) with overall responsibility for integrated transport planning and implementation did not
materialize. Therefore, the institutional capacity to drive and implement a coordinated development
of the modes recommended under the policy was not in place.
Road Transport
306. The total classified road network of The Gambia is estimated at about 3,920.53 km of primary,
secondary, urban and rural roads. About 818.53 km (20.88%) of the network of which 686 km is paved
serve as the primary road system, connecting important economic centers to gateways (sea port,
airport, and border crossings) and the capital city of Banjul.
307. According to The Gambia transport sector diagnostic study report (2014), about 93.0% of the
primary network is oriented in a latitudinal way running in a west-east direction on the North and
South Banks of the Gambia River as per the shape of the country while the balance of only about
85 km connect the two primary west-east highways on both banks of the Gambia River in a
longitudinal axis.
Table 9: The Gambia Road Network
Classification by Category Length(Km)
Primary Network 818.53
North Bank 341.00
South Bank 392.53
North-South Bank 85.00
Secondary Road Network 359.00
Kombo Coastal Roads 168.00
Kombo St. Mary Roads 38.00
Other Secondary Roads 153.00
Urban Roads 187.00
Banjul-Urban Streets 37.00
Other Urban Streets in Greater Banjul Area 150.00
Rural Feeder Roads 2556.00
Total National Road Network 3920.53
Source- National Roads Authority The Gambia (2009 Network Survey EDF)

308. The secondary road network of 359 km, mainly gravel surfaced accounts for 9.16% and connect the
secondary towns/economic centres to the primary road network. The urban roads estimated at 187

81
 km (excludes the primary and secondary roads intercepted by Banjul urban boundaries 4.77% of the
network) are confined to the Banjul/Greater Banjul Area. The rural feeder roads consist of 2,556 km
of gravel/earth roads and account for about 65.19% of the classified network.
309. Although above average by Sub-Saharan African standards, the quality of road infrastructure is
poor due to maintenance neglect, with 82.50% of the network in poor conditions and contributing
to high cost of vehicle operation and maintenance. Presently, there is a huge backlog of periodic
maintenance with a considerable part of the network in need of major rehabilitation. This is
except for the primary roads network whose 80% good condition stems from on-going annual
maintenance and rehabilitation contract with the private sector.
Table 10: Current Condition of the Classified Network
Paved Gravel/Earth Poor Fair Good
Network Class Length (km)
(Km) (km) (%) (%) (%)

1 Primary Roads 818.53 649 169.53 20.7 0.0 79.3

2 Secondary Roads 359.00 168 191.00 53.2 46.8 0.0

3 Urban Roads 187.00* 37 150.00 100.0 0.0 0.0

4 Rural Feeder Roads 2556.00 2556.00 100.0 0.0 0.0

310. The general poor state of road networks is due to inadequate and unsustainable financing in the
sector for maintenance. The subvention provided from the budget over the years has been
consistently less than 30% of annual maintenance needs estimated at about GMD 250 million (The
Gambia Roads Transport Policy, 2012-2015). This situation is however improving since 2015, with
monthly allocation on average of about D6 million to the road fund.
311. Other operational issues of the road sub-sector concern safety and excessive axle loads; with over
36% of trucks overweight in a 2009 survey. The institutional framework to address road safety is
not in place and little attention is given to promoting road safety. The development of the local
construction industry is also an issue since they lack the wherewithal to undertake extensive road
constructions. There is also the need to improve trade and transport facilitation measures on
regional road networks and to establish private sector driven Corridor Management Organizations to
improve efficiency of transport and trade corridors in the country. Associated to this need is the
identified missing links in the national road network that are essential for both national and
international trade.
312. The urban transport infrastructure of the Gambia consists of 187km of road of which 37 km are
in Banjul and 150km are in the Greater Banjul Area.
Air Transport
313. Air Transport plays a major role within the Gambia Transport System in providing international
gateway for the business community with the rest of the world and is of critical importance for
the Gambia Tourist Industry. Because of the small size of the country, domestic air transport has
not been part of the internal transport system. Transport by Air into and out of The Gambia is via
the Banjul International Airport (BIA) which is the only airport in the country. The passenger traffic

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 at the BIA declined from 345,040 in 2007 to 293,305 in 2009 before recovering to a high of
318,240 passengers in 2011, registering a positive growth rate of 5% between 2010 and 2011;
(303,520 in 2015 up from 151,776 in 2014).
314. The BIA is composed of a single 3,600 metres long runway, a terminal building with capacity to handle
one million passengers annually, a Control Tower and an International Freight Centre (approximately
550 sq. metres). There is on-going expansion of the airport taxiway and apron as well as the
rehabilitation of the terminal building. The airport facilities are properly serviced and secured with
the state of the art equipment.
315. Government recognizes that policy decisions regarding tariffs and charges are a key determinant
to the competitiveness of the BIA. The Gambia’s current policy stance disadvantages it as a result
of strong competition from regional competitors. This is further exacerbated by the higher fuel
cost compared to regional competitors as well as inadequate equipment and machinery. The
human capacity is also inadequate to provide appropriate management of BIA.
Maritime and Inland Water Transport
316. The Port of Banjul is the gateway for the export and import trade of the Gambia accounting for
over 80% of total international trade. The Banjul Port presently has two jetties, the Banjul Wharf
and the New Banjul Jetty with combined quay length of 428 metres. The two installations
comprise of inner and outer sides five berths and a Ro-Ro Ramp facility at the northern end of the
New Banjul Jetty. Depth at approach channel and at berth sides are low and a constraint to the
bigger vessels in the changing trends in the port and shipping industry.
317. The Port handled 2,003,719 tonnes in 2015; this figure includes petroleum products handled at
Mandinary. Total throughput handled at the Port of Banjul decreased from 1,933,075 tonnes in
2014, to 1,860,296 tonnes in 2015 representing a decrease of 72,779 tonnes, a slight drop of 4%
in 2015. The decrease in total throughput could also be accounted for by the decrease in the
number of containers imported and also the decline in exports of agricultural produce such as
timber, cashew and groundnut oil (crude). This figure excludes the shifting onboard e.g. bay to
bay shifting and hatch covers handled by stevedores and the liquid bulk (petroleum products) of
143,422 tonnes that was handled by Gam Petroleum Limited, at its storage facility at Mandinary.

Table 11: Cargo Throughput in Tonnes

YEAR 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
000'TONNES 1,261,007 1,412,661 1,402,135 1,718,938 1,615,328 1,573,373 1,933,075 1,860,296

318. The 2008 Ports Master Plan Study revealed a berth occupancy ratio of 65% which is the basis for
the proposed Port expansion to a 200 metre wharf capacity to handle larger vessels of over 20,000
DWT. The Ports Master Plan provides for concessioning of the container terminals to increase
efficiency and restore the ports competitive edge. The non-implementation of the Ports Master
Plan has rendered the Banjul Port uncompetitive as it is still being operated on a public service
port model.

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Quality Standard Infrastructure
319. Even though Gambia’s produce is exempt from tariffs in major developed countries’ markets, it
faces Non–Tariff Measures (NTM) in accessing the export markets; the key of which is compliance
with World Trade Organisation (WTO) Sanitary and Phyto Sanitary (SBS) requirements and
Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreements; in particular capacity to meet international market
requirements on packaging, labelling and product quality.

Access to Finance
320. Private investment in The Gambia, especially from domestic sources, is seriously constrained by
the high cost of credit. Much of the problem can be traced to a basic macroeconomic imbalance
that is fiscal in origin. Banks are reluctant to lend to private industry because it is much more
profitable to invest in government Treasury Bills. To the extent that demand for credit by the
government crowds out private borrowers it will be more difficult for entrepreneurs to establish
or expand their businesses that might, in turn, generate the revenues needed by the government
for development. Crowding out also raises the cost of borrowing, which makes it expensive for
firms to carry out their business. A study by the World Bank has shown that at market-lending
rates of 25% to 28%, only firms with a profit margin of 35% can afford to borrow to finance their
operations.

Table 12: Credit to Private Sector (and Personal loans) by sector, 2011 to 2014
2011 2012 2013 2014
Agriculture 7% 4% 4% 3%
Fishing 0% 0% 0% 0%
Manufacturing 5% 6% 5% 4%
Building & Construction 10% 11% 13% 12%
Transportation 7% 7% 6% 8%
Distributive Trade 28% 30% 31% 33%
Tourism 5% 5% 5% 3%
Financial Institutions 4% 4% 4% 4%
Personal Loans 11% 9% 8% 8%
Others 24% 25% 23% 25%
Total (D’000) 64,758,636 65,358,000 71,989,705 72,529,527
Credit to GDP Ratio 2.43 2.23 2.25 2.25
Source: Central bank of The Gambia, August 2015

321. Agriculture and Tourism, two of the country’s biggest exports, have seen a decline in their share
of credit by half, dropping from 12% (2011) to 6% (2014).
322. The Gambia has a very low domestic savings rate of 5% (between 2008 and 2012), compared to
14.9% between 2004 and 2007. This has led to an over reliance on foreign savings, foreign direct
investment in particular, to fuel growth. Without an increase in the domestic savings rates, capital
available for investment will be limited.

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Tax Code
323. The tax system poses a challenge for both the public and private sectors. According to the “Ease
of doing Business” Report (2015), The Gambia has the second highest tax on profits in the sub
region at 63%. In addition, firms in the country are faced with both national and local area council
taxes, which in some cases overlap. Although each tax levied is small, the total effect of these
“nuisance” taxes eats up a significant proportion of a firm’s profits. If the tax code is not simplified,
and the overlap of national and local taxes eliminated, firms may suffer, further preventing their
optimal contribution towards job creation and economic growth.

Land Use Management

324. It is widely recognized that sustainable equitable growth and prosperity is largely influenced by
proper land use planning and a regulatory regime that affords its management. In the Gambia,
land use planning began in 1985 with the preparation of the Greater Banjul Area (GBA) Physical
Development Plan and that of three identified provincial growth centres of Brikama, Basse and
Farafenni through a Technical Assistance Grant by the German International Cooperation Agency
(GIZ). The main reasons for the creation of the above growth centres were to manage the
available land for competing uses which had emerged as a result of rapid rate of population
growth causing unplanned expansion of settlements on land best suited for other uses like
agriculture, forestry, tourism, etc. or on fragile ecosystems. Given its geographical location and
relatively small size, only about 38 % of the country is cultivable which puts pressure on land and
ultimately causes land degradation, loss of forest cover, loss of biodiversity and habitat loss,
improper disposal of solid wastes and increasing effects of climate variability and change.
325. A surge on competition over land use and resources has put the issue of Land Use Planning high
on the national development agenda. In some instances, the competition threatens not only
sustainable land management but also deprives local rural communities control over and access
to land and natural resources upon which their livelihoods depend.
326. Constraints in the management of land in the country include inadequate institutional capacities
and instruments (e.g. land-use and soil maps, and Human resource/ expertise), lack of guidelines,
legislation, and monitoring systems for the use and management of land. In the past the
customary tenure system ensured that the poor were not excluded from access to land. However,
due to population pressures, land in the Kanifing and Brikama municipalities has appreciated in
value forcing the poor to relocate elsewhere, thus excluding them from easy access to land.
327. Most urban land is registered, but procedures for the registration of customary lands and
transforming them into leaseholds are weak and need to be improved and made more
transparent. Access and registration of land for industrial estates and other investments is slow
and cumbersome.
328. Land-related information, including land use plans, large-scale cadastral and thematic map
information need to be updated to ensure they adequately guide the fast expansion of urban
development as well as the provision and availability of housing.

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329. The Gambia National Agricultural Policy calls for the judicious and prudent utilization of land
available for agriculture, especially guarding against the encroachment of residential facilities into
agricultural land. In both the Forestry Act and the National Policy on Forest Management,
provision is also made for sustainable community management of forest land. A review of the
situation shows that the reality is a far cry from the policy pronouncements. In particular, the ANR
sector has emerged as one of the most prominent victims to this state of affairs where poor
planning has put farmers on a collusion path with pastoralists, ecology, industrialists, and
urbanisation. Furthermore, the result of unregulated rural–urban migration over the past
decades, has been inappropriate land use including settlement by people on flood prone areas
and dumping of waste on fragile ecologies. In The Gambia, land rights are governed by customary
law which discriminates against women who constitute the majority in agriculture. This has
negative implications for investments and ultimately on the productivity of the land.

ICT
330. The Information, Communication and Telecommunication (ICT) sub-sector is one of the fast
growing sectors of the economy and a major contributor to the service sector. The Gambia has a
single channel state-owned TV station; a state-owned radio station and 15 privately owned radio
stations; 6 community radio stations transmitting mainly via shortwave radio; and cable. Satellite
TV subscription services are obtainable in some parts of the country (2015). TV coverage is still
below 100%.
331. The Telecommunication sub-sector still maintains one fixed line operator and four GSM
operators with six Internet Service Providers. There is increasing mobile tele-density with fixed-
line and mobile-cellular tele-density, aided by multiple mobile-cellular providers, estimated at
80 per 100 persons with a total of 2.3 million mobile cellular telephones; 119 subscriptions per
100 inhabitants (2014 est.). The Telecoms sector has also seen a revamp of its capacity through
the establishment of the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) Submarine Cable Landing Station which
has improved internet connectivity more than tenfold. Internet users total 274,000
representing 14.2 percent of population (2014 est.)
332. In the Information Technology (IT) area, several legal and regulatory frameworks have been
formulated and adopted such as the ICT4D Action Plan 2014, NICI Policy (which has recently gone
under a review process of its 10 year cycle), the e-Government Strategy (which is catalyzing the
implementation of the e-Government Programme ), the Universal Access Service and Framework
Regulations, the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) Act 2001, Gambia Radio and
Television Services Corporation Act 2004. The National Information and Communications
Infrastructure (NICI) Policy, adopted in 2005 and the strategic directions for the attainment of the
vision are aimed at building and sustaining partnership with the private sector and donors,
providing an effective information and communication infrastructure, enabling countrywide
connectivity and achieving a liberalized and competitive market, offering consumer choice;
creating an enabling environment that ensures liberalized information and communication
market that is attractive to all; and achieving sustained growth and expansion of trade and
commerce in all sectors, utilizing ICT as a primary driver.

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333. In the Telecoms Sector, there is still a challenge on the terrestrial fiber connectivity to Senegal
(which serves a backup for the Submarine cable) due to cost as well as capacity while the access
network of some telecom operators is obsolete and degraded; hence the full capacity of ACE is
underutilized while more Human Capacity and expertise in managing advanced
telecommunications systems is required.
334. The e-Government Programme has addressed some high-capacity issues under the IT sector, in
particular reliable bandwidth. However, there are still challenges regarding broadband
penetration mainly due to the high cost of internet in the country when compared to neighboring
countries. This has become an obstacle towards achieving reliable access to electronic services
and applications. The slow pace of development of local software applications to address
pertinent issues is also a challenge, mainly due to insufficient human capacity and funding.
335. The requirement to transition from Analogue to Digital Broadcasting, is posing a challenge for TV
and radio stations in terms of equipment change considering the cost implications. The Analogue
Switch Off (ASO) targeted in 2017 requires sensitisation of the service providers. Lastly, the low
level of sensitization on electronic waste (e-Waste) which is contributing to the increased carbon
emissions in the atmosphere is yet another challenge.

Enabling Environment and Institutional Support

336. The Government will provide the enabling environment and the necessary institutional support
for growth and job creation.
Public Financial Reform
337. A Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) Assessment conducted in 2014
established that overall, Gambia’s PFM systems improved significantly by over 80%, whereby
most indicators registered an improvement compared to the previous PEFA conducted in
FY2009. The PEFA identified several challenges in particular, inadequate linkage between
planning, policy-making, and budgeting in the face of resource constraints; weakness in
transparency and accountability; heavy dependence on external aid; and inadequate human
capacity.
338. Fiscal discipline (credibility of the budget): The variations between actual and budgeted
expenditure have been very high over the past four years, with variations ranging from 15% to
more than 31%. These variations are compounded by the high expenditure arrears, unrealistic
budgeting and lapses in the procurement systems.

Civil Service Reforms

339. Some achievements have been realised over the past five years in improving the Civil Service,
and further efforts continue to be made in this direction. Government initiated the Civil Service
Reform Programme (CSRP) 2012-2015, a critical aspect of Vision 2020, to improve operational
efficiency and reduce transaction costs. Key components of the CSRP include automation of
government business processes and archiving through the installation of e-Government

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 platform; building human resource capacities of ministries and staff; and review of the pay and
grading system of the civil service undertaken in 2014.
340. Despite the positive initiatives taken so far, challenges still remain in realising the goals and
objectives of the Civil Service reform programmes.
341. Structural and Functional Flaws in the Civil Service: The multiplicity of ministries, agencies,
departments, and functions has led to a bloated civil service and a general absence of sufficient
linkages and coordination between institutions and leadership. As of end 2015, total public
institutions numbered 59, of which 41 are para-public agencies.
342. The civil service size (excluding the security sector) increased by 40% between December 2011
and April 2015. While the increase was across many of the public institutions, it was more
pronounced in the following public institutions: Ministry of Environment (106%), Ministry of
Justice (82%), Ministry of Basic & Secondary Education (81%), National Assembly (76%), Public
Service Commission (64%), Ministry of Information & Communication Infrastructure (56%) and
Ministry of Transport, Works & Infrastructure (55%). This has translated into a 40% increase of
the overall Government expenditure that has had fiscal implications.
343. The culture of information sharing and succession planning that permeates most government
institutions has had an inhibiting effect on civil service capacity development and performance.
Government is committed to completing on-going comprehensive review of the current civil
service programme and extending the strategy to 2025; to a leaner and more efficient civil
service through aligning the portfolio of ministries to the core functions of Government; and to
build capacities of MDAs to deliver their mandates.
344. Insufficient Financial Commitment and Funding both by government and donors has resulted in
weak implementation of the 2012-2015 Civil Service Reform Programme. Of the required US$
5.290 million for the CSRP, just a paltry US$0.459 million was realised.
345. e-Government: public records and business processes are not yet automated and online
services are not fully exploited. Even though Government introduced the e-Government
platform in 2003 as a central repository portal to conduct and archive government operations, it
has remained largely under-utilized due to limited access, weak technical competences and
limited internet connectivity which has hampered the use of government websites.
346. The average wage (D1,800 per month) in the Civil Service is very low and has remained stagnant
since 2010. The average wage is below $1.25/day; just over the cost of a bag of rice. The low
wage demoralises staff and forces them to engage in outside activities to augment their
incomes. It has led to a reduction of efficiency and productivity in the civil service. The current
unified pay-scale structure which came into force in 1985 contains pensionable salaries which
are now generally too low. Thus, the current basic pay scales appear completely inadequate in
terms of providing a decent living wage for civil servants.
347. The review of the pay and grading system shows that there is a parallel regime of allowances,
which has developed to a point where there are now a large number of allowances of varying

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 levels and all of them (with the exception of the ‘long service’ allowance) are not pensionable.
The allowances are seen as a semi-disguised form of salary supplement. This has made it
difficult to establish a simple, clear and direct relationship between the grade of a job and the
total remuneration that a job holder actually receives. It has distorted the incentive system and
undermined transparency and the principle of equal pay for equal work.
348. The availability of highly skilled and technically competent individuals to hold some key
positions is still a challenge in the civil service. There is an absence of regular capacity-gap
assessments and monitoring mechanisms for capacity development resulting in low productivity
and efficiency.

State Owned Enterprises

349. The proper functioning of State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and para-public agencies requires
capable, efficient and effective institutions to exercise ownership and oversight functions by
setting clear expectations and effectively monitoring and evaluating all Public Enterprises while
letting them operate on business and market principles based on good corporate governance
and without undue influence.
Table 13: The SOE Sector
Air, Sea, Land and Marine Transport Gambia Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA)
Gambia Ports Authority & Ferry Services (GPA)
Gambia International Airlines (GIA)
Telecommunications and Media Gambia Telecommunications Company (GAMTEL)
Gambia Telecommunications Cellular Company (GAMCEL)
Gambia Postal Services (GAMPOST)
Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS)
Gambia Printing and Publishing Corporation (GPPC)
Agriculture Gambia Groundnut Corporation (GGC)
Energy and Water National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC)
Gambia National Petroleum Company (GNPC)
Services Assets Management and Recovery Corporation (AMRC)
Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC)

350. The para-public sector comprises approximately 41 Public Enterprises, which are divided in two
categories: (i) State Owned Enterprises (SOEs), which are incorporated entities (i.e.
corporations/companies) and which operate as businesses in core sectors such as
telecommunications, energy, transport, water and sanitation, etc., and (ii) Semi-Autonomous
Government Agencies (SAGAs) which are essentially extensions of public sector agencies,
including the National Statistics Institute (Bureau) and Public Procurement Authority, National
Environment Agency. These Public Enterprises are governed by the 1990 Public Enterprise Act,
the Companies Act (2013), individual Public Enterprises Acts and the 1997 Constitution of The
Gambia.

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351. A major privatization effort through the Gambia Divestiture Program was undertaken in two
phases (1986-94 and then from 2001-09) where a few SOEs were privatized. The second phase
from 2001 onwards was slower and focused on regulatory reforms and partial privatization. The
2001 Divestiture Act was repealed in 2009.
352. The legal framework sets out the rights of equity holders, the responsibilities of boards of
directors, as well as requirements for full disclosure of financial information through annual
financial plans and budgets and annual operational and financial reports. The Public Enterprises
law also requires all Enterprises to elaborate performance contracts with clear performance
targets and verifiable indicators. However, there are gaps and conflicts relating to oversights,
inter-PE relationships, mandates and legal framework; which require harmonization, in
particular the Public Enterprise Act of 1990 which should be updated.
353. Some key Public Enterprises have run into financial difficulties leading to the need for
Government bailout. Nearly half of the 2014 public debt service payment (5% of GDP) was due
to Government’s settlement of debts on behalf of public enterprises.
Table 14: External Debts Incurred on behalf of the SOEs %GDP
SOE/Project 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Grand Total (percent share of 6.4 8.7 10.0 11.5 12.5
GDP)
Source: MOFEA: Loans and Debt Department

354. The poor financial performance of the SOE sector is due to inefficiencies within the SOEs and
imposition of non-commercial public service obligations or below cost pricing formulas on
commercial SOEs without any compensation from Government to cover the cost. At the national
level, the running up of arrears and the absence of transparent budget allocations to cover non-
commercial public service obligations of SOEs is obscuring the processes for setting priorities for
public expenditure and investment. The situation needs to be addressed to avoid a breakdown
of financial discipline in the SOE sector. Oversight on SOEs used to be under the purview of the
Gambia Divestiture Agency until 2009 when SOE financial oversight shifted to the Ministry of
Finance and Economic Affairs (MOFEA).
355. MOFEA has intervened on a crisis basis over the last two years to cover losses of NAWEC,
GAMTEL/GAMCEL and GGC. Some of these transfers on behalf of the SOEs were made in the form
of loans which the SOEs will have to repay. Although the Government does not normally directly
subsidize the SOEs, it does incur major external debt for on-lending to SOEs and also contingent
liabilities by guaranteeing their other debts.

Justice, Human Rights and Access to Justice

356. Good governance, justice and respect for fundamental human rights principles are important
national objectives set out in the 1997 Constitution of The Gambia. Human Rights institutions
remain weak and lack capacity to implement reforms and legislations to ensure rule of law and
guarantee people their human rights; access to justice, gender equality, basic social services and

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 democratic participation in decision-making processes. In addition, gender inequality is rife in
particular with few women holding position of authority in elective offices.
357. Between 2015 and 2016, there were 69 civil cases across the various courts in the country; 19 of
those cases were completed leaving 50 cases ongoing. Seven of the ongoing cases are in the
Magistrates Court, 34 at the High Court, 8 at the Court of Appeal and 1 at the Supreme Court of
The Gambia.

Table 52: Reported Cases on Human Trafficking

NUMBER OF
FORM OF TRAFFICKING NUMBER OF VICTIMS AGE GROUP REPORTED CASES
Migration & Exploitation on Forced 114 12–32 years 30
Labour
Forced Marriage 1 16 years 1
Children on the move & at the risk of 24 9-17 years None
being trafficked

358. The Gambia hosts the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (ACDHRS) and the
ECOWAS Centre for Human Rights (ECHR); a demonstration of a strong believer of upholding
human rights and rule of law. In addition, The Gambia has signed and ratified a number of
relevant human rights instruments and conventions. It has set up a Human Rights Commission.

Decentralisation
359. The 1997 Constitution provides for decentralization by devolution of some central government
functions to local governments. These constitutional provisions led to the Enabling Policy and
Legal Framework on Local Government Reform in The Gambia which resulted in the enactment
of the Local Government Act (2002), the Local Government Staff Service Rules (2003), the Local
Government Finance and Audit Act (2004), the Decentralisation Policy (2007) and Local
Government Service Commission Regulations (2010).
360. The decentralization program started in 1980 with the objective of enabling the communities to
have a say on how resources are used and services delivered and thereby increase participation
and accountability of decision makers to the citizenry. Local Governments play a critical role in
overall governance in The Gambia and are key players in economic development, growth and
employment. Hence, decentralization was conceived as a national structure derived from a
broad consultative process that involved local, national and international stakeholders. The
decentralization agenda extends the process of democratization to the local levels and
promotes a community-based development approach. The decentralization of central functions
to divisional levels and to autonomous elected local governments is a key part of the Local
Government Act 2002 (amended in 2015). It brings decision making closer to the people (as
voters, consumers and tax payers) so as to ensure that decisions made reflect local needs and
priorities, resulting in more economical and efficient allocation of resources and service delivery.

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361. The decentralisation program started well with the initial surge in international development
partner support, strong political will, and commitment from government. However, in the past
few years, with a gradual waning of donor support and a tight government budget, the much
anticipated government support has not been forthcoming; as such the decentralization process
has stalled. In addition, the momentum waned due to domestic issues around political will,
inadequate funding, low competences in councils, role conflicts between the centre and the
periphery and between councils and new semi-autonomous entities.

Human Capital Formation

362. Human capital formation is critical to the long-term economic growth of a country; it involves
transforming the people into workers who are capable of producing quality goods and services.
Quality and relevant human capital is crucial for economies that intend to move up the
development chain beyond simple production processes and thereby improve a country’s
competitiveness.
363. The basic requirements for global economic competitiveness are strengthening institutional
infrastructure; macro-economic framework; and a healthy and educated labour force; production
of adequate human capital around these pillars will ensure higher productivity.
Education and Skills Development
364. The achievement of Human capital formation on education and training opportunities can be
assessed at two levels: foundation level (basic and secondary education) post-secondary level.
Under foundation level educational attainment can be assessed using the principles of access,
equity, and quality and relevance. The education structure of the Gambia has the following
levels: Basic education comprising of ECD, lower and upper basic; senior secondary; tertiary and
higher education.
365. The gross enrolment rate (GER) data for Early Child Care Development (ECD) shows a slight
improvement, just over 4 per cent from 41.1 per cent in 2014 to 45.4 per cent in 2015. As such,
only 45.4 per cent of kids between the ages of 3 to 6 are registered in the available ECD centers.
Universal access for Lower Basic Education (ages of 7 to 12) is more or less attained with the Gross
enrolment ratio of 101.2% in 2015, well above the MDG target. The challenge here is to maintain
the gains and focus more on issues such as quality and relevance. Gross Enrolment Ratio for Upper
Basic Education increased albeit slightly from 66.7 per cent in 2012 to 68.3 per cent in 2015. Thus
68.7 per cent (ages of 13 to 15) are enrolled in Upper Basic Schools. For Senior Secondary
Education the figures are not as impressive as in the other categories, increasing slightly from 36.2
per cent in 2012 to 41.6 percent in 2015.This shows currently only 41.6 per cent of those between
the ages of 16 to 18 are actually enrolled in Senior Secondary Schools.
366. Regional disparities in enrolment are fairly accentuated in The Gambia. The differences are
important right from access to primary, with an access rate of 123 percent in Region 1 (Banjul
City) against 121 percent in Region 6 (URR) in 2015. Regional disparities are more visible in regions
4 and 5 registering 97.4 percent and 85 percent respectively.

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367. An impressive increase on the girls’ completion rate at the lower basic was registered between
2012 and 2015, from 71.1 percent to 74.4 percent. In 2015, girls registered a completion rate of
74.4% compared to 72.8% registered by boys. The Completion Rate remained constant for the
upper basic at 64.7 percent between 2012 and 2014, but increased for Senior Secondary School
from 30.3 percent to 34.9 percent.
368. At the upper basic level, boys registered a completion rate of 66.0 percent in 2015 compared to
63.5 registered by the girls. A Similar trend has been observed at Senior Secondary School level,
with boys registering a completion rate of 36.3 percent compared to 33.5 for females.
369. The number of Gambian qualified teaching personnel in both basic and secondary education
institutions has increased, thereby reducing reliance on non-Gambian teachers in secondary
schools. Nevertheless, on quality and relevance, more efforts will be directed towards improving
the quality of the teacher training program to be consistent with reforms on literacy introduced
in the school system. Additional effort will focus on improving relevant subject content
knowledge, pedagogic skills, ICT competencies, and professional values and attitudes.
370. Laboratories and workshops in most secondary schools are poorly equipped and cannot cater for
the training and research needs of the learners and teaching personnel. The number of labs in
schools dropped abysmally in 2014 but has been steadily increasing since then. Internet
connectivity and access in the education institutions is unreliable and inadequate to cater for the
learning needs of students and teaching staff.

Table 16: Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Levels indicators

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371. Many TVET graduates do not possess the requisite skills to meet the needs of the labour market
partly because the training at most TVET institutions is inadequate in content and relevance. Most
of those employed are working in the informal sector that requires low education and skills; with
62.8 per cent of the population working as self-employed. Women are disproportionately
represented in the informal sector with 73.8 per cent compared to 55.3 per cent for males.
372. Industrial attachment provides an opportunity for trainees to apply theory in a job environment
for better job placement after completing school. However, a Survey conducted among the firms
(NAQAA 2013 TVET Graduates Tracer Study) showed that 64.6 percent of the responding
participating trainees were unemployed after the attachment, with only 34.7 percent able to find
employment after the attachment. Host institutions, particularly those in the financial sector
showed reluctance in accepting interns.
Post-Secondary Education and Training
373. Programmes on science, technology and innovation are potential enablers in the implementation
of the science, technology and innovation policies. However, there is a low uptake of science and
technology at post-secondary education level. The low competency levels in maths and science
subjects at the secondary school level has created a capacity challenge in the areas of innovation
and training of science and technology professionals.
374. Access to programmes beyond level 4 of the UNESCO International Standard Classification of
Education (ISCED) is limited. Only institutions that are tertiary equivalent are able to offer
programmes that can lead to degree programmes. Higher Education, defined in the Tertiary and
Higher Education Policy 2014-2023 as degree awarding post-secondary institutions, constitutes
only 3.6%. Tertiary Education (institutions offering only certificate and diploma programmes that
can lead to degree programmes) represents 7.2%. While post-secondary non-tertiary education,
(institutions offering certificate and diploma programmes that could not provide progression into
degree programmes) which are meant for direct first entry point into the labour market,
constitute 89.2%.
375. Government budgetary allocations for the education sector has not grown in line with enrolment,
especially in the post-secondary education sector and in particular TVET. Thus, inadequacies in
infrastructure and implementation of strategies that should ensure increased equitable access to
relevant post-secondary education, more so, higher levels and specialised programmes of STEM
(including TVET), remain a daunting challenge. Research has shown that the higher the
qualification, the more expensive the programme becomes (a significant positive correlation of
0.01) implying that the less privileged cannot access higher education without government or
private interventions.

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 Table 17: Working Age Population with Vocational Training

376. Access to post-secondary education for students graduating from Grade 12 in the rural regions is
a major concern with 88.3% of the post-secondary institutions situated in Regions 1 and 2, and no
tertiary and higher education institutions located beyond these two regions.

Fig 18: Distribution of Learning Institutions by region

Higher Tertiary Post-Sec Non-Tertiary Total

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Region 1 Region 2 Region 3 Region 4 Region 5 Region 6
Higher 3 1
Tertiary 4 2 1 1
Post-Sec Non-Tertiary 50 38 2 4 2 3
Total 57 41 3 5 2 3

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377. Of the 843 programmes offered by the post-secondary institutions, 35.2% are science and
technology-related, and 74.1% are offered by the post-secondary non-tertiary – exclusively at
diploma and certificate levels. Consequently, post-secondary institutions do not offer the desired
opportunities for higher learning in the sciences.
378. There has been an unprecedented attendance growth rate of 82.7%, with a female attendance
growth rate of 62.1% from 2012-13 to 2014-15 academic years. Growth rate in the tertiary
institutions during the period stood at 130% overall, and 73.5% for female admissions (parity at
0.31 in 2015); that of non-tertiary stood at 39.1% overall, with female growth at 54.8% (parity at
0.57 in 2015); while higher education stood at 40.0% overall and female growth rate at 45.8%
(parity at 0.41 in 2015). Again, participation of female students in science and technology-related
fields remains extremely low.
379. Education and literacy has also improved. The literacy rates (those that can read and write) among
the population aged 15 years and above is 47.7 per cent. Among females of the same age group
the literacy rate is 41.4 per cent compared to 54.2 per cent for males. The life expectancy at birth
is 63.4 years in 2013 (65.9 years for females and 60.8 years for males).
380. In the TVET institutions, especially in non-tertiary and tertiary post-secondary institutions, very
few lecturers have been licenced; 97% of the 241 licenced lecturers were located in Regions 1 and
2. Gambian of academic staff in non-tertiary post-secondary institutions account for 65.7%, of
which 9.4% have qualifications above bachelor’s degree. The rest have less than a bachelor’s
degree qualification. The situation in tertiary and higher education institutions is similarly
disappointing.
Table 19: Progress in education

381. The absence of adequate resources for promotion of research and utilisation of science,
technology and innovation, coupled with inadequate recognition and appreciation of research
and development in the country remains a major challenge in the face of the need for human

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 capital formation. Laboratories and workshops in post-secondary institutions are poorly equipped
and have inadequate and unreliable internet connectivity and access that cannot cater for the
training and research needs of the learners and teaching personnel. The linkage between industry
and research institutions remains blurred.

Health Upgrading
382. The health sector, despite remarkable achievements registered in the past, is still under great
pressure due to a number of factors: high population growth rate, insufficient financial and logistic
support, deterioration of physical infrastructure, inadequacies of supplies and equipment,
shortage of adequately and appropriately trained health personnel, high attrition rate as well as
inadequate referral system.
383. The Crude Birth Rate (CBR) is 40.5 per 1000 people (Gambia Demographic and Health Survey
[GDHS], 2013) and the Crude Death Rate (CDR) is estimated at 6.5 per 1000 people (Census, 2013).
The Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is 35 per 1000 and Under 5 Mortality Rate (>5 MR) is reported at
63.0 per 1000 live births (Census, 2013). Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is 433 per 100000 live
births (DHS 2013). The majority of the population (57.8%) live in urban area; with women
constituting 50.8% of the total population. The high fertility level of 5.9 births per woman (Census,
2013) has resulted in a very youthful population structure with an annual population growth rate
of 3.1% (Census, 2013).
384. Indicators of child and maternal mortality are improving, however more work need to be done in
the following areas: poverty, low literacy, high level of physical inactivity, and prevalence of
communicable diseases (Malaria, Diarrhoea, Pneumonia, Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS).
385. Malaria parasite prevalence in The Gambia has markedly reduced from 4% in 2012 to 0.2% in 2014
(WHO Biennial Report, 2014-2015). Tuberculosis continues to be a major public health problem
in The Gambia with a prevalence of 128 per 100,000 population in 2013 (Gamstep, 201). However,
there has been increased access in the Directly Observed Treatment (DOT) centres for the
diagnosis and treatment of Tuberculosis from 11 in 2006 to 40 in 2015 with 90% treatment success
rate achieved in 2015 (National TB control Programme, 2016). HIV prevalence stands at 1.9% with
the main route of transmission being heterosexual contact.
386. Like many developing countries, The Gambia is also experiencing the ‘double burden of
malnutrition’ with the emergence of Diet-related Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as
diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, obesity, and some forms of cancers, mental
health, pregnancy related conditions, malnutrition and road traffic accidents.
387. The other challenges in the sector include: financing to sustain gains in the control of Malaria, TB
and HIV/AIDS; Multi-drug resistance TB as well diagnosis and management of childhood TB;
Scaling up VCT, ART, and PMTCT services including the existence of diagnostic facilities country
wide.
388. The national coverage for DPT3 and measles over the years has reached over 90%, greatly
improving child survival. According to the DHS 2013 the percentage of fully immunized children
stood at 76%. In addition, three new vaccines were introduced into routine immunization service

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 namely; Measles 2nd dose (2012), Rotavirus (2013) and IPV (2015) [National EPI Services]. The
introduction of the Rotavirus has significantly increased coverage from 92% in 2014 to 97% in
2015.
389. Total expenditure on health as percentage of GDP was 5.6% in 2013 (NHA, 2013). While the
Government has steadily shown commitment in the budget appropriation to the health sector
rising to 10.56% in the 2016 budget, the figure is still below the 15% allocation target under the
Abuja Declaration on health sector expenditure. Moreover, Out-of-Pocket expenditure
constitutes 21.2% of the total health expenditure (NHA, 2013) and continues to be a huge burden
on households, impacting negatively on the livelihood of the ordinary Gambians.
390. The Gambia is exposed to high risk of epidemic diseases including Ebola due to its geographic
proximity to the epidemic foci of the region, coupled with extensive population movements
across the many porous borders. The Government will accelerate resource mobilisation for the
Health Sector Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan 2016-2020 related to all health
hazards, improve collaboration with its neighbours in the region to curb the spread of epidemic
diseases, and continue the construction of Public Health Emergency Operation Centres at points
of entries.
Table 20: Maternal, Infant and Child Mortality

391. The overall national prevalence among 7 to 14 year olds of the so called neglected diseases (Soil
Transmitted Helminths (STH) and Schistosomiasis) was found to be low, i.e. 2.5% and 4.3%
respectively. In terms of distribution STH is more common in WCR1 (4.1%), LRR (3.6%) and WCR2
(3.0%) respectively. STH has a bearing on nutritional status particularly the growth of children and
anaemia. Schistosomiasis indicated much higher overall prevalence with CRR registering 14.2%,
which is considered a medium prevalence followed by URR (9.4%), which is within the low
prevalence range (NTD Mapping, 2015).

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 392. There is a critical shortage of health workers in the country, compounded by poor distribution,
uneven performance and quality, insufficient incentives and remuneration, poor working
conditions and inadequate management practices and support, even though there has been
increasing output of health care workers from the health training institutions including the School
of Medicine of and Allied Health Sciences over the years. However, the proportion of various
health care professionals per 10, 000 population still remains critically low.
393. Micronutrient deficiency particularly Iron Deficiency Anaemia ((IDA), Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD)
and Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) are of public health importance in The Gambia. The
general prevalence ranged from mild to moderate. In 2013, the Demographic Health Surveys
(DHS 2013) estimated that 73 percent of the children in The Gambia suffered from some level of
anaemia with 4 percent being severely anaemic. The prevalence of anaemia was higher among
children in rural areas at 78% compared to 67%in urban areas. The study also showed that rural
women were more likely to be anaemic (68%) compared to urban women (53%).
Population Management and Urbanization
394. Access to basic amenities in particular electricity and water has increased. Households using
electricity as their main source of light has significantly increased from 27.8 per cent in 2003 to
47.9 per cent in 2013. Access to piped water has increased from 57.5 per cent in 2003 to 60.8 per
cent in 2013. Households with access to safe drinking water facilities increased from 76.0 per cent
in 2003 to 83.6 per cent in 2013.
Migration
395. Migration from SSA through the Libyan route to Europe is mainly from: Nigeria (15%), Gambia
(10%), Somalia (9%), Ivory Coast, Eritrea and Guinea (8% each) and Senegal (7%) (UN refugee
agency UNHCR reports).
396. The Gambia faces a huge migration challenge, particularly to Europe through the “back-way”.
Migration can be costly to families left behind, especially the elderly. Migration has also resulted
in increased loss of life on the way to Europe. The root causes to the migration flow is the lack of
skills and employment opportunities.
Table 21: Indicators of Internal Migration in Local Government Areas
Migration Indicator
Local
Government Enumerated Migration
Area of Gambian In - Migration Out – Migration Net Migration Effectiveness
Enumeration Population Ratio

Count Count Rate (%) Count Rate (%) Count Rate (%)

Banjul 24,625 3,201 13.0 31069 126.2 -27,868 -113.2 81.3

Kanifing 336,515 113,110 33.6 58,324 17.3 54,786 16.3 32.0

Brikama 645,666 171,491 26.6 38,268 5.9 133,223 20.6 63.5

Mansa Konko 76,265 7,380 9.7 35,233 46.2 -27,853 -36.5 65.4

Kerewan 206,886 10,172 4.9 68,311 33.0 -58,139 -28.1 74.1

Kuntaur 93,234 4,269 4.6 23,711 25.4 -19,442 -20.9 69.5

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Janjanbureh 119,990 7,547 6.3 31,730 26.4 -24,183 -20.2 61.6

Basse 227,176 4,613 2.0 35,137 15.5 -30,524 -13.4 76.8

The Gambia 1,730,357 321,783 18.6 321,783 18.6 0 0 0.0

Urban Migration
397. Rapid urbanization has led to increasing demand for urban infrastructure, housing and municipal
services that have placed pressure on the land. Housing, roads, telecommunications, electricity
and other social infrastructure like parks, stadiums and public toilets demand the use land. The
Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) is responsible for regulating access, tariffs, and quality
of supply of these facilities.
398. Generally, there is inadequate provision and maintenance of municipal infrastructure and
shortfalls in the provision of basic urban services. Increasing urban population, inadequate
financial resources, and lack of adequate physical planning and a comprehensive waste
management, treatment and disposal systems for urban centres have exacerbated the problem
399. Although there is no official research on the public health and environmental impacts of
mismanaged rubbish in the Gambia, some of the presumed effects are respiratory tract infections,
lead poisoning, malaria and dysentery outbreaks caused by flooding and in particular blocked
waterways.
400. Uncontrolled urban sprawling and speculative land markets have pushed many marginal
settlements into high-risk areas that are flood prone. The country faces volatile environmental
and climatic conditions, which can lead to disasters, such as floods, desertification, and other
negative effects of climate change. The poor slum dwellers are the most vulnerable to these
incidences.
Social Protection
401. The current social protection system in The Gambia seems to focus on social assistance and
promotion activities, particularly schemes designed to improve food security, address
malnutrition, and promote access to education. There is less focus on healthcare and reliable
income support through cash transfers to extremely poor and vulnerable households and
individuals. For example, The Gambia does not have a universal social pension for the elderly or
a child support allowance, as is the case in some countries across Africa (e.g. universal Child
Transfers in South Africa).
402. Unemployment rate in The Gambia is still high, at 29% (Gambia Labour Force survey 2012). In
2012 the employed persons in the Gambia (522.653), accounted for half those eligible for work
(1.022.893) while the other half was almost equally shared by the unemployed (221.415) and
those (278.772) who were not actively seeking employment because they were either retired, sick
or disabled, home makers, or students (Gambia Labour Force Survey; GLFS: 2012). Among those
in employment 29% (151,397) were employed in the informal sector with the majority employed

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 in agriculture and fishing (31.5 percent). In the urban areas the highest number of those employed
was involved in retail and wholesale trade (44.9 percent).
403. Preventative social protection is highly limited in the country, given that social security schemes
are limited to those employed in the formal sector. The social security package excludes
unemployment and paid maternity leave benefits. The majority of the population work in the
informal sector, thus lacking any form of social security. A notable gap includes the absence of
national health insurance program. Given that agricultural households face ongoing risks from
natural disasters with considerable effects on their livelihoods and food security, there is a need
for a state-led crop insurance schemes for farmers to complement regional initiatives such as
those of IFAD and AU.
404. Long-term and predictable institutionalized social transfers and promotion initiatives, targeting
the extremely poor, are rare. Many social transfers are transitory and project-based,
characterized by unreliable funding that jeopardizes their sustainability.
405. The legislative framework has notable gaps, including the absence of a national minimum wage
or disability bill and the coverage and level of support to particularly vulnerable groups (the
elderly PWDs, PLHIV) is inadequate and sporadic.
406. Migrants, refugee families, single parents, widows, and child headed households rarely feature in
SP programming and projects rarely take into account the social risks and vulnerabilities, lifecycle
vulnerabilities and/or needs of specific excluded groups. The Social Welfare Policy document also
aims to improve access to quality social welfare services at the local, institutional and national
levels by 2020.

Gender and Women Empowerment

407. The challenges facing women include lack of access to education (with illiteracy as a debilitating
consequence), lack of sufficient access and equal opportunity to work, providing adequate
compensation, right to land and property (farmland and credit), low level of awareness of their
rights and negative impact of harmful traditional practices such as forced and early marriage. The
household chores also contribute to the disempowerment of women and girls as they affect equal
access to education of girls and give very little time to women to ensure equal access to decent
work and remuneration. To address these challenges, the government will continue to promote
measures aimed at equal access to land and credit for women; continuing the awareness raising;
providing labour saving devices; and protecting and promoting equal access to education for girls.
Priority actions include the provision of credit facilities for women, supply of labour saving devices
and mechanisms that guarantee equal participation in decision-making.
408. In the Gambian society patriarchal system, male hegemony and other socio-cultural factors
interplay to influence the interactions between the genders and social groups. These inequalities
have resulted in some cases, the exclusion of women, girls, people with disabilities and other
vulnerable groups from actively participating in certain sectors and at certain levels of the
development process of the country. The development of a gender and women empowerment
and gender-related policies, as well as strengthening of national gender machineries to fully

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 undertake the challenging mandates, are crucial actions particularly in addressing structural
relationships of inequality between men and women.
409. Gender inequality impedes efforts towards the attainment of sustainable national development.
Reducing gender inequality is critical for improving the social and economic situation of
marginalized groups through among others, access to social services, wage employment and
control over productive resources. In order to meet these challenges, a rights-based and gendered
approach is necessary.
410. The Gambia’s Vision 2020 serves to ensure gender equality and empower women, through the
continuing creation of an enabling policy framework based on a proper gender analysis and the
provision of adequate gender statistics and budgets. In addition, it focuses on the improvement
of women’s and girls’ employable skills and job opportunities by ensuring parity in primary,
secondary and tertiary education, improve women’s and girls’ entrepreneurial skills and
opportunities in all productive sectors, mobilize resources for gender equality and women’s
empowerment interventions, and ensure the proper coordination, monitoring and evaluation of
women and gender-related programmes.
411. The Gender and Women Empowerment Policy 2010-2020 provides guidance for the achievement
of gender equity and equality in the country and through its implementation Plan, sets indicators
and a framework to assist sectoral departments, partners, and other stakeholders to mainstream
gender from a rights-based approach in their planning and programming and implementation
processes in order to achieve gender equity and equality as provided for in the Constitution of
Gambia and other relevant International instruments that the country has ratified. The policy will
create strategic synergies with various stakeholders to facilitate effective and efficient
implementation of commitments that will make a difference in the lives of all people at all levels.

Climate Change
412. The Gambia is susceptible to the vagaries of the environment and climate change, in particular
droughts and flooding which cause a lot of damage to farmlands, settlements and livestock.
Deforestation through illegal logging and bushfires, and sand mining and illegal settlements and
other uncontrolled activities are the main contributing factors in a situation already made
precarious by climate change. The priority intervention areas are reforestation and ecological
restoration programmes, and developing the resilience and adaptive capacity of people to flood
and other natural disasters
413. Climate change and variation places a major burden on inclusive growth and ultimate national
development because the productive base of the economy thrives on climate-sensitive
activities. Over the past twenty (20) years, The Gambia’s GDP growth pattern mirrored the
performance of agriculture which is dependent on national rainfall patterns which in turn are
principally under the influence of climate change.
414. The Gambia is experiencing the negative impact of climate change, in particular global warming
characterized by a noticeable increase in mean annual temperature from 25.8°C in 1947 to 32.6°C
in 2010. Similarly, average relative humidity (RH) has also been decreasing since the 1940s, with

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 annual average of over 75% in 1945 dropping to a little over 55% in 2010. On the other hand,
climate change induced windstorms and flash floods which are increasing in strength and severity
are-causing damage to property in The Gambia.
415. The increase in temperature and decrease in rainfall resulted in a 3% overall reduction in
groundwater recharge and the migration of the River Gambia’s Saline Front by about 250m
upstream. This has ultimately caused water shortage as well as a reduction in arable land available
for agriculture and therefore a 21 to 44% decrease in food crop production. Consequently, some
of the water points have dried up – adversely affecting livestock production in the country.
416. It is estimated that each year property damage from climate change induced windstorm, floods,
and loss of crop yield amount to tens of millions of Gambia Dalasi. In 2010 alone, urban floods
affected more than 35,000 people and damaged 2,371 houses with a quantified loss of food and
cash crops. The wider impacts from extreme climate events also include flooding in urban areas,
damage to roads, bridges, power lines and telecommunications infrastructure especially the
Greater Banjul Area, and in the unregulated housing settlements in Banjul, Bakau, Ebo Town,
Jeshwang, Tallinding Kunjang and Fagikunda.
417. Consequently, these conditions have exposed the communities to serious health risks associated
with flooding such as malaria and diarrheal diseases. Put together, climate change negatively
affects the economic activities and poverty levels of those affected, leads to food insecurity and
increases the disease vulnerability of communities most affected by its impact. Left unchecked,
rainfall is projected to decrease from about 1% in 2010 to about 54% in 2100; increase in
temperature is projected to range from about 0.3OC in 2010 to about 3.9OC in 2100. (GoTG-NCC,
2012),
418. Decrease in fish productivity of the River Gambia will be about 4% by 2100. Climate change and
sea level rise will lead to increase in water and soil salinity. Hyper-salinity in mangroves and other
wetland ecosystems on the coastal zone could result in systematic spawning and recruitment
failures and reduced population of economically important fisheries species. Fish habitat
availability, quality, and potential for the habitat to sustain fish communities will be altered.
Baseline fisheries biomass productivity of the River Gambia based on a temperature of 27.8OC is
estimated at 18.9*106 kg/km. Results from a riverine production model indicate that productivity
will increase above current values by 4% by 2030, 6 to 7% by 2050 and 10 to 12% by 2100.
Temperature increases will destroy marine and riverine ecosystems, and increase toxicity in fish
stocks having a deleterious impact on human health as a consequence. Moreover, storms and
other severe climate events will impact fisher folk safety at sea and impact coastal livelihoods. As
it is, fish production is negatively impacted by the monsoons and increasing variability in rainfall
and other weather patterns thus threatening food security in The Gambia.
419. Additionally, about 92 square km of the coastal zone, including the city of Banjul, will be inundated
and the mangrove systems on St. Mary’s Island and Kombo St. Mary and the strand plains from
Barra to Buniadu Point will be lost. Given that the mangrove systems serve as protection buffer
against storms for most of the coastal settlements, this will disrupt the livelihoods of these
communities. The suitability of the habitats for the Dwarf Crocodile and Osprey will be highly

103
 reduced. Biomass production in Forests will be lower as temperatures continue to increase.
Production of biomass in rangelands will increase but some of the grasses will not survive the
climate after 40 years. Nitrogen Uptake by grasses will be reduced, the vegetation will not be
palatable and so milk production in livestock will reduce. In light of the threats and potential
impacts of climate change, Government has adopted a comprehensive strategy to adapt to and
mitigate against the impact of climate change. During the PAGE 2012 - 2015 period, a Climate
Change Priority Action Plan (CCPAP) estimated at US$47 Million was developed and a number of
projects implemented including, (a) mainstreaming of Climate Change into the Education
Curricula, (b) development of Climate Change Policy and Strategy and (c) the development of a
Low Emissions Climate Resilient Strategy (LECRDS).
420. The National Climate Change Policy has been developed with funds from the EU and a Background
Paper on the LECRDS has been developed. A full LECRDS is expected in 2016. Under the GEF/UNDP
Adaptation to Climate Change – Responding to Coastline Change project, the Gambia developed
and piloted a range of effective coping mechanisms to reduce the impact of climate change
induced coastal erosion in vulnerable areas, mainly habitats. Other outputs of the project include
various studies on coastal zone management and the construction of Eco-tourism camps as an
alternative livelihood for communities in Brufut, Ghana town, Madiyana and Tanji and a coastal
management plan.
421. Other notable projects implemented during the PAGE focused on better environmental
management of tourism activities in coastal areas; strengthening of Climate Change Early Warning
Systems; mainstreaming Energy & Environment concerns into national, regional and local policies,
strategies, programmes and plans to reverse the current trend of natural resources degradation;
identifying and addressing problems in Disaster Hotspots; and enhancing resilience of coastal and
vulnerable communities.
422. Notwithstanding the success registered in developing and implementing climate change projects,
the Gambia continues to grapple with unequal access to the Kyoto Protocol Clean Development
Mechanism (CDM) as a result of low potential for cost effectiveness due to the size of its economy.
423. The Gambia recognizes prominent role Climate change in its development. Despite its size, Gambia
has put a lot of efforts and continues to do so within her technical, technological capacity and
financial limit. It has also forged corporation with bilateral and multilateral partners. Despite these
efforts climate issues still pose challenges to development, particularly in addressing poverty. In
2011, the Government decided to move climate change to the forefront of its development agenda
by integrating climate change into the Medium Term Strategy; development of the National
Climate Change Policy; formulation of the Low Emissions Climate Resilient Development Strategy
(LECRDS) of The Gambia (ongoing); engagement of the private sector and mainstreaming of
Climate Change in policy frameworks (ANR Policy, Forest Policy, Fisheries Strategy). It is critical to
continue and expand the process of integration and mainstreaming of climate change in all
national development frameworks.
424. Where government policies provide appropriate incentives that harmonizes economic,
environmental and social goals, conflict between economic growth and environmental

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 sustainability will never exist. Economic growth depends on the sustainable management of
natural resources (water, air, soil, fish stocks, and biodiversity) and ecosystem services.
425. The green growth model recognizes that steps to protect and conserve environmental resources
can be sufficient drivers for national economic progress. Environmental protection not only
enhances long-term economic performance through a more sustainable use of the resource base,
but can also contribute to equity. Natural resource and environmental degradation (especially the
pollution of fresh water, the mining of soil fertility and depletion of fish stocks) impacts most
heavily on the poor.

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CHAPTER FIVE: PAGE II STRATEGIES

Table 22: Summary of Priority Action Areas arising from the Common Country Assessment

Sector Priority Action Area

Health
Improving service quality
Education
Improving service quality
Agriculture
Increasing productivity
Agriculture
Reducing Post-harvest losses
Natural Res. & Environment
Nutrition & Food security
Energy & road infrastructure
Gender
Youth
Governance
Social exclusion
Provision of drugs and qualified medical doctors in health facilities
Expansion of existing facilities where the capacity has been outstripped by demand
More teacher training to increase the number of qualified teachers in schools
Construction of more skills centres
Construction of more high schools
Supply of farm implements
Timely supply of farming inputs
Rehabilitation of access roads and bridges to rice fields
Construction of dykes to protect agricultural land from salt intrusion
Provision of watering points for livestock
Provision of milling machines
Provision of seed stores
Provision food processing and storage machines
Implementation of afforestation programmes
Develop waste management
Develop capacity of local communities in disaster risk reduction
Improve agriculture (see above) and support other livelihood systems for flexibility of
households’ food security
Construction of feeder roads
Provision of water supply to communities still without water
Improve and expand electricity access
Promote micro-finance projects
Provision of farm implement
Support girls’ education
Construction of skills centres
Provision of credit for business
Creation of business opportunities within the regions
Capacity building of the ward and village development committees
sensitising the community about their rights and the obligations of duty bearers
Provide special programmes to address their needs
Provide skills training
Create awareness among the community
Provide special cash grants/in kind support in during disasters or crop failures

Introduction
426. The successor National Development Plan (PAGE II 2017-2020) building on the Programme for
Accelerated growth and Employment (PAGE 2012-2016) is designed towards the attainment of
the Gambia’s national Vision 2020 goal of a prosperous nation. Towards that end the Plan is
anchored on a viable macroeconomic framework whose primary objective is to achieve

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 sustainable inclusive growth and prosperity. The path to stability starts with measures to
reversing and correcting the imbalances in order to restore macroeconomic stability through
sound fiscal and monetary policies directed at improving efficiency in revenue generation and
public spending that meets the growing needs of the people in a globalized world economy. The
framework will primarily be centered on fiscal consolidation to stabilize the exchange rate, ease
pressure on domestic borrowing costs, restore confidence in the financial system, and create
opportunities for jobs and thereby put the country back on track towards economic growth and
sustainable development.
427. The Gambia remains fully committed to building a resilient economy to achieve sustainable
growth, and create opportunities for all its citizens. This is amply demonstrated by the plethora
of development initiatives taken in the last two decades and a number of development plans
implemented since 1996 (see Chapter One). Since the mid-eighties, The Gambia has been
implementing economic policies that emphasize macroeconomic stability, liberalization and
private-sector development espoused in post independent development plans and articulated in
Vision 2020. However, performance on successive plans was dogged with growth
variabilities. The Gambia has nevertheless been able to achieve an average GDP growth rate of
about 3.5 percent over the past decade with a high of 7.1 percent (2004) and a low of -4.3
percent (2011); the growth has been erratic to say the least. Erratic growth makes it difficult for
the poor to save and build assets to achieve sustainable poverty reduction.

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PILLAR ONE: MACROECONOMIC MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK
Drivers and Sources of Growth
428. During the period 2011-2014, average real GDP growth moderated to 1.8 per cent, well below
the double digit growth rate projected for the period and below the 5.6 per cent average growth
registered over the previous period 2007-2010. Drag on average real GDP growth is the result of
shocks in the two main growth driving sectors of the economy –Agriculture (2011 and 2014) and
Tourism (2014). Since 2011, agricultural sector’s contribution has been consistently declining,
from 24 per cent to 20 per in 2014. Inadequate transformation and diversification has made the
economy quite vulnerable by exposing it to external shocks. Poor performance of agriculture, a
sector that employs the majority of the rural population, has stunted and hampered
inclusiveness of growth in the country. (Insert IHS 2015 data on (Rural /urban disparity of
income, employment numbers as well as sectoral disparity).
429. The services sector remains the dominant sector of the economy with 65 per cent contribution
to GDP; it registered a growth of 6.1 per cent in 2014 compared to a year earlier. Unlike
agriculture which has not yet recovered from the effects of the drought in 2014, the services
sector, in particular tourism, has managed to recover from the Ebola shock. However, while its
overall impact on growth is positive its impact on inclusiveness is less evident. There is potential
therefore for developing backward linkages with the ANR sector to enhance its inclusiveness
and contribution to the growth process.
430. The industrial sector is also a major player in the Gambian economy, accounting for 15% of GDP
in 2014; representing a modest growth of 2.7 per cent in 2014. Manufacturing and construction
sub-components provide opportunity for investment and growth however.

Sustainable inclusive growth

431. To provide the growth required to achieve sustainable inclusive growth, the Plan projects an
average real rate of about 7.0 percent during the Plan period 2017-2020, raising the GDP per
capita in real terms above 5.0 percent. Thus, overall real GDP growth will rise to 5.5 and 7.0 per
cent in financial years 2016 and 2017 respectively, while in 2018-2019, real growth is projected
at 5.9 per cent.

Economic and Fiscal Strategy

432. Current economic and fiscal conditions, in the absence of sustainable fiscal and public financial
management reforms, pose serious risks to the gains of past plans. This underscores the
importance of continuing the path of sound macroeconomic management.
433. Financial viability of state owned enterprises (SOEs) is a major risk to fiscal sustainability.

Vision 2020: Challenges relating to public institutions’ economic, financial efficiency

and governance structure while providing adequate infrastructural and social services
need to be addressed. Decision-making should be influenced less by political
considerations in order to allow an efficient allocation of resources within parastatals.

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 The recent call on guarantees to (SOEs) has created shocks to the budget. Most of the
enterprises are not financially strong to pay their future debt liabilities and therefore put at risk
long term fiscal sustainability. To mitigate this risk, SOEs would be assessed on their ability to
pay the debt before being guaranteed by the government. Public Enterprises would be
repositioning to improve their financial situations to meet their future obligations including
timely settlement of their tax obligations.
Fiscal Deficit
434. Government is committed to significantly reduce the budget deficit and domestic borrowing to
achieve long-term fiscal sustainability. The overall budget balance, which includes foreign
financing and privatization receipts is projected to fall from a deficit of 10 percent of GDP in
2015 to 0.8 percent by 2020. The net domestic borrowing (NDB) is targeted to fall from 11
percent in 2015 to 1.5 percent by 2019 and 0.5 percent of GDP by the end the plan period.
435. The basis for resource projections and expenditure allocations should strengthen the credibility
of the budget by aligning closely Government policies with the annual budget appropriation;
thereby improving the effectiveness and efficiency of public expenditure. Fiscal discipline would
continue to be crucial during the PAGE II implementation period in consolidating and reducing
the deficit; enhancing public spending on critical investment areas; crowding in private
investment; and enhancing confidence in the market to attract foreign investment inflows and
remittances.
436. During the planned period 2017-2020, It is projected that the deficit will drop at an average
annual rate of XXX percent, from an annual average of XX percent of GDP for the period 2010-
2015 through a combination of additional tax efforts (to 20% of GDP), reduced expenditure
(within 25%) threshold limit and efficiency gains from PFM reforms. MACRO GROUP TO
PROVIDE THE BASIS AND THE DATA!
Debt
437. The pricing of Government domestic debt instruments would be determined by the
prevailing market conditions. However, the restructuring plan also includes the conversion
of Central Bank of the Gambia (CBG) holdings of Treasury bills (about 24% of the stock) to a
long term bond at a negotiated interest rate. On the external front, the Government would
continue to pursue concessional windows with a relatively small amount of non-
concessional borrowing from our traditional lenders.
438. Government is taking relevant steps towards addressing the debt situation including the
formulation and review of the Medium Term Debt Management Strategy (MTDS) to
accommodate timely macroeconomic developments. Accordingly, a new MTDS was recently
drafted aimed at easing pressure on domestic debt market and maximising the external
concessional financing as well as attracting non-debt flows.

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Public Finance Reform
439. A Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) Assessment: the strategy approved in
2015 focuses on areas such as accountability and transparency in procurement, auditing and
budget credibility. The PFM reform strategy encompasses the following priority areas:
440. Strengthening planning processes to ensure that there is full alignment of the budget with
plans. In this regard, the Plan will ensure strong linkage between the national development plan
and sector development plans. To this end the Directorate of Policy and Planning (DPP) will be
upgraded and properly structured to take charge of all planning functions in government.
Similarly, strong linkage will be established between national plans and local plans. Therefore,
planning staff would be allocated to all MDAs through DPP to ensure that the budget is in line
with national development priorities. Equally the M&E Framework will be strengthened with
greater oversight from the restructured DPP.
441. Fiscal discipline (credibility of the budget): Priority areas to address the variations between
actual and budget expenditure include: realistic budgeting by strengthening the link between
planning and budgeting through the implementation of MTEF and PBB; improving revenue
forecasts accuracy through capacity building and the provision of quality and reliable data;
improving accounting, auditing and reporting frameworks by minimizing arrears through
commitment controls; and strengthening the procurement cadre to ensure more value for
money in the use of public resources.
442. Domestic Resource Mobilization and Aid Coordination: faced with a mounting debt and the
continuous need for financing, the government recognizes the need to explore other sources of
finance to support fiscal operations. To meet Gambia’s financing needs, the following priorities
in terms of domestic resource mobilization will be implemented: broaden the tax base and
improve tax efficiency by exploring opportunities in areas such as property taxes and increasing
taxpayers’ compliance level (especially in the case of public enterprises); eliminating nuisance
taxes and tax multiplicity; exploring other revenue generating areas through research; and
exploiting the opportunities presented by remittances as well as innovative financing
mechanisms such as Public Private Partnerships.
443. Partnerships and Aid coordination: Presently, only a proportion of aid disbursement is
captured by the PFM country system. Government will step up efforts to build and strengthen
partnerships for development by ensuring that all development aid is properly captured and
accounted for in the national budget. This will be coordinated through the centralised aid
coordination mechanism implemented under the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs,
thereby eliminating fragmentation and duplication in aid coordination in line with the Paris
declaration on aid effectiveness and most recently the SDG 17 on effective partnerships.
444. Strengthening institutions involved in the reforms: Strong institutions are the backbone of
rapid development of every country. Although several acts have been enacted and many
guidelines written, their enforcement and implementation has been wanting. There is need
therefore, to enforce these acts and implement the guidelines so as to strengthen public

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 institutions to deliver on their mandates. To support institutional reforms more capacity
building would be provided to the various institutions involved in the reform process.

Monetary Policy
445. The Central Bank of The Gambia (CBG) remains committed to the attainment of monetary and
price stability as well as ensuring a sound and efficient financial system. CBG has been
maintaining restrictive monetary policy stance to rein in inflation and stabilize the exchange rate
in the wake of the expansionary fiscal policy. The policy rate increased in graduated steps from
12 percent in 2013 to 22 percent in 2014 before increasing further to 23 percent in May 2015.
As a result, interest rates remained elevated including yields on government securities. The
statutory required reserve ratio for commercial bank deposits was increased to 15 percent in
2013, and in 2015 cash in vaults of commercial banks was eliminated as a reserve asset in the
computation of required reserve ratio.

Inflation
446. Going forward, inflation is expected to remain relatively stable within single digits in the near
term premised on implementation of sound monetary and fiscal policies. In this regard, it is
envisaged that the Central Bank of The Gambia will continue to design and implement sound
monetary and exchange rate policies with a view to ensuring inflation is kept within target.
Moreover, cash management in the context of prudent fiscal management will be strengthened,
while monetary policy would continue to support prudent fiscal policy in the drive to attain
macroeconomic stability.

External Sector Policy

447. To address the widening balance of payments deficit, efforts would be made to improve the BoP
deficits through appropriate strategic policies aimed at improving related financing flows of FDI,
remittances and official flows (grants and loans) in the short to medium term. In particular,
improving the business environment by lowering the cost of doing business, improving availability
and access to basic infrastructural facilities, and improving fiscal stability.

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PILLAR TWO: STRENGTHENING THE PUBLIC SECTOR
Introduction
448. This pillar focuses on four reform areas of the public sector namely: Civil Service; State Owned
Enterprises; decentralization; and legal reforms (in particular access to Justice and Good
Governance, Human Rights, and Anti-Corruption) to enhance efficient and effective delivery of
public service.

Civil Service Reform

449. Some achievements have been realised over the past five years in improving the Civil Service,
and further efforts continue to be made in this direction. Government initiated the Civil Service
Reform Programme (CSRP) 2012-2015, a critical aspect of Vision 2020, to improve operational
efficiency and reduce transaction costs. Key components of the CSRP include automation of
government business processes and archiving through the installation of e-Government
platform; building human resource capacities of ministries and staff; and review of the pay and
grading system of the civil service undertaken in 2014.
450. To ensure that the Public Service delivers services efficiently, effectively and in a sustainable
manner, the increase in the civil service size will be checked and where necessary reversed so
that the civil service is properly resourced and remunerated.
451. Government is committed to completing on-going comprehensive review of the current civil
service programme and extending the strategy to 2025; to a leaner and more efficient civil
service through aligning the portfolio of ministries to the core functions of Government; and to
build capacities of MDAs to deliver their mandates.
452. Insufficient Financial Commitment and Funding both by government and donors: Government
is committed to full implementation of the CSRP and will provide the resources required. It calls
on development partners to honour their commitments for the smooth implementation of the
programme.
453. e-Government: Under the Plan period, the Government will continue to cooperate with private
service providers to improve service delivery through ICT, raise awareness and enhance citizens’
participation in the delivery of public services. The National Record Office is in the process of
electronic archiving of public records beginning with financial information records.
454. The average wage: To address the situation of the pay and pension in the Civil Service, a Cabinet
Paper (CP) on pay and pension was approved by Cabinet in 2015 that will be operationalized
during the Plan period.
455. The CP focused on the following areas: strengthening pay systems in order to attract
professional and skilled staff, reduce attritions in the Civil Service and motivate employees by
granting a competitive pay and friendly work environment to enhance productivity and morale.
Allowances will be rationalized such that more is received at pension. Equally, it proposes
strengthening pension systems in order to retain qualified and experienced civil servants,

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 reduce attritions at the managerial and technical levels, provide decent pensions to retirees and
ensure timely payment of retirement benefits to all retirees.
456. The availability of highly skilled and technically competent individuals to hold some key
positions is still a challenge in the civil service. Government will address these challenges by
allocating more resources for conducting capacity-gap assessments in the entire Civil Service, as
well as develop a comprehensive capacity development programme for public servants.
457. The lack of a performance based management system for the entire Civil Service makes it
difficult to standardize promotions and other rewards for deserving civil servants. Going forward
there will be strict adherence to recruitment standards, rewards and promotions in line with
existing HR instruments. Government will also inculcate and nurture a performance
management culture, improve public service delivery (individual and MDA performance), link
promotions and career growth to performance and improve discipline in the civil service
(adherence to rules and regulations). It will establish a comprehensive and effective
performance management system to be implemented across the entire Civil Service. This will
reduce the high attrition rate created by job insecurity, and stem off the current brain-drain in
the civil service particularly at senior levels of management.
458. The National employment policies and strategies set an unemployment rate goal of 5% for
both formal and informal sectors. However, there is currently no functioning formal
employment database to implement or verify the achievement of this objective. Estimates show
that unemployment rate in The Gambia is above 25 percent. Government will partner with the
private sector to train and create jobs to absorb the growing number of unemployed people.

Public Enterprise Reform

459. Some key Public Enterprises have run into financial difficulties leading to the need for
Government bailout. Nearly half of the 2014 public debt service payment (5% of GDP) was due
to Government’s settlement of debts on behalf of public enterprises. The Government is
committed to ensuring that Public Enterprises remain on a path of increased efficiency and
sustainability. It will continue to work on the necessary reforms to make PEs more effective and
efficient.
460. To this end, it will put in place a coherent strategy to guide the process of improving SOE
performance; to strengthen the oversight role provided by the MOFEA; to undertake a full
review of the laws and regulations governing the SOEs, notably the Public Enterprise Act and the
individual Acts for those SOEs not incorporated under the Companies Act 2013; and to fully
implement enterprise level restructuring and performance plans, complete divestiture, and PPP
arrangements. This would also include separation of SOE regulatory and commercial functions
where appropriate.
461. In this regard transparency in the operations and financial activities of SOEs to the public will be
increased as well as creating a sustainable relationship between the SOE sector and the national
budget. The measures will also include Legal and regulatory reform to strengthen role of the
central oversight unit; create a level playing field and improve corporate governance by

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 incorporating all SOEs under the Companies Act, as well as improving the compositions of SOE
boards, enforcing the requirement to charge and set tariffs at market rate, and strengthening
SOE accountability through performance agreements. A Code of Good Corporate Governance
for SOEs would be prepared and the practice of negotiating and signing performance contracts
for SOEs would be reinstated and enforced.
462. To achieve these objectives, the government will formulate a consistent and coherent strategy
for SOE reforms, based on the efficiency principle.

Justice, Human Rights, Anti-Corruption & Legal Framework Reforms

463. The improvement of access to justice and legal education is an integral strategic goal of
Government. With the support of the E.U, an “Access to Justice” project has been launched
which has improved access to: legal services, remedial justice (especially for vulnerable groups),
legal education, training and research skills, and information and management of cases. It
focusses particularly on access to justice, knowledge of rights (awareness raising campaigns),
improving customary justice, mediation and the Cadis or Sharia system. However, there is still
room for improvement as it needs to cut across the entire country.
464. Through this project, the Alternative Dispute Resolution System (ADRS) and the National Agency
for Legal Aid (NALA) systems were strengthened to ensure that every average Gambian citizen
has access to justice. Nevertheless, the two agencies are faced with real constraints in terms of
human capacity (both professional and support staff levels) that would be addressed during the
Plan period.
465. Additionally, the Office of the Ombudsman plays an integral role in terms of access to justice
and promotion of rule of law. It receives and investigates complaints of injustice, corruption,
abuse of power, maladministration, discrimination and unfair treatment. It also investigates
complaints concerning the functioning of the Public Service Commission, the administrative and
security organs of the State, regarding the failure to achieve a balanced structuring of services
or equal access by all to recruitment to those services. Like all government institutions it too has
capacity challenges that would be addressed during the Plan period.
466. The Anti-Corruption Act of 2012 is currently under review with the sole aim of providing a more
robust and comprehensive framework for tackling corruption within the public sector. The
Finance and Intelligence Unit at the CBG was set up in 2014 to fight elicit financial flows and
promote financial stability in the market, thereby boosting investor confidence of The Gambia as
a destination for doing business.
467. Trafficking in persons is a phenomenon affecting all, especially women and children.
Government has established the National Agency against Trafficking in Persons (NAATIP) to
combat the menace. There is close cooperation among stakeholder agencies, such as
Department of Social Welfare, Department of Immigration and the police, resulting in increased
detections and prosecutions of trafficking-in-persons cases.
468. Development and protection of Intellectual Property is a useful tool for economic development.
Based on the findings of the needs assessment conducted in 2013, to assess the current IP system,

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 identify weaknesses, constraints and opportunities, Government has started the elaboration of
the National Intellectual Property Strategy and Policy for The Gambia that would be completed
and enforced during the Plan period.

Gender Equity (Women’s Rights)

469. Significant progress has been registered on gender equity, including enactment of a law
addressing maternity leave (six months after delivery); the Domestic Violence Act 2013; the Sexual
Offences Act 2013; the Amended Women Act 2015 has banned FGM/C in the country. There is a
law to completely do away with early child marriage. As of mid-2016, there were five women
serving in the National Assembly (including the Deputy Speaker). Nevertheless, there is still need
for greater female representation to promote greater gender parity. In this regard the proportion
of females serving in parliament, local government authorities and councils would be augmented.

Decentralisation
470. Cognizant that decentralization is a long-term political process that is complex, costly and
requiring a lot of preparatory work to ensure its effective implementation, a number of cross-
cutting issues need to be addressed. Key among these are the commitment and willingness to
transfer functions and resources to the local governments; building adequate capacity at local
levels to facilitate absorption of the responsibilities to be devolved to them; putting in place a
proper database system on properties and businesses and a unified financial management
system in all the Councils; setting up a coordinating, monitoring and evaluation mechanism;
providing capacity building for decentralized development planning and performance
monitoring; and finally harmonization of sector policies and regulations to guide and lead the
decentralization process.

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PILLAR THREE: PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE INCLUSIVE GROWTH
Sources and Drivers of Growth
471. PAGE II, will employ The Gambia’s endowments in Agriculture, Tourism, Industry and Other
Services (telecommunications, transport logistics, retail and business services, and financial
services) supported by trade to generate growth and employment using the private sector as the
locomotive. These sectors are important to drive the economy to generate employment and
sustainable inclusive growth. These sectors are important drivers for creating employment,
generating income/revenue and foreign exchange, as well as for their countercyclical role in
instances of poor performance in a particular sector. To resolve the quandary between growth
and job creations growth does not always lead to jobs and jobs do not always lead to growth. The
emphasis on these the priority sectors will be on export oriented growth led by small and medium
firms. This will enable the Gambia to achieve growth and employment simultaneously.
472. The locomotive for these sectors will be the private sector which will be facilitated to better
assume its role as the “engine of growth” in The Gambia’s economy. In keeping with Vision 2020,
the PAGE II programme will be led by a vibrant private sector that is capacitated to harness the
potential inherent in the endowments - ANR, tourism, industry, and other services sectors -
facilitated by trade to generate growth and create jobs. The private sector will serve as the
locomotive for actualizing the Gambia’s competitiveness agenda and will be expected in the short
term to create jobs for the low skilled youths, while building real skills for a more knowledge based
economy in the medium to long term.
Agriculture
473. Under the agriculture sector, while the drive is to attain self-sufficiency in food production, the
objective is also to enhance The Gambia’s agricultural exports, focusing on those areas of greater
comparative advantage particularly in crops, fisheries, forestry, dairy, poultry and agro-industry.
The desired outcome for PAGE II is that by 2020, agriculture’s contribution to GDP will be raised
to 30% from its present level of 26% by increasing the arable area and increasing the farming
season and yield through irrigation, adding value, applying modern methods of farming and
diversifying the products and markets.
474. Opportunities for investing in the ANR sector manifest themselves at national, regional and global
levels including a youthful population which if harnessed, trained, managed and provided with
relevant skills is set to meet the demands of the sector. A robust, market oriented, commercialized
and competitive agricultural sector, directly aligned with the macro-economic framework of the
country, contributing measurably to shared, inclusive and sustainable growth would lead the way
to prosperity.
475. The River Gambia provides considerable potential to extend the cropping season through
irrigation, although allowance must be made for the seasonal migration of the salt water front.
The relatively shallow water table also makes irrigation from groundwater cost-effective. The
private sector will be further encouraged to invest in irrigation systems, increased crop production
and marketing.

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Table 23: Private Investments in the Agricultural Sector
Name Subsector Year Registered Planned Investment US$

Zain Group Ltd Agriculture 06/02/2010 263,024

BSC Farms Enterprise Agriculture 06/02/2010 159,259

Saadis Group Ltd Agriculture 03/09/2010 350,600

EMPAS Poultry Processing Poultry 06/01/2012 5,000,000
Teefarms Poultry 30/8/2012 2,000,000

Ayesha Banana Enterprise Horticulture 04/03/2013 18,000,000

The New Nut Co. Ltd. Groundnut Production/ Processing 31/12/2012 1,796,000
Reliance Oil Mills Ltd Groundnut Processing 31/12/2012 300,000
MAK Foods Horticulture 17/07/2014 6,792,540
TOTAL 43,739,923
Source: GIEPA

476. The tourism industry provides yet other opportunities for marketing locally produced agricultural
products; once quality standards are met and production quantities are consistent. There are
already available markets through backward linkages between agriculture and tourism for the
private sector. The increasing volumes and cost of imports also signal available domestic market
opportunities which in concert with the emerging home grown school feeding programme
provides a domestic market for commodities such as rice, vegetables and cooking oil. Resuscitated
donor interest epitomized by the 18-point agricultural transformation agenda of the AfDB, and
the increasing private sector interest also augur well for the sector.
477. At present there is a small but increasing number of private investors in the sector. The
involvement of the private sector comes with increased investment and resources for the sector,
reinforcement of the commercial approach to production, the introduction of technologies aimed
at boosting productivity, and the potential to link up with and scale up smallholder production
provide potential for the growth of the sector. This is already being done in horticulture, dairy,
and poultry production but there is huge potential still in these and other areas to be exploited.
478. The regional (ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme, ETLS) and international Treaties that avail
The Gambia the opportunity to export its agricultural products duty-free quota-free should
encourage the private sector to invest in the sector to exploit these opportunities. The liberal and
open market policy and the supportive policy environment exemplified by import duty waivers
on agricultural inputs and machinery, agricultural export tax waivers, and duty waivers on fuel for
agricultural produce provide further opportunities for interested investors in the sector. These
opportunities, to produce and market agricultural produce, are available and supported by the
government. The government will make additional efforts to bring down the cost of borrowing to
enable the private sector to take further advantage of these opportunities.
479. To increase its agricultural exports, The Gambia will in a deliberate manner, transform the
agriculture and natural resource sector from subsistence practice to a modern market-oriented
commercial sector with well-integrated value chains and a viable private sector led agro-

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 processing industry resulting in increased incomes of agricultural value chain actors (including
farmers, input suppliers, processors, traders and exporters). The Gambia will also put in place
enabling mechanisms to ensure access to the local, regional and international markets. Once
implemented, other benefits will include increase of foreign exchange earnings through exports,
reduction of dependence on food imports, and improving food security and nutrition through
income generation and self-sufficiency.
480. PAGE II will therefore adopt an integrated approach to address the supply side constraints
associated with the agricultural sector while also reducing agriculture’s vulnerability to external
shocks such erratic rains, droughts and floods. Specific strategies encompass the following:
agricultural production and productivity; agricultural commercialization; agricultural financing;
and Climate Smart Agriculture – including the sustainable management of forestry and fisheries
resources.
481. Agricultural production and productivity under PAGE II will be driven by land development and
better management; agricultural modernisation; the supply of quality and timely inputs; as well
as institutional support.
Table 24: Projected Outlook for selected ANR Commodities
Product Average yield as Targeted yield Product Average yield as at Targeted yield by 2020 (mt/ha)
at 2014 (mt/ha) by 2020 2014 (mt/ha)
(mt/ha)
Millet 0.773 1.4 Meat 17,689.6mt (beef 23,876mt (2,387,600x10kgs)
Production 2,072mt + 15,617.6mt
of ovine and caprine)
Maize 0.825 1.6 Cattle 573,789mt 626,747mt
Sorghum 0.745 1.0 Eggs 33,426,400
Coarse .781 1.33 Aquaculture 36 ponds 300 Ponds (55.5mt/year)
Grains (134kgs+FASDEP
1,125t?) TBD
Upland rice 0.645 2.5 Fish 51,500mt (2014) 66,852.8mt (2,387,600x28kgs)

Swamp rice 0.887 4.0 Dairy TBD TBD

Paddy Rice 0.766 3.25 Agro- TBD TBD
Forestry
Groundnuts o.982 1.2 Goat 72,481mt 122,089mt
Vegetable 34,032mt 137,287mt Pig 3,704mt 5,498mt
Poultry 6,232mt 384.7MT sheep 51,670mt 83,581mt
Source: GNAIP/NASS 2014

482. To meet the requirement for rice production and achieve the national rice target of 307,000 MT,
the plan will adopt the dual approach of rain fed and irrigated cropping systems. Consequently,
the strategy will rehabilitate 3,405.3 ha of land for pump and tidal irrigation while a new area
amounting to 14,000 ha will be developed of which 3,000 additional ha is for pump irrigation and
the remaining 11,000 ha for additional tidal irrigation. The rain fed figure will be kept at 66,380
ha. This still leaves about 11,000 ha of space for wildlife in this ecology. Furthermore, these land
developments will be complemented by an additional 67,000 ha of upland area. It is expected

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 that with good inputs, yield (for which crops?) in the irrigated areas, lowlands and upland
irrigation (drip irrigation), will be raised to 4.5 MT per ha while that in the rain fed area would be
raised to 2.5 MT per ha. In addition, the strategy will develop about 20,000 ha of land, which when
added to the existing 160,000 ha will meet the projected requirement of 180,000 ha for
production of other commodities such as maize, millet, sorghum, cowpea, cassava and findi.
483. To enhance productivity, land development in the form of physical structures such as contours
and diversion bunds, dikes and spillways, causeways and bridges will also be developed. This is all
part of the extensive watershed management programme of sector.
484. In PAGE II, agriculture’s dependence on rainfall will be reduced by the establishment of
irrigation systems using the river Gambia as well as the underground water. Water harvesting
technologies will be popularized to better manage run off water and ensure its utilization in the
fields. To ensure sustainability, priority would be given to the most efficient irrigation systems
and so guarantee increased production while minimizing on wastage. Irrigation is a game
changer within PAGE II and would therefore be undertaken by both the public and private sector
operators in agriculture. During PAGE II period, the following irrigation outputs will be achieved:
10 water control and reticulation structures; 30 solar energy systems; 36 water harvesting and
reticulation structures; and 66 boreholes – about 10 per region.
485. PAGE II will prioritize the use of equipment for land development, processing and transportation
to improve the efficiency of the value chain, and reduce drudgery. With modernisation, the
country would make a paradigm shift from production in fragmented patches to the practice of
land consolidation through the cooperative approach and community farms while being
supportive of the private sector led schemes (e.g. out-grower schemes) and by undertaking
national spatial planning. Other key strategies in support of the modernisation agenda will include
institutional support to the Agricultural Engineering Unit for standardization, regulation and
supervision; and private sector modernisation operators, for sales and after sales services.
486. According to the World Bank (2015), low access to timely and quality inputs is one of the main
challenges to The Gambia’s agricultural development. There is limited access to certified seeds,
fertilizers (only 29% of national requirements is availed) and pesticides, and inefficient farming
practices with poor farming implements within the sector. Consequently, PAGE II aims to continue
addressing these bottlenecks by ensuring that quality inputs, machinery/equipment, necessary
technologies, extension services and skilled labour are adequate and made available to the
farmers in a timely manner. The involvement of the private sector will be encouraged and
facilitated to harness the potential of SMEs to lead in the provision of agricultural inputs to the
farming community.
487. Premised on the Innovative Platform (an integrated approach to managing the value chains), the
Plan will also focus on ensuring an effective and sustainable seed sector, creating an environment
to foster cooperation between government and partners for quick delivery of new improved
varieties from research to farmers, access to global experience and materials, monitoring of seed
imports, seed security and emergency seed distribution. Progress has already been registered
through the establishment of the National Seed Council and the ongoing formation of the Seed

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 Secretariat. Allied to this is the plan to sustainably manage the provision of fertilizer and pesticides
to Gambian farmers especially through the public -private partnerships and by also taking account
of the AfDB African Fertilizer Financing Mechanism using the “Smart Subsidy” arrangement.
488. In support of a unified delivery of the Gambia’s ANR agenda, the Government will during the PAGE
II period, formulate and operationalize a comprehensive ANR policy that builds synergies at the
institutional levels as well as around the factors of production. The ANR policy analysis,
coordination, monitoring and regulatory framework will be strengthened and DOA’s capacity
appropriately enhanced to take the lead. Further capacity will be developed in early warning
systems for food and nutrition security and for disaster preparedness and management.
Agricultural extension services also require consolidation and increased capacity to meet the
rising demands of the agricultural community. Consequently, PAGE II will improve efficiency and
effectiveness of the Department of Agricultural (DOA) and its satellite directorates to provide
technical advisory and supervisory services required to sustain increased production and
productivity and meet the food and nutrition security needs of the country.
489. The Government will strengthen and promote linkages among key institutions and actors in the
sub-sector, e.g. Government and non-government agencies, producer organizations and private
sector.
490. The National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) will be capacitated to continue providing
adaptive research aimed at increasing productivity of crops and livestock for competitiveness of
high value market commodities, food security and sustainable management of the sector’s
natural resource base, and thereby contribute to poverty reduction. Specifically, NARI will
produce and make available, affordable high quality and high yielding crops and livestock germ
plasma to the agricultural community; and undertake research focused on appropriate
technologies, crop varieties and best crop husbandry practices for agro-ecological zones with
emphasis on those most relevant for women. To support this strategy, NARI will also use the
Research –Extension Liaison Office (RELO) to transmit new technology and improved products to
agricultural extension workers, NGO staff and farmer beneficiaries. The Food Safety and Quality
Authority will be supported to have countrywide presence to assure food safety requirements
from the farm to the fork i.e. food safety and quality at all the steps involved in the processing of
foods.
491. For agricultural value addition, the main constraint is high cost and unreliable electricity supply as
well as low and inconsistent supply of primary commodities. Equally important is lack of product
diversification, which has increased dependence on a single major cash crop and thereby
exposed the country to foreign exchange volatility. Diversification through value-addition will
improve backward linkages, reduce dependence on re-export receipts, and increase gains accrued
from import substitution.
492. The Food Safety and Quality Authority will be supported to have countrywide presence to
ensure food safety requirements from the farm to the consumer is adhered to.

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493. Agricultural commercialization will contribute to increasing the rate of economic growth,
improve economic conditions and food security and nutritional levels of household members,
especially women and youth. Other benefits include import substitution, increased foreign
exchange earnings and decent incomes and gainful employment.
494. Therefore, to derive the maximum benefits inherent in commercialized agriculture, PAGE II will
address the specific value chain constraints. It will thus strengthen the performance of actors
in the value chain through the provision of affordable, accessible and quality services relating
to financing, technical and management support, information, energy, transportation,
standardization and quality. The Government will during PAGE II deepen its interventions on
traditional export crops to derive better benefits while diversifying into high potential non-
traditional agricultural products (i.e., where the Gambia has comparative advantage).
495. The Plan will embark on value chains targeting the following niche commodities: cereals-rice,
maize and millet; groundnuts, cashew and sesame; horticultural produce- mangoes, vegetables,
and cassava; cashew; agro-forestry products; livestock (poultry, ruminants); dairy products and
fisheries products. The outcome will be well integrated value chains, operating effectively and a
viable agro-processing private sector. To operationalize this, a double pathway of developing,
agriculture and natural resource value chains of the seven niche commodity categories and the
markets will be pursued especially through private sector initiatives.
496. Under the value chain and marketing frame, PAGE II will build on the existing capacity in The
Gambia’s traditional export products of groundnuts, fish and fisheries products and horticultural
products as well as cashew and sesame that are showing potential in the export market.
497. During the PAGE II period, the government will continue to support processes along the
groundnut value chain to improve both the quantity and quality of the nuts and strengthen the
Food Security, Processing and Marketing Corporation, FSQA and ASPA. It will support the
production of certified seeds to address market access challenges and subsequently focus on
production and post- harvest technologies to gain optimal yields and quality thus laying the
foundation for the firm commercialization of groundnut farming.
498. The cashew sector would be supported to increase production for export and farmer’s incomes
by implementing the Gambia Cashew Sector Development and Export Strategy. This should
enable the Gambia to leverage the potential in the cashew value chain with specific focus on
increasing production of Raw Cashew Nuts (RCN) for local value-addition.
499. To remedy the challenges and exploit the opportunities inherent in cashew production PAGE II
will target improvement of the sector’s capacity to produce higher volumes and better quality
cashew nuts for domestic and international markets; strengthening organization and coordination
of the sector and its support services to enable structured development; expanding the capacity
of Gambian cashew nuts and products to develop, enter and perform in destination markets; and
increase capacity to add value to the sector’s products and by-products.
500. In terms of marketing, the short term plan is to continue exports to India, diversify into Vietnam
while also processing the cashew for supply to the domestic markets – including the tourism and

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 hospitality facilities. In the long run, the Plan is to further diversify into Brazil and Middle Eastern
markets while targeting the Diaspora and EU market for processed cashew.
501. To capitalize on the opportunities in sesame production, the government will implement the
Sesame Sector Development Strategy for increased production, processing and exports. In terms
of structural enhancements to the sesame sub sector, the strategy proposes to intercrop with
other produce to increase acreage; reduce wastage in post-harvest handling; expand processing
capacity; link with the tourism sector; provide specialized business and farming skills training;
develop a youth integration programme; and initiate organic production programmes. In this
regard, the strategic focus for Sesame development is to: increase in a sustainable manner the
volume of sesame production in the Gambia; strengthen the coordination, organization and
institutional arrangements of sesame sector support institutions for better service delivery;
improve market development methods to increase domestic production and consumption;
expand exports in value and volumes; and increase socioeconomic benefits by promoting value
addition across the entire sector value chain.
502. In Poultry production, PAGE II will continue to facilitate its uptake by the private sector which has
so far, successfully used the concept of out – growers scheme to develop a viable industry that
supply table bird and eggs to the local market. This activity has shown a remarkable potential for
employment and would be facilitated during PAGE II to transcend the local market into the bigger
ECOWAS market.
503. Dairy and small ruminants’ production is another area where the private sector has made
significant impact. The increase of this momentum will be facilitated during PAGE II, with the
domestic market potentials being explored to include increased linkages with other sectors such
as tourism, health and education.
504. The greatest results from horticulture would be derived from exporting to high end markets and
in supplying the domestic tourism industry. The government will continue to support and
encourage private sector investment in the horticulture sub-sector to make it viable for both
domestic and export markets with special focus on improving market access for farmers and
women farmer association producers, creating backward linkages between the horticultural
sector and the Tourism industry, and attracting investments in cold storage and refrigerated
transportation trucks. Efforts will be made to increase air and sea freight routes and logistics by
encouraging investments into these sectors. The government will also support cooperative
schemes to assist with requisite horticultural inputs, quality and consistency of supply, farming
equipment, and watering infrastructural support as well as extension services to meet SPS and
TBT requirements in the export destinations. As part of the product diversification process, it will
also develop strategies to promote the export of other products such as mushroom and moringa.
505. Market opportunities will be identified to promote and expand Gambian products in internal and
external markets. The goal is for value-chain stakeholders to access markets with quality products
that meet standards and consumer needs. Marketing, is a classical demonstration of how some
of the problems and solutions of agriculture lies outside the sector and how correspondingly,
remedies must be based on inter-sectoral coordination and synergy building. To develop the
markets, the barriers to trade will be addressed at three levels: domestic markets; regional

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 markets; and international markets. For instance, PAGE II will through the trade sector, promote
access to reliable market information systems for domestic, regional and sub-regional
stakeholders and support the enforcement of all standard related protocols as the latter is
inarguably the primary barrier to trade of agricultural produce.
506. In the drive to commercialize agriculture in The Gambia, particular emphasis will be placed on the
“agri-preneurs” agenda which aims at empowering the youths through skills training and the
provision of financing that uses among others, start- up capital (grants/loan) for agricultural
enterprise development. Additionally, the Plan will ensure that the country ‘s youth play an
appropriate role in ongoing regional initiatives geared towards youth employment in the
agricultural sector such as the AfDB-IITA-AGRA programme Empowering Novel Agribusiness-Led
Employment for Youth (ENABLE Youth), the African Agribusiness Incubation Network (AAIN) and
FAO’s YES Africa. Allied to this strategy is another where the youth will be engaged through SME
clusters or business incubators in furtherance of youth economic empowerment and participation
in national development.
507. In recognition of its obligations under the SDGs, and in view of the serious impact that climate
change has on agriculture and economic growth, the Government will during PAGE II, lay the
foundation for Climate Smart agriculture through policy and institutional frameworks. This will
include the formulation and execution of a climate smart agriculture strategy which involves
adapting to new climatic constraints; preserving and enhancing food production; protecting the
environment and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture and incorporating
CSA in the agriculture development agenda. Given that Agriculture measures are key components
of national climate change strategies; they will integrate green growth strategies. In addition,
Government will undertake a review and harmonization of environmental laws and policies and
promote better waste management and sanitation. In summary, an integrated response to
addressing agricultural productivity, food and nutrition security, and climate change will be taken.
508. A strong technology policy with a focus on adaptation and dissemination of green technologies
and the treatment of green economic activities as “infant industries” is key in the transition to
green economy and requires appropriate support such as access to credit and some level of
protection. A wise industrial policy is required and must give preference to new public and private
investment that contribute to sustainable development and be supported by public sector
investments that develop the necessary infrastructure and provide access to basic energy and
water and sanitation for the poor. Public expenditure on restoring damaged ecosystems (such as
forests, water catchment areas and mangroves) is also important.
509. An effective starting strategy will be to facilitate multi-stakeholders dialogue on CSA as a key to
achieving a conducive and an enabling environment. In this regard, the Government will promote
good and efficient governance of the natural resources and the equitable and transparent
distribution of benefits to ensure the success of The Gambia’s climate-smart agriculture system.
Agricultural innovation systems with public and private research as well as extension and advisory
services will play a key role in supporting the Gambia’s transition towards CSA by documenting,
generating, blending and sharing indigenous and scientific knowledge. Such services will thus

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 facilitate learning processes as well as network-based development and innovation. Mitigation
measures will help develop and implement a REDD+ pilot-Model such as Climate Smart Livestock
Rangelands, Fires, and livestock.
510. In PAGE II, the sustainable management of forestry resources will be pursued within the
framework of Climate Smart Agriculture. This will enable the export of forestry produce which is
anchored on: agro-forestry development; community-based enterprise development;
institutional strengthening and human resources development; as well as research and
information exchange.
511. In particular, emphasis will be laid on harnessing the potentials for exportation of wood and wood
products in a sustainable manner. The interventions will ensure that forest resources are
conserved, and exploited in a sustainable manner to increase diversity of fauna and flora, combat
desertification, build resilience to effects of climate change and improve soil and water
management. This would result in improved livelihoods particularly for those depending on these
resources, including 1,500 communities living in the periphery of demarcated and gazetted
forests, as well as 20 communities that will be engaged in agro-forestry activities. The capacity of
artisans (wood sculptors) engaged in wood crafting would be enhanced to ensure that their
products access both domestic and international markets while also linking with other sectors,
especially tourism.
512. During PAGE II, the Fisheries development programme will be anchored on: management of
capture fisheries and particularly avoiding endangered mammalian species and by-catches using
appropriate fishing methods; fisheries infrastructure development; aquaculture development;
capacity building; and youth participation. Specifically, PAGE II will support the relevant
stakeholders to enhance surveillance capacity of the fishing grounds; upgrade local processing to
improve quality control in conformity with standard requirements of destination markets such as
the EU; rationalize the issuance of licensing of fishing vessels; and enforce the license conditions
for sustainable exploitation. PAGE II will improve fish landing sites and address the infrastructure
deficiencies, regulate sustainable exploitation and utilization of the fisheries resources while
seeking to increase the youth involvement in fishing through incentives.

513. The sustainable management of The Gambia’s Parks and Wildlife has strong implications for the
biodiversity and its enabling effects on farming, fisheries, and tourism and culture. During PAGE
II, Government will promote equity, participation and benefit sharing of the benefits of parks &
wildlife through collaborations and the building of synergies across sectors. It will also use
traditional and modern science base knowledge for the sustainable management of the Gambia’s
protected areas- including making substantive inputs into the envisaged national spatial plan. The
mobilization of financial resources for the Biodiversity Strategic Plan 2011-2020 will continue
during this period as well as the continued provision of the enabling policy, institutional and socio-
economic environment for Protected Areas.

514. The expected outcomes of sustainable management of parks and wildlife resources include:
efficient management of National Parks/Protected Areas for the retention of biodiversity;
increased stakeholder participation in sustainable park and forest management notably in

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 community and privately managed parks; research undertaken that provides relevant results for
sustainable management of endangered species (dolphins, sharks, sea turtles, etc.) and
development of the sector; conservation and maintenance of ecosystem services particularly
through ecotourism development; and enhanced institutional capacity and skills of Wildlife
Department personnel.
515. The Plan will employ financing strategies including the re-establishment of the Agricultural
Development Fund/Bank to ensure access and affordability of financial services for production
and commercialization; strengthening and expanding existing linkages between the economic
agents (producers, processors, marketers, traders) and the financial services providers (informal
financial services providers, the MFIs, the Commercial Banks and development and Investment
Funds); and matching grants schemes that will increase private sector-led commercialization of
ANR with increased operations at the domestic, regional and international markets.
Table 25: Outlook for Agriculture and Natural Resources during PAGE II
Outcome 2016 Baseline PAGE II Outcome 2020 Target PAGE II Outcome
Agriculture contribution to GDP 26% 32%
ANR Production & Productivity
Cultivable Land 320,000Ha (57 %) 403,785.3 (71%)
% Cultivable Land under Irrigation 6 % cultivable land 9 % cultivable land

Area under irrigation disaggregated by irrigation type and crop Tidal 2 639.8 Tidal – 11,000 hectares
type Pump 765.5 Pump – 3,000 hectares

Percentage change in the area (ha) under mechanized agriculture TBD TBD

Uptake rate of New agricultural technologies (crop and livestock 213,516 actors countrywide (8,245 14,868 actors countrywide (9,070 women
production) that led to sustained increase in yield women and 5,271 men) and 5,798 men)

Number of proven technologies developed by type of technology 45 IPs created TBD

8 Major Technologies.

Farmer to Extension Worker Ratio Greater than 1:2000 1:1500

Agro-industry development and value addition
Change in export of basic agricultural commodities 14.2% 19.6%
Number of Agro processing plants 5 12
Number of products processed N/A 7
% of value added products exported 4.8% 7%

Agricultural Financing
Domestic Credit to private sector as % of GDP 18% 30%
MSME Fund 0 1
No of Investment Banks 1 3
Climate Smart Agriculture
climate change financing TBD TBD

516. The strategy to enhance agricultural exports will increase the sector’s contribution to GDP, create
jobs and increase income levels for over 600,000 actors involved in the sector. The measures to
be employed are intended to achieve optimal yields of the selected agricultural commodities

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 through better land and water management, including irrigation; supply quality inputs in a timely
manner; modernisation; improved extension and research services; and the commercialization of
primary commodities. The measures also include pursuing agro-processing of 7 categories of
commodities and incorporating climate smart technologies in all aspects of production. In the
immediate term, the production of primary commodities is expected to be the main source of
employment, but closer to the end of the PAGE II period, the agro-industrial subsector is expected
to pick up and become the main source of employment. However, the assumption is that the
economic enablers will be in place to support /facilitate this move.

Tourism and Culture

517. Tourism has a catalytic role in accelerating growth and employment opportunities to improve the
welfare of the population. During the PAGE II period, the goal is to enhance The Gambia’s Tourism
and Cultural exports, while increasing the sector’s benefits at the local level. There are ample
opportunities and comparative advantages in the sector to tap including the traditional sand, sea
and sun; the country’s cultural heritage; the Gambia’s geographical proximity to Europe (5-6 hours
short haul by airplane); and the River Gambia.
518. During the PAGE II period, the objective is to enhance The Gambia’s Tourism and Cultural exports,
while increasing the sector’s benefits at the local level. The strategy is to make The Gambia a
unique destination that offers high quality experience for its visitors, that is sustainable and where
strong economic and social benefits are provided to the population while conserving, nurturing,
presenting, celebrating and marketing the country’s diverse cultural resources. To this end, the
arrival numbers to increase to half a million by 2020; increase tourism contribution to GDP to
25%; increase FDI in the sector by 50%; and increase foreign exchange earnings by 50%.
519. To improve the Quality and Service Standards of the industry, Government will continue to
support GTHI in its drive to position the institution as a Centre of Excellence and thus ensure that
the industry accesses appropriately trained labour to meet the needs of the service sector.
520. Government recognizes that the draw of the “Sun, Sand and Sea” (3Ss), while necessary is no
longer sufficient to attract tourists, and has renewed its focus on the “Cultural” aspect as a new
product to promote The Gambia and attract more tourists into the country. In the immediate
term, the promotion of Rural Tourism would entail first the implementation of the Foni Tourism
Product (currently being experimented with Ndemban) as a pilot with subsequent replication to
be effected across the other regions of the country. The ultimate aim is to decentralize tourism
and ensure the benefits accrue to all the rural regions. This initiative will focus on ecotourism
related products and in aid of this Government will collaborate with the Gambia Investment and
Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA) through the biennial Investment Forum to facilitate
investments and look for partners to invest and improve the existing upcountry tourism products.
521. Developing cultural tourism calls for a sustainable development approach which places
communities at the heart of development interventions. It also calls for partnership with the
private sector, collaboration with international agencies and more investment in research,
documentation and interpretation of both the tangible and intangible aspects of cultural heritage,

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 including the sites inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List, i.e. Kunta Kinteh Island and
Related Sites and the Stone Circles of Wassu. To this end, PAGE II will implement the
inventorization, conservation and restoration of sites and the empowerment of communities to
ensure that they benefit from their traditional performances, folklore and the cultural resources
within their localities.
522. The River Gambia provides a natural tourist attraction for bird watchers and other animal lovers.
This endowment will be utilized with the involvement of the private sector under the Plan. River
based tourism will entail the development of land-based lodges as well as river sports- effectively
creating a complete package. The realisation of the potential of this initiative will require major
private sector investment and strong support from international and local ground tour operators.
For its part, Government will continue to facilitate the uptake of this opportunity through the use
of appropriate incentives. River transport will enhance eco-tourism in areas such as mangrove
scenery, wetland migratory bird species, fishing and Eco-lodging. The appeal of this initiative is
the potential positive impact it has for community involvement and for ensuring that the industry
benefits local communities.
523. Given that quality is a major issue in the industry, the government will ensure that the planned
opening of the hinterland to tourism will require the same level of quality and security standards
applicable to industries located along the traditional tourism development /urban area.
524. In line with the sustainable management of the national assets, the Gambia’s historical sites,
cultural diversity and unspoilt natural environment would be conserved and marketed. This will
include the customs and traditions of the people, their heritage, and way of life. In addition, a
regulatory framework for private museums would be instituted to ensure that the arts and
cultural collections of private museums comply with the regulatory guidelines of the National
Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC). It would also enable the NCAC to have an inventory of what
is showcased as arts and artefacts around the country.
525. The newly constructed Gunjur mosque in The Gambia is a global rarity in itself. Overlooking the
Atlantic Ocean, the mosque is a unique selling point that would attract Muslims into Destination
Gambia. To complement this initiative a hotel operated on Halal and Islamic principles will be
built. The existing bilateral relations with countries like Turkey, Malaysia, and Indonesia provide
a unique opportunity that will be pursued to realize this aspect of the tourism product
diversification.
526. To directly respond to the effects of littering and pollution of the beach and other tourist
attraction sites, Government will during PAGE II, facilitate the assumption of cleaning services by
the private sector. This will be executed within the framework of the Clean Blue/Blue Flag scheme
and with the support of development partners, hotels owners and other hospitality based
enterprises. This pollution control mechanism will be complemented by the Government led re-
nourishment of the beach, especially around the Senegambia and Kairaba Beach Hotel.
527. The Gambia, like most countries, depends on its natural resources that include land for
agricultural production, the sea for fish (protein supplement) and foreign exchange, forests for

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 domestic fuels and timber supplies and freshwater for the needs of the population. The
Government will facilitate multi-sectoral collaborations with national agencies and organizations
to address the capacity needs and data requirements for effective management of the
biodiversity resources of The Gambia.
528. A natural sequence and accompaniment to the product diversification and quality enhancement
programme is aggressive marketing which would ensure that the multi-stakeholder investments
pay off and that more business and investments are brought in. The Gambia, in the next five years,
will embark on a major marketing drive aimed at achieving the tourist arrival figures of 35,000.
529. The need for improved air access, with particular emphasis on scheduled flights, cannot be
overemphasized. PAGE II will pursue this with a new sense of focus and commitment. Recognizing
the cross-cutting dimension of the challenge on the overall economic development agenda and
success of PAGE II, the Government will develop a national strategy to address these challenges.
To actualize this and address Tour Operator dependence, Government will engage with scheduled
airlines such as TUI Scandinavia, TUI UK, Scandinavia Airlines, Virgin Airlines, Delta Airlines, Turkish
Airlines, South Africa Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines to name a few.
530. The short seasonality is one that “Destination Gambia” can no longer afford. Extensive marketing
will be undertaken to make the Gambia an all year round Tourism Destination. To achieve this
objective emerging and effective platforms would be employed including E-Marketing and Digital
Marketing campaigns and leveraging all social and multimedia platforms (Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube etc.) including the development of a Tourism App on the back of a GIS Mapping of the
Tourism Development Area.
531. In PAGE II, Government will continue to address the challenges of Sex Tourism, Child abuse and
Exploitation. An awareness programme on the evils of these vices and their negative impact on
tourism and on the Gambian culture would be promoted through radio and TV programmes and
talk shows in schools targeting primary and secondary school children
532. Though The Gambia has not experienced any acts of terrorism, it has put in place proactive
measures which include providing security and training on emergency preparedness to hotel
establishments and would now expand this training to include all tourism related facilities.
Table 26: Outlook for Tourism during PAGE II
Indicator 2016 Baseline PAGE II 2020 Target PAGE II
Outcome Outcome
Tourism contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP 16 – 20%) 25%
Number of tourist arrivals by source markets 155,721 350,000
Direct Employment for Gambians 35,000 70,000
Provides Indirect Employment 40,000 Gambians 80,000
Foreign Exchange Earnings US$ 85 million US$170 million
Foreign Direct Investment US$ 45 million US$ 65 million
Change in tourist season 6 months 10 months
Number of tourist source markets 17 22

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 533. There is no gain saying that strong collaboration with the private sector institutions is vital for the
survival of the Tourism and Culture sector. It would involve improving the institutional framework
for tourism development and a public-private participatory model for decision and policy-making
processes for tourism development, management and promotion.
534. Therefore, the tourism development strategy will build and enhance the role of The Gambia as a
unique destination offering high quality experience for visitors, that is sustainable and where
strong economic and social benefits are provided to the Gambians while conserving, nurturing,
presenting, celebrating and marketing the country’s diverse cultural resources.

Industry
535. During PAGE II, the new industrial policy would embrace continuous change in technology as a
basis for reducing unit cost of production and higher productivity. Its focus will be to expand
productive employment and expand technological capacity in the manufacturing sector, promote
agro-based industrial development and exports, promote the growth and development of MSMEs
and promote linkages between agriculture and industry.
536. In addition to getting the production quantities (consistency of supplies) and quality right, the
Government will, in PAGE II put in place the required national quality infrastructure to facilitate
collaboration among stakeholders and enhance operations of budding agro-food processors.
Priority will be given to facilitating smoother technology transfer, the encouragement of adaptive
research in production and post-harvest handling technologies, and accelerated training and
development of human resources to man the agro-industrial operations.
537. The strategy for the manufacturing subsector is to build on the small domestic base to encourage
companies to supply the Gambian and regional markets, and subsequently develop products
which can be exported to the EU and other markets taking advantage of the preferential schemes
offered.
Table 27: Outlook for the industry sector
Indicator 2016 Baseline PAGE II 2020 Target PAGE II
Industry contribution to GDP 11% 25-30%
Manufacturing contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) 5% TBD
Direct Employment for Gambians 4,500 TBD
No of new Services Exported 1 5
Service data sources 1 3
Industry contribution to GDP 11% 25%
Agro-industry development and value addition
Number of Agro processing plants 5 12
Number of products processed N/A 7
% of value added products exported 4.8% 7%
Change in export of basic agricultural commodities 14.2% 19.6%

538. Private sector opportunities for manufacturing exist in many areas including farm inputs
(fertilizer, etc.) and implements, food and drink processing, packaging, plastics for consumer

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 market and construction industry, basic electronic assembling, light pharmaceutical
manufacturing, cosmetics production, and stainless steel fabrication. Going forward, the strategic
focus is to revitalise the cotton ginnery, the Kuntaur rice mill and the agro-oil mills, feed mills, and
continue support and protection of existing industries while promoting agricultural value addition
in particular production inputs, poultry (hatchery), farm machinery and packaging. The private
sector will be supported to exploit these opportunities during PAGE II through appropriate
incentives and the creation of the enabling environment.
539. Government is committed to the full implementation of the regional protocols and by the same
token will continue to advocate for the strict adherence to these protocols by other member
states. Additionally, the government put in place measures to address other factors affecting the
investment climate especially those relating to financing, taxation, tariff and non-tariff barriers. It
will encourage research and development of agro-industry including through public-private
partnerships. Development financing would be sought to support agro-industrial development.

Other Services
540. In addition to ANR and Tourism, economic growth during PAGE II will also be driven by the
development of other services in particular, telecommunications, retail trade and business
services, transport logistics, and financial services.
541. Gambia as an LDC can take advantage of the service waiver under the WTO to export not only
tourism services but other services like sport, consultancy, performance arts, etc. In order to
operationalize the waiver, the government will make optimal use of existing aid-for-trade
channels such as the EIF to seek technical assistance and advocate for capacity building of GBoS
to enable it to collect and maintain the trade in service data base. This will assist in leveraging the
potential in service data for policy formulation.
542. In the interim and as a start, the entertainment services which is currently underutilized in the
Gambia despite its global participation will be supported. The entertainment services sector has
been recognized as an area where The Gambia has potential to implement the LDCs services
waiver under the WTO. Government will support the National Centre for Arts and Culture to
promote local artists and cultural groups to gain exposure in international markets, thus
maximizing their earnings from live performances or publishing royalties. The government will
also develop a framework to export entertainment services to Europe and the Americas targeting
the Gambian Diaspora. The Government will support the National Sport Council to take the
Gambian sport into international arena. Consultancy services will also be supported to enable
Gambians participate in the international activities.
543. Another potential area that would be targeted during the PAGE II period is trade in services at the
domestic level, considering the fact that it is less competitive, has a high job creation potential
and is the natural entry point to nurture micro and small level firms that would be strengthened
and subsequently helped to transition to medium enterprise levels. Accordingly, PAGE II will
support the private sector to take the opportunities existing in providing services in housing (real
estates), security, cleaning services, back office, computer repairs, data banks and call centers.

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544. The existing gaps in the financial sector can be filled by savings and loans institutions, pension
funds, credit unions, mortgage and loan associations, venture capital, and other financial bodies
like agricultural banks, investment banks, and merchant banks. These are therefore potential
areas for private sector investments that will be promoted during PAGE II period. In general, the
government will adopt measures to improve the capital market and provide a sound regulatory
framework to ensure a vibrant financial sector.
545. Transportation logistics has always been a key issue for The Gambia, given its historical role as an
entrepot. To maximize the benefits from transport logistics, Government will use incentives to
attract the private sector into Public transportation operations particularly those that operate big
buses and haulage trucks on the arterial and collector roads and seek investments in terminals
combined with route allocation on the local and secondary roads based on an agreed level of
service.
546. Participation of the private sector in river transport services would revive the transport sector
although this calls for a holistic transport sector multi/inter modal planning and appropriate
infrastructure pricing policies and incentives: including axle load control on the road network, and
tax holidays to water transport operators for bulk haulage by barges. In support of river transport,
PAGE II will seek public private partnerships (PPPs) in the re-furbishment of river transport
infrastructure as well as in the provision of barges. This will be complemented by a private sector
led Port services which would be crucial in PAGE II’s vision to increase the volumes of cargo
handling and multimodal transported cargo using the river and road corridors.
Table 28: Outlook for other services under PAGE II
Indicator 2016 Baseline PAGE II 2020 Target PAGE II
Services contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP 18% 24%
No of new Services Exported 1 5
Service data sources 1 3
Volumes of cargo handling by Gambia Ports 334,000TEU 50% growth TEU
Volume of Multimodal transported cargo using the river and road TBD TBD
corridors

Private Sector Development

547. The strategy for achieving the objectives of PAGE II is premised on the commitment of the
government to provide the private sector with the enabling environment to make use of its
innovation in exploiting the endowments inherent in these sectors to drive growth.
548. The Government will nurture the development of the private sector by creating an enabling
business environment and improve access to low cost financing to ensure that the private sector
acts as a catalyst for sustainable and inclusive economic growth and development. It will partner
with the private sector in the implementation of its medium and long-term development
objectives through private public partnerships (PPPs), especially in priority areas such as
agriculture, tourism, telecommunications, infrastructure and manufacturing.

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549. Increased financing by private sector investors and remittances from the diaspora should change
the perception of the country and thereby its credit rating and ability to attract more investors.
550. During the PAGE II period, the private sector development programme is to: support small
businesses through better policy, coordination of activities and with platforms for collaboration;
provide development financing/FDI opportunities; provide business development services
including incubation facilities & SME Clusters; facilitate trade that spurs inter-sectoral backward
and forward linkages and which exploits domestic and international markets; and create labour
intensive industries as well as develop skills of the labour through TVET pathways.
551. This is in conformity with the private sector development vision which aims to transform The
Gambia into “The Investment Haven of Choice in ECOWAS for Successful Private Enterprise”,
through “developing and Sustaining an investment-Attractive, Effective and Efficient Policy and
Legal Environment in which Private Enterprise is Sufficiently Rewarded and Protected and takes
Full Advantage of Limitless Investment Opportunities Provided by Public Development Planning
and Support”; and also the MSME policy objective which “is to establish an efficient and effective
MSME sector that both serves the needs of the poorer members of society and serves the needs
of national economic growth and development”.

MSME Policy Support & Collaboration Platforms

552. The main objective of the PPP policy is to create an enabling environment to facilitate private
sector participation in upgrading, developing and expanding public infrastructure and services.
Government has also formulated a MSME policy and action plan as well as a private sector
development strategy.
553. Government will continue to operationalize the MSME action plan during the PAGE II
implementation period “to promote the establishment of an enabling environment for MSMEs to
contribute towards poverty alleviation and the development of sustainable livelihood that could
bring about improvements in the quality of life of Gambians by the Vision year 2020”.
554. Given that micro and small enterprises contribute about 20% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP),
employ more than 60% of the urban labour force, and account for nearly 99% of the private
sector, they will constitute the main focus of PAGE II. To this end, they will benefit from a
deliberate strategy for growing businesses through various institutional supports and
arrangements that are based on enterprise sizes and turnover and which aim to facilitate
progression from one category to another, for example from micro to small and ultimately
medium size enterprises. It is envisaged that this will expand the size of the private sector and
with it will come the catalytic effects of increased production, relevance and revenue generation
for public financing.
555. Through policy reforms and other catalytic arrangements relating to taxation, access to finance,
energy etc. Government will also continue to provide support to MSMEs including those in the
informal sector to better position them to benefit from the institutional support thus provided.
556. The private sector has benefited from Government incentives including the Special Investment
Certificates awarded to projects, recently in manufacturing, ICT, Agriculture and Aviation with

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 equity of $6.2 million and potentially creating 112 jobs. Government will thus continue to provide
these incentives to encourage private sector investments in priority areas of agriculture, tourism,
other services, and industry. GIEPA will be supported to continue its investments and export
promotion programmes including through collaboration with the Gambia’s diplomatic missions
abroad.
557. In line with Vision 2020, Multi-stakeholder platforms were also established to facilitate dialogue
and take on board private sector interest. These include The Gambia Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (GCCI), the National Economic Council and the National Economic Summits The
functionality of The Gambia Chamber of Commerce, the National Economic Council and the
National Economic summits will therefore be enhanced during PAGE II period to support private
sector development.
558. Allied to this will be a tripartite Foreign Affairs-Trade-GCCI partnership which will aim at
positioning commercial representatives in key foreign based export markets. This will have
positive effects on the trading possibilities of the Gambia’s producers of goods and services.

Development Financing and FDI Promotion

559. Attracting FDI is currently an important priority for the Gambia, with the current policy being
a deliberate shift towards economic liberalization and an economy driven by a more outward
market-oriented strategy. The government restructured the investment promotion agency to
Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA) in 2010 to take advantage of this new
direction. The GIEPA Act provides attractive incentives for investment, export promotion and
enterprise development particularly for MSMEs and is guided by the National MSME Policy and
Strategy, the National Export Strategy as well as the new National Industrial Policy.
560. To attract more investors into the Gambia and retain those already established, the Government
will encourage the development of policy advocacy and tailored financial support services.
Consequently, Government will, during PAGE II period, offer the necessary administrative support
(e.g. acquisition of necessary land, resettlement of affected persons, etc.) while simultaneously
providing incentives and support in terms of tax holidays, tax exemptions, and Viability Gap
Funding (VGF). Given the growing importance of remittances the government will ensure that
these measures also accommodate and attract more remittances into the productive sectors.
561. Public Private Partnerships is a priority financing agenda for PAGE II and to effectively execute the
PPP preparatory process (including feasibility and environmental impact assessment studies),
Government will establish an “Infrastructure Fund (IF)” and may levy tax separately to augment
this fund. In terms of contractual arrangements for existing and new infrastructural projects,
Government will employ the contract options available under the various modes of PPP, including
Operations and Maintenance (O&M) contracts. Presently, PPP priorities are in the infrastructure
area in recognition of the importance of prime infrastructure as an enabler of economic growth.
To this end, Government will work with the private sector including the diaspora, within a PPP
framework to establish priority infrastructure and overcome the challenges caused by dwindling
resources, a growing population and aging infrastructure. Priority PPPs/IPPs/BOT for National

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 Infrastructure relate to fixed assets, networks, and facilities needed for the operation of the
society and the economy.
Table 29: POSSIBLE AREAS FOR PPP
Sector Possible areas for PPP
Electricity Power generation, transmission and distribution
Ferry services Acquisition, maintenance and operation
Water supply solid waste management, sewerage, sanitation, etc.
Road sector Construction and/or maintenance of expressways. missing links, bypasses, ring
roads, bridges, road over bridges and improvement of roads
Ports, Airports, sea ports, etc. Port, Banjul Airport, River Barges, and Wharfs
Telecommunications networks—local loop, exchanges, and backbone
Health sector Building projects (teaching hospital, headquarter offices, staff living quarters)
as well as for technical support functions (laboratory services, radiology
services, blood bank)
Agriculture Irrigation projects, training, quality testing of inputs and outputs
Urban services street lighting, and urban roads, etc.
Infrastructure for Government Physical buildings from which government services are provided such as
offices, prison buildings, hospital buildings, and school buildings, networks such
as telephone or IT hardware

562. The establishment of an SME fund – to support the development and MSME migration from micro
to small and medium size and to larger businesses will also be pursued. Other efforts to promote
enterprise development include Government’s collaboration with the World Bank, which created,
in 2010, the Growth and Competitiveness Project (GCP) aimed at sustaining the growth of The
Gambian economy and enhancing poverty reduction through private sector-led growth.
563. Key intervention areas include 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. The project supported
the establishment of single window business registration to facilitate the registration of
businesses. As a complement, the UNDP supported EMPRETEC project has been set up to build
the capacities of private operators and enhanced entrepreneurial skills.
564. In support of trade facilitation and conditional on the existence of the growth enablers, PAGE II
will emphasize the trading of both primary commodities and value added products – especially
within the priority sectors of agriculture, tourism, other services and industry.
565. As the major buyer of goods and services the government can use its public procurement to
support MSMEs’ growth. MSMEs with significant potential for job creation, growth and innovation
require better access to the public procurement system to provide them financial muscle to
develop into semi and large scale industries. Presently, MSMEs are largely excluded from the
government procurement system due too onerous conditionalities and requirements which has
contributed to their slow growth and sustainability.

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566. During the PAGE II period, Government will continue providing business development support to
the private sector in the form of incubators as well as by establishing SME clusters.
567. The Government will review the public procurement system to enable MSMEs to participate in
government procurement projects without compromising the quality of service deliveries and
value for money to consumers. Appropriate capacity building would be provided to the MSMEs
to improve their participation and their supply of quality goods and services. This will also
promote local value content of Gambian goods and services in production, consumption, and
supply. These could all be catered for by the establishment of a Preferential Procurement Policy
Framework Act.
568. Government will continue to create an enabling environment using its diplomatic missions
abroad, facilitating trade missions and participation in trade fairs enhance exploitation of existing
preferential trade agreements.

Labour intensive industries & skills development through TVETs

569. The private sector will continue to be the largest employer of labour during PAGE II period and
will take the lead in addressing the unemployment challenge in The Gambia.
570. The SDGs recognize that achieving full and productive employment and decent work for all,
including women and youths is key in addressing poverty and hunger (United Nations).
Government will, during PAGE II, adopt two strategies to ensure that growth is match with the
creation of jobs in The Gambia. Firstly, it will facilitate the employment of all employable citizens
through the promotion of labour intensive economic activities within the priority sectors of the
national economy. Secondly, Government will facilitate the capacity building of labour through
improved access to TVET training, and matching the labour market needs to the type of training
provided by the educational institutions.
571. Policy reforms will pursue poverty reduction approaches through labour intensive programs
consistent with improved labour environment while strengthening labour administrative system
for the promotion of decent work, worker participation in decision making and efficient industrial
conflict resolution mechanism in the labour market. In a nutshell, Government will work with
partner institutions to encourage the development of labour intensive technologies to promote
employment.
572. Therefore, with significant investments in the endowments and with the strong support of the
growth enablers, the private sector will be re-energized to continue as the main source of
employment of a well-trained youth corp. In the immediate term, skills will take a back sit while
all efforts are geared towards absorbing the young, low skilled and unemployed youth into
economic activity. Agricultural primary commodities, tourism and the retail sectors will be natural
destinations. However, as investment in agriculture and tourism mature, the labour force would
gradually tilt towards activities that demand more advanced skills. Furthermore, with an increase
in manufacturing and agro-industry activities, these interventions will pay off and labour will
move gradually to medium skill employment. Production efficiency in agriculture is expected to
compensate for the lesser labour force with increase in productivity.

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573. Given that Production cannot take place without skills and that skills are also needed to ensure
the competitiveness of The Gambia’s produce, PAGE II will set up skills training institutions in
strategic locations to train the youth and thus improve their productivity.
574. Supporting this would be a joint higher and tertiary education - trade, industry and employment
– GCCI platform that will review the labour demand relevance and effectiveness against higher
and tertiary education policy delivery outcomes. When operational, the platform will
continuously inform skills development and installation strategies to meet national labour needs
– including setting incentives for attracting potential Gambian investors from the diaspora and
retaining skilled personnel in the country. A functional labour market information system and job
center will also assist in labour planning and policy decisions as well as aid the access to jobs for
especially the youthful population.
Table 30: Private Sector Development Programme under PAGE II
Indicator 2016 Baseline PAGE II Outcome 2020 Target PAGE II Outcome
Unemployment Rate 29.2% TBD
% of FDI to GDP 0.08% 3%
Number of business registration TBD TBD
Level of Domestic Investment TBD TBD
Number of registered GCCI members 300 400
Number of Business development TBD TBD
services provided to MSMEs
Number of PPPs established 4 8
Number of Incubators Established 1 2
Number of SME Clusters established TBD TBD
MSME Fund 0 1

Enablers of Growth
575. PAGE II will use the enablers to better position the private sector as the locomotive to pull the
economy to bring about growth and job creation. The macroeconomic framework, energy, access
to finance, taxation, transport (air, sea, river and road), ICT and other competitiveness enabling
elements will provide fuel to the endowments to ensure that the private sector plays its rightful
role in the economy of generating growth and employment. In the immediate term, the focus will
be on providing an efficient and sustainable public infrastructure.

Energy
576. Energy is a critical element in the development and functioning of The Gambia’s economy. As an
essential input to households, agricultural production, ICT, transportation, industry, commerce
and the knowledge industry, the country’s reliance on energy will also continue to grow as the
population increases and standards of living improve.
577. Salvation for the energy sector lies in renewable energy and energy efficiency. Energy Efficiency
(EE) combined with Renewable Energy can achieve very desirable results in improving energy
access in The Gambia. EE would be enhanced through better and improved ways of sensitisation
and awareness raising on product quality for consumers and suppliers.

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578. Fossil fuel based electricity will be made more efficient and accessible using energy efficient
technologies and improved transmission and distribution systems. The excessive dependence on
biomass will be managed, through sustainable natural resource management including access to
LPGs and land use planning. Security of supplies (energy security) is also a priority strategy for the
sector. Unsustainable and inefficient production and use of biomass will lead to rapid depletion
of the forest cover. To manage the biomass utilization, the Plan will focus on prioritizing reduction
on the heavy dependence on wood and charcoal; popularising the use of fuel efficient stoves; Use
of briquettes and biogas and active support to forest management control programmes.
579. To attain universal access to sustainable energy by 2030, a number of policies will be pursued
including: the coherent coordinated implementation of energy sector policies, strategies and
programmes; effective public-private partnerships; and regional and international strategic
cooperation.
580. In recognition of the centrality of electricity in the development process Government will continue
to invest in the energy sector and increase capacity to generate power to meet demand.
Government will therefore continue its efforts to attract more private sector investment in
electricity generation to provide power that is both reliable and affordable.
581. Additionally, under this strategy the following measures will be implemented: rehabilitation of
existing engines; new addition to generating capacity of heavy fuel oil (HFO) fired generators of
higher unit capacity (15 to 25MW); development of alternative thermal generation (gas, steam,
etc.) as a long term strategy; and tapping from renewable energy sources in particular the OMVG.
During PAGE II renewable energy resources will be prioritized (solar energy, wind energy, and
hydro energy) in order to have a balanced energy mix.
582. In PAGE II, Government will also encourage oil exploration activities through the creation of a
policy environment that is friendly to investors; build new port terminals for petroleum and LPG
as appropriate; and regulate and monitor the pricing structure of petroleum products for a
competitive petroleum sector. The strategy will also support efforts for the re-exportation of
petroleum products to neighboring countries.
583. The Gambia needs to build technical and regulatory capacity for planning and implementing large-
scale off-grid (and also on-grid) programmes to assure the realisation of the objectives of
renewable energy resources. Therefore, during the PAGE II period, specialized training in
renewable energy exploitation will be provided. Specialized skills development in thermal and
T&D electricity infrastructure up keep and upgrade for improve efficiency and cost reduction
would also be prioritized.

Transport
584. Some laws and regulations are obsolete and need to be revised to reflect the current liberalized focus
of the industry, including laws governing Toll Roads. Additionally, the enforcement of road transport
regulations (the quadrangle responsibility of the MOWTI/NRA/Police/Local Government Authorities)
is not effective. To create an enabling environment supportive of an efficient transport industry
efficiency and one that provides appropriate levels of regulation, Government will during the

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 PAGE II period, strengthen the Institutional and Competitive Framework for the transport sector
by establishing a regulatory framework to encourage competition (within or for the market);
provide adequate safety and environmental safeguards; strengthen the regulator and
implementer’s administrative capacity in infrastructure management; and promote private sector
capacity building and participation.
585. A Transport Sector Master Plan that responds to sector policies and strategies in a harmonized and
integrated manner will be developed under PAGE II. This will enable the transport sector effectively
respond to the increasing and diversified demands of the productive and social sectors of the
economy – now and the needs envisaged over next 20 to 30-year period. It will also support the
prioritization of investment projects under this sector over the medium to long term.
586. Based on the African Infrastructure Country Diagnostic Study (2010) estimates, The Gambia would
need a total investment of USD 35.0 million per annum, equivalent to 7.75% of its GDP to meet the
basic connectivity role of the transport sector, through mainly maintenance and improvement of
existing infrastructure.
Table 31: Cost to Meet Connectivity Standard (US $ Million)
US$ millions per Improve Upgrade Expand
annum condition category capacity Maintenance Total
Regional 0.6 0.0 0.0 1.3 1.9
National 1.5 2.8 0.4 4.4 9.1
Roads

RAI 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

UAI 11.8 0.0 0.0 8.5 20.3
Ports 3.0 0.0 0.0 1.1 4.1
Airports 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.4
Total 16.9 2.8 0.5 15.5 35.8

Source: AICD Transport Country Data Base

587. Aligned with the changing role of Government in transport is a consequential need for capacity
building of the institutions and people that would drive this change. For the success of this
commercial reorientation, Government will undertake a capacity gaps assessment to identify
training and recruitment requirements geared towards this new dispensation. Notwithstanding,
immediate trainings will focus on transport policy planning; road safety; procurement (of goods
and services); PPP and PSP arrangements; results-based management; economic and financial
analyses; and social and environmental impact assessments. Government will also explore
options and strategies for introducing Civil Engineering and other relevant engineering courses in
the University to meet Gambia’s medium term and long term man-power needs.
588. The absence of a database is a major constraint to effective transport planning. The Gambia Bureau
of Statistics would be capacitated to generate data to support transport sector planning.

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589. To sustainably Fund the transport infrastructure and service reforms, Government will improve
its budgeting systems and develop sustainable financing sources using dedicated earmarked
funds; increased donor funding and resources internally generated by the sector.
Road Transport
590. In a bid to sustainably develop road transport in The Gambia, PAGE II will develop a Prioritized
Five Year Road Development Programme for the primary and secondary roads network consistent
with the Gambia’s macro-economic and fiscal framework. Sustainable sources of funding for road
maintenance will be established by continued implementation of the Fuel Levy charge on road
users; implement a Heavy Vehicle Management Programme (axle overload fines) to prevent pre-
mature damage to roads; putting in place Toll bridges in strategic segment of the network to
maintain critical national assets and appropriate tariff for ferry crossings etc.
591. For improved road safety, the Government will Initiate a Road Safety Programme with creation
of an appropriate institutional framework- including the establishment of a National Road Safety
Council with a secretariat to develop its work programme; To further support safety, a review and
update of road and road traffic laws and regulations will be undertaken to respond to the current
realities of road use and operation, improve road transport services (passenger and freight) and
to improve road safety.
592. While facilitating the capacity development of the Local Road Construction Industry, Government
will collaborate with ILO, other development partners and GAMWORKS to introduce labor
intensive (including women) road constructions as well as promote PPPs in the sector. The
Creation of Corridor Management Committees is essential for Transit and Trade Facilitation.
Improvement on the Gambia Port based regional road corridors would be implemented as a
follow up action on the ISRT and Bilateral and Tripartite Agreements entered into by the GoTG.
Urban Transport
593. The primary focus in the urban transport sub-sector is to address the emerging transport crisis in
the Greater Banjul Metropolis, which is facing rapid urbanization pressure and is currently
witnessing some congestion, especially during the peak hours.
594. To remedy the emerging transport infrastructure pressures in the Greater Banjul Metropolis, and
improve efficiency, Government will continue its plans to construct alternative routes and
bypasses to ease traffic on the link.
595. The multiplicity of agencies involved in managing urban transport poses a challenge. The planned
transport sector master plan should improve coordination, efficiency and accountability of the
urban transport system. The Plan in particular, would cater for traffic management especially for
Central Business District (CBD) in the city environment for safety.
596. The law enforcement agencies will be capacitated to enforce traffic laws and regulations to
improve urban traffic circulation in Banjul and its peri-urban areas. In the long term, with the
increasing rate of urbanization, Rapid Transit System through private sector concessionaires
would be developed to cater for Greater Banjul Area.

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597. The implementation of the planned feeder road rehabilitation programme covering about
240kms with the assistance of the EU is essential in achieving the agricultural transformation
agenda and all-inclusive growth under the PAGE and vision 2020. Government will introduce
policy measures to mitigate urban environmental degradation which would include enhancement
of gas emission control through establishment of vehicle inspection stations.
Air Transport
598. Given the relatively low flow of passengers during the tourism off-season, the current capacity at
the Banjul International Airport (BIA) is only optimally utilized during the tourist season of
November to April each year; indicating the potential for new business during the rest of the year.
Consequently, the GCAA will during the PAGE II period vigorously market the BIA for full capacity
utilization during both the tourist and off tourist season. This will complement the Bilateral Air
Service Agreements (BASA) which BIA has had with 22 countries. Of the fourteen Airlines that
currently operate into and out of the BIA; seven are scheduled air services, six non-scheduled
inclusive Tour Charter and one Non Scheduled Air Services.
599. To fully utilize the potential of BIA, and in keeping with the national vision to position the Gambia
as a trading hub, the Government will continue to pursue the airport free zones agenda by
expanding airport facilities supportive of agriculture and natural resource exports especially to
the European market.
600. To be competitive, the Government will continue the improvement of its Aviation equipment, and
review its tariffs and charge related policy to position the country as a hub in West Africa. This will
complement the on-going expansion of the airport taxiway and apron. These capacity
development measures are prime for PPPs and therefore Government will undertake extensive
engagements to secure PPPs.
601. The Government is conscious that Air Traffic Control, Air Navigation and Safety issues are
important and should be in the forefront of the air transport management agenda. This is
particularly so for the tourism industry - the main driver of the air transport industry in The
Gambia. To this end, Government will continue to improve safety in the air transport industry by
updating its equipment in line with emerging global trends.
602. The Airport Master Plan costed around USD100 million would guide the expansion and
development of BIA during the Plan period.
Maritime and Inland Water Transport
603. The key Port reforms scheduled for PAGE II period include redefining port governance and
organization to tackle emerging issues, particularly moving from a public service model to a landlord
model like other regional ports; privatization and promotion of partnership between public and
private sectors in order to enhance efficiencies and productivity particularly with respect to the
superstructure of the port; establishment of a port cluster by exploring free port system, introducing
free trade zones for international logistic industry, developing industry complexes around the port,
concentrating on logistics related industry – shipbuilding, ship equipment, ship spare parts,
facilitating the development of intermodal infrastructures such as regional roads linking hinterland

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 countries of the port, inland waterways on the river Gambia connecting to Inland Container Depots
(ICD) and strengthening the Port Marketing Strategy to attract business to The Gambia using various
modes including ICT.
604. The Ports Master Plan provides for concessioning of the container terminals to increase efficiency
and restore the ports competitive edge. This will address the severe infrastructural constraints
including inadequate container storage, inter-modality for inland transport connections
(especially for regional road networks and use of River Gambia complemented with Inland
Container Depots). These facilities are mainly in disrepair and require major investments.
Moreover, there is need for port reforms especially relating to the business model of the Port
providing ample opportunities for private sector participation.
River Transport
605. Government recognizes the complementarity of river transport in the re-export trade, and
tourism. Participation of the private sector in river transport services would revive the transport
sector and calls for a holistic transport sector multi/inter modal planning and appropriate
infrastructure pricing policies and incentives: including axle load control on the road network, and
tax holidays to water transport operators for bulk haulage by barges. To remedy this situation and
sustainably exploit the opportunities inherent in river, Government will during PAGE II, facilitate
the participation of the private sector in river transport services to revive the transport sector and
would lead in a holistic transport sector multi/inter modal planning while also putting in place
appropriate infrastructure pricing policies and incentives: including axle load control on the road
network, and tax holidays to water transport operators for bulk haulage by barges.

Quality and Standards Infrastructure

606. In order to overcome the challenges and strengthen the national quality infrastructure,
Government will, in line with the Quality Policy for The Gambia 2014, provide requisite technical
and financial support for the development and implementation of standards and provision of
services in metrology, testing and certification. In addition, it will promote Public Sector efficiency
and effectiveness in the execution of their mandates through the application of relevant
Standards to support the creation of wealth by the Private Sector.
607. In a bid to strengthen the NQI, the Government established a national standard Body (NSB) with
mandates in the main pillars of the NQI (standardization, metrology and conformity assessment).
Government will ensure the NSB plays a leading role in the services provided by the NQI
institutions.
608. Government has been supporting public laboratories to address the serious challenges faced by
The Gambia with respect to internationally-acceptable testing for the targeted export markets.
Given the lack of the necessary institutional and financial framework, it is unlikely that they can
achieve the required future commercial viability and hence sustainability. Therefore, Government
will take the necessary measures to ensure that the appropriate institutional setup is created for
the operations and management of these public laboratories to be able to provide internationally
accredited testing services. In the same vein, Government will create a policy environment that
will not hinder, but facilitate the development of private conformity assessment service providers.

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609. Under PAGE II, Government will strengthen collaboration with partners in export destinations and
markets to provide technical support and capacity building to enhance compliance with SPS & TBT
requirements in the export markets.
610. Furthermore, Government will establish a functional, state of the art, ISO certified centralized
laboratory system which is a sine qua non for quality assurance. Under PAGE II the government
will also develop the requisite legislative framework and the necessary human and institutional
capacity to support the central laboratory system. The existing sector laboratories will support in-
process quality control.
611. Government is also committed to the full implementation of the regional integration programmes
both under ECOOWAS and African Union. The goal is to ensure the creation of a single economic
space to help increase trade, stimulate economic growth, attract foreign direct investment and
enable domestic producers to build up their capacity. To achieve this Government will continue
to pursue regional programmes which include among others ECOWAS ETLS, ISRT, CET, etc.
612. On customs clearance, which also helps in bringing down the cost of doing business, PAGE II
period will witness the migration of the custom’s clearance systems to ASYCUDA international
and its integration with the IFMIS

Access to Finance
613. Although starting a business has been made easier for all, especially MSMEs, maintaining and
scaling up their business with the use of credit has become more difficult. Consequently, through
sound macro-economic policies, Government will reduce borrowing and thus free up financing
for MSME development and their associated creation of wealth and jobs.
Tax Code
614. The simplification of the tax code is an area where a significant reform process is underway. The
reform, which commenced with the establishment of the value-added tax is still a work in progress
and several approaches could be taken to reforming this system starting with the elimination of
many of the “nuisance” taxes, and replacing any lost revenue through an appropriate adjustment
to the rates on existing taxes. Therefore, during PAGE II, Government will streamline and broaden
the tax base to resolve the matter which is one of the major obstacles to private sector growth.

Land Use Management

615. To guide sustainable and judicious use of land resources the following strategies will be
implemented: Policy, Regulatory & Institutional Framework in particular development of a
National Spatial Plan to inform the Land Policy; development of a Land Policy (this is presently
being done with support from the UNDP); revitalization of the National Planning Board and
formulation of a National Land Use Master Plan. Given the need for expediency and in the interest
of incremental development, taking into account rate of urbanisation and related social issues,
the update of the Greater Banjul Area Master Plan will be prioritized during the PAGE II period.
616. Development strategies that reconcile emerging conflicts over land and natural resource use, and
which provide local communities with secure rights and tenure, will be pursued to secure rural

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 livelihoods and sustainable development. Where expansion is necessary, land use planning will
take into account the need for low cost housing estate development, basic infrastructure for
education, health, sports, recreation facilities, and other household services like electricity, water
and appropriate economic infrastructure like roads and markets, and irrigation schemes.
617. PAGE II will embark on land reforms aimed at a comprehensive, rights based and transparent
management of land as well as a land policy and l master plan that balances the various competing
uses of land. The land use master plan will also be harmonized with the transport master plan.
618. Presently a Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme (PSUP) is being implemented with a focus
on the development and adoption of inclusive policies and strategies for slum upgrading in line
with the PSUP principles that will contribute to the achievement of the SDGs The Programme
aims at strengthening the capacity of the community, city and national key stakeholders’ involved
in participatory slum upgrading particularly in the selected cities and towns of Banjul, Brikama
and Kanifing municipalities thus adding value to the development of policy, institutional,
legislative, and financial frameworks.

Information Communication Telecommunication (ICT)

619. The objective of the Government is to transform the Gambia into a digital economy for the rapid
socio-economic development through the establishment of relevant infrastructural
requirements; provision of an enabling liberalized market environment; strengthening capacity
building programs as well as mobilization of resources.
620. During PAGE II period the media subsector aims to provide 100% nationwide TV coverage,
targeting a full transition from analogue to digital broadcasting by end 2016 and Analogue Switch
Off by end 2017. The strategy also aims at regulating the type, category, and age of electronic
equipment being imported into the country and strengthen the capacity of the media and
enhance their participation in national development.
621. To ensure the sustained use of ICT in sectoral development, Government will strengthen
stakeholder collaboration through PPPs ; mobilize resources for the implementation of ICT
program and activities; pursue advocacy programs to raise the level of awareness on ICTs and its
usage will be pursued; enhance the National ICT Infrastructure while creating a more conducive
and enabling environment; and improve the Telecommunications Access Network and ICTs as an
enabler to achieve the Vision 2020 objectives.
622. There is need to introduce an additional submarine cable to complement the ACE, to further
increase higher broadband capacity to deliver better electronic services. This would attract
investors and help in transforming the Gambia into a digital economy. This would also upgrade
the Access Network of Telecom Operators to newest technologies such as 4G. Long Term
Evolution (LTE) networks would be instrumental in reaching last mile connectivity for subscribers
while accompanying measures would enhance the capacity of the sector to increase output to
sustain itself.
623. Cyber Crime has become an emerging threat globally and mitigating cyber threats would require
building local capacity including Cyber Defense Systems and personnel to protect national

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 security. Current trends show that the Cyber Security domain has become a systemic issue.
Another important priority for the National Development Plan is to have ICTs as a core subject in
schools.
624. A National ICT Agency would be set up to take up the implementation of ICT activities and
programs at a national level, thereby enforcing the policy objectives and goals set at a micro level
will be pursued. A National Data Center to host electronic services for the public and private
sectors as well as civil society organizations would be established to facilitate e-Government. The
requisite Human Resource to cater for the growing demands in the ICT Sector would also be
developed and strengthened.

National Food Control System

625. The Gambia has put in place a national food control system through the establishment of the Food
Safety and Quality Authority. During PAGE II government will strengthen the existing national
institutional and legal framework for food control; outline the process for drafting, reviewing,
prioritizing and adopting laws and regulations, including RIA, and establish capacity for drafting
technical regulations, within the FSQA, through developing selected priority technical regulation,
and strengthen the enforcement units; and facilitate development and implementation of
national strategy for food control laboratory testing and epidemiological food-chain surveillance
to enable credible identification and analyses of priority hazards and the assessment and
prioritization of food risks.

Human Resource & TVET

626. Skilled human resources are required to enhance the productivity, quality and ultimate
competitiveness of The Gambia products. Therefore, during PAGE II period, Government will
collaborate with its partners to develop relevant human skills in agriculture, tourism, trade,
industry and other services. The first strategy is to conduct a skills gaps assessment across all
sectors of the economy and use it as a basis to develop a capacity building plan.
627. In the immediate term, within the tourism sector, and in support of standards and quality services,
Government will strengthen the GTHI to pursue the requisite regional and international
accreditations, notably ISO Quality certifications, TEDQUAL, and build relationships with regional
institutions (through MOUs, for example with UTALI of Kenya) for benchmarking. It will also
pursue MOUs with international hotels for global placement of GTHI graduates. It is also
important to institute a Training Hotel Facility within the GTHI campus to ensure practical training
on courses such as housekeeping, front desk service, and room service, amongst others.
628. The National Training Authority (NTA) will review the accreditation of the Tourism Hospitality
Institutes operating in The Gambia to ascertain that the graduates from these institutions have
the minimal appreciation of “What” is Hospitality and “What” is Service? Additional Hospitality
Institutes would be allowed under a tightened regulation with the requisite oversight in their
governance structures.
629. Skills are vital for sustainable tourism development. The Government would explore further
avenues for example, collaborating with the University of The Gambia to undertake research on

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 Tourism related matters. Through the TVET Centers Initiative the Government will enhance
capacities in the various regions across the country with the objective of supplying the regional
and up country tourism facilities with the requisite human capacity. The handicraft and skills
development jointly implemented by the NCAC and the GT Board seeks to provide training
programmes for members of the informal sector of the tourism industry to improve the quality
of their products and increase their creativity by introducing them to new ideas and techniques.
630. Other immediate skills need that will be provided include those relating to irrigation, post-harvest
technologies and renewable energy.

Economic Diplomacy
631. The solution for many of The Gambia’s economic challenges reside outside the country. This
includes market access for exports, investment promotion, human resource requirements,
development financing as well as tourism destination marketing.
632. During PAGE II, the Gambia will use its commercial representatives abroad to enhance access to
markets and technologies for Gambia’s produce. Other strategic roles to be implemented will
include show casing the Gambia’s investment opportunities and tourism attractions; resource
mobilization including the remittances; and support to Gambian businesses abroad.
633. The tourism desks in strategic countries will be strengthened.

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PILLAR IV: INVESTING IN HUMAN CAPITAL
Education and Skills Development
634. The number of Gambian qualified teaching personnel in both basic and secondary education
institutions has increased, thereby reducing reliance on non-Gambian teachers in secondary
schools. Nevertheless, on quality and relevance, more efforts will be directed towards improving
the quality of the teacher training program to be consistent with reforms on literacy introduced
in the school system. Additional effort will focus on improving relevant subject content
knowledge, pedagogic skills, ICT competencies, and professional values and attitudes.

Post-Secondary Education and Training

635. The content of the “Basic Social Services Package” will include ensuring Universal Access to Basic
Education package (ECD, Lower and Upper Basic); Universal Access to the Basic Health Care
Package (Primary Health Care Package); Universal Access to Food and Nutrition; Universal Access
to Safe Drinking Water and sanitation and Universal Access to safe shelter. Specifically, this will
include Creation of a Basic Register for each community and developing a system for updating the
registers; strengthening capacity of the Local Governments (including the provision of local and
international technical assistants) for the supply and management of the basic social services. Per
capita cost of provision of BSSP is estimated at GMD10,000 or US$210 per annum which presently
is a huge burden and beyond the reach of many Gambian households.
636. Other strategies include strengthening regulation for quality services provision which includes
defining/Reviewing National Standards for basic education service delivery; defining/Reviewing
National Standards for basic health care package delivery; developing/Revising Guidelines for
services delivery; ensuring adherence to standards and Standard Operating Procedures and
Financing and Payment Reforms for protecting the rights.
637. For Health Care the strategy will be to let the Dalasi follow the person in need of care and not the
health facility in order to protect the Patient`s Bill of Rights. This will also include services like
Antenatal Care including PMTCT; facility delivery; family planning and Early Child Care and
Development. For Basic Education the guiding principle will be “Let the Dalasi follow the Child and
not the school”.
638. On increasing access to secondary and higher level education in order to enhance the country`s
competitiveness and enhance employability, the strategy entails upgrading infrastructure and
other capacities of Secondary Education, TVET institutions; and Higher Education Institutions
infrastructure; as well as strengthening regulation for quality education and skills provision,
financing and payment reforms for these institutions.
639. To aid The Gambia’s competitiveness, the Plan will enhance programmes aimed at addressing:
youth unemployment, poverty and migration reduction through TVET; in addition to the training
of a required stock of specialist for all the sectors and sub-sectors. To better meet the human
resource capacity needs, the Government will undertake an assessment of current competences
in sectors and sub-sectors in line with the reforms anticipated as in Pillar II to identify the gaps

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 and ultimately guide the development of the national human resources production strategic
plan. (Annex Two for the List).
640. The UTG North Bank Campus at Farafenni will be transformed into an ultra-modern centre for
higher education and research programmes, especially for climate change and health. Under the
Africa Higher Education Centres of Excellence (ACE) project, Government will continue the
upgrading of University faculty capacities in specialised areas of health, agriculture, computer
science, mathematics and engineering.
641. The review process of post-secondary school curricula has kicked off, and will continue in order
to align programme curricula to meet the country’s labour market needs. The education
management information system is currently being reviewed, to link the online data management
system to the labour market information system.

Health Upgrading
Cervical Cancer Screening and Treatment
642. Screening for cervical cancer has been introduced and established in a number of health facilities.
Some facilities conduct only cervical cancer screening while others provide both screening and
treatment. In a bid to achieving the 50% screening and management target for women of
reproductive age for cervical cancer by 2018 as outlined in the NHSSP 2014-2020, the Human
Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine has already been introduced in the West Coast Region with a
coverage of 82% for age 9 to 13-year-old girls both in and out of school which will be expanded
to all the other regions.
Table 32: Cervical Cancer Screening and Treatment Facilities
Screening Facilities Screening and Treatment Facilities
Serekunda General Hospital EFSTH
Brufut minor health Gunjur minor health
Bakau minor health centre Banjulinding minor health centre
Sukuta minor health centre Yundum minor health centre
Polyclinic Faji Kunda major health centre
Leman Street clinic

Health Sector Management Strengthening

643. The Health Sector Strategic focus for The Gambia is anchored on the National Health Policy 2012-
2020 which is in sync with VISION 2020. The long term objective for the health sector is to provide
adequate, effective and affordable health care for all Gambians. Its short term objectives are to
improve the administration and management of health care services, improvements in the
referral system, expansion of Primary Health Care services in all communities, having a well-
motivated and trained staff and ensuring an efficient procurement and supply chain management
for a responsive and comprehensive health care delivery.

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644. The Government is committed to promoting and protecting the health of the population. To this
effect, it will put in place an effective and efficient Health Services management system during
the Plan period. Accordingly, the following strategies will be pursued: De-concentrating and
decentralising the provision of health services and Strengthening organisation and management
of the health care delivery system. The National Health Services Financing and Payment
Management will also be put in place.
645. The key components of the Health Financing and Payment Mechanism will be: Primary Health
Care Fund (MediCare) for the provision of the Basic Health Care Packages; MedicAid for the
provision of Medical Emergencies; and the National Health Insurance for the provision of tertiary
health care.
646. On strengthening, the health regulatory system, the key activities will include; the development
of a comprehensive public health act, that aims to promote and protect the health of the
population; and the establishment of the Board of Health as defined in Health Policy 2012.
647. To enhance access to tertiary health care, the following would be pursued: development of
tertiary care packages for all the categories of hospitals; development of equipment,
infrastructure standards and staffing norms for each hospital category; classification and
accreditation of all existing hospitals (public & private); strengthening the service delivery capacity
of EFSTH to provide most of the needed specialist care; and Instituting regular inspection of care
supply.

Population Management and Urbanization

648. The Plan will focus on reducing rural urban migration; migration using illegal travel routes to
Europe in order to utilize the demographic dividend (youthful population) and improve
immigration management. This will include strengthening capacity of the Local Governments
(including the provision of local and international technical assistants) for the development of
strategic economic development plans for their regions; supporting resources mobilization for the
implementation of the Strategic Economic Development Plans of each local government, support
youth entrepreneurship and youth service schemes.

Gender Equality
649. The Gambia’s Vision 2020 serves to ensure gender equality and empower women, through the
continuing creation of an enabling policy framework based on a proper gender analysis and the
provision of adequate gender statistics and budgets. In addition, it focuses on the improvement
of women’s and girls’ employable skills and job opportunities by ensuring parity in primary,
secondary and tertiary education, improve women’s and girls’ entrepreneurial skills and
opportunities in all productive sectors, mobilize resources for gender equality and women’s
empowerment interventions, and ensure the proper coordination, monitoring and evaluation of
women and gender-related programmes.
650. Key interventions during the PAGE II period include: strengthening the implementation of laws,
policies and strategies; economic empowerment and sustainable livelihood skills; strengthening
and increasing support for institutional mechanisms for gender equality and women

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 empowerment; transformation of discriminatory norms and gender stereotypes; and enhancing
capacity building, data collection, motoring and evaluation at all levels.
651. To address these challenges, the government will continue to promote measures aimed at equal
access to land and credit for women; continuing the awareness raising; providing labour saving
devices; and protecting and promoting equal access to education for girls. Priority actions include
the provision of credit facilities for women, supply of labour saving devices and mechanisms that
guarantee equal participation in decision-making.

Social Protection
652. During PAGE II, Government will develop and implement a number of interrelated policies and
strategies to address social protection challenges: labor market policies and programs designed
to promote employment, the efficient operation of the labour markets and the protection of the
workers; social insurance programs to cushion the risks associated with unemployment, ill health,
disability, work related injury and old age; social assistance and welfare service programs for the
most vulnerable groups with no other means of adequate support, including single mothers, the
homeless, or physically or mentally challenged people; micro-and area –based schemes to
address vulnerability at the community level, including micro-insurance, agricultural insurance,
social funds and programs to manage natural disasters; Child protection to ensure the healthy
and productive development of children.
653. Measures for social protection for the young will include: Early child development to ensure the
balanced psychomotor development of the child through basic nutrition, preventing ill health and
educational programs; School feeding programs, scholarships, or school fee waivers; Waiving for
fees for mother and children in health services; Street child initiatives; Child rights
advocacy/awareness programs against child abuse, child labor; Youth programmes to mitigate
migration, unemployment, criminality, sexually transmitted infections such as HIV/AIDS, early
pregnancies and drug and alcohol addiction; Family allowances either means – tested cash
transfers or coupon/stamps for basic goods and services (i.e. food, clothing) to assist families with
young children to meet part of their basic needs.
654. Social protection will be used to complement the gaps for those households with limited means
of earning income and Payroll tax will be used to finance the social security programmes.

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SECTION THREE: INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS, MONITORING AND
EVALUATION AND RESOURCE FRAMEWORKS

CHAPTER SIX: INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

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CHAPTER SEVEN: MONITORING AND EVALUATION FRAMEWORK

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CHAPTER EIGHT: RESOURCE MATRIX

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ANNEXES

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REFERENCES

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