External trade statistics unit compiles data for public and private sector use, says Statistician General

These statistics, which take into account mostly merchandise goods, are provided for data users such as ministries, researchers, and students both at national and international level, as well as international organizations such as IMF, UNSD, FAO, AU and ECOWAS.

The data provided is used for policy formulation and planning and to determine Gambia’s trade performance with the rest of the world, he said.

Mr Sanyang went further to inform the PAC/PEC that in 2013, trade by trade flows (imports, exports and re-exports) by country of origin or destination was compiled and disseminated to the Ministry of Trade, the Central Bank of The Gambia, Gambia Competition Commission, Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA) on quarterly, annual and semi-annual basis.

The data provided was disaggregated by country, economic and geographic regions and by main products imported or exported, he added.

Many requests from individuals mostly investors were satisfactorily analyzed based on users’ needs and disseminated accordingly either by e-mail, soft copy or printout, he said.

International organizations such as The United Nations Statistics Department (UNSD) and International Trade Center, African Union (AU), ECOWAS, to name a few, requested for a more detailed trade on imports and exports for inclusion in their databases.