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Gambia needs investment- Commonwealth analyst

Feb 26, 2020, 12:54 PM | Article By: Sanna Jallow

A senior analyst of the Commonwealth secretariat, Kevon Wilson has said that The Gambia needs strong investment to help it secure its development objectives.

Addressing a two-day national export consultative strategy meeting on Tuesday, Mr Wilson said the country must continue to push forward, prepare key product groups to enter new market and provide well needed export support services at institutional levels which will support firms, producers and exporters to deliver competitive goods and services in highly dynamic international markets with sophisticated consumer.

“We cannot overlook the importance of ensuring a sufficient volume of public investment and foreign direct investment is secured to deliver transformation of the key export sector and downstream agricultural  production that feeds Gambia’s export potentials’’ he said .

He added that transforming The Gambia from an LDC with inherent characteristics of vulnerability to external shocks, a narrow resource base with limited economies scale is a challenge.

“The project is another step in Gambia’s move towards developing an efficient and globally competitive export sector,” he added.

Hassan MB Jallow, chief executive office of the Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA) said the national export strategy belongs to every sector of government and leadership in the implementation must be owned by the sectors particularly the priorities.

“I would also suggest that a wider review of existing sector strategies be conducted by the team of consultants for enhancement where necessary and harmonisation of the blueprint we are going to realise.” 

 The two days consultative programme of the 2013-2017 national export strategy meeting was organised by Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA) with assistance from the Commonwealth secretariat to update the erstwhile NES.