“Family units, friends, and everyone else should be vigilant enough to intercept all potentially dangerous journeys that involve Gambian citizens, either as traffickers, passengers, boat crew, or otherwise,” he said.
President Barrow, however, admitted that a major concern of the 2023 has been irregular migration, saying this is not only a menace, but appears to be on the rise, thus putting the lives of more young people at risk.
“Young people have a very significant role to play in their families, communities, and in national development, hence we cannot watch them perish with impunity. There are opportunities that such young people can exploit to guarantee them success at home,” he said, while reiterating that education and training for skill acquisition are the surest means for the youth to have guaranteed pathways to success and happiness.
This, he continued, justifies the government’s renewed focus on education and prioritisation of TVET, as reflected in the 2024 national budget.
The head of state explained that in 2023, his government registered remarkable successes, particularly, in infrastructure development, energy and water provision, education, health, agriculture, and justice delivery, to name a few examples.
Overall, he noted that the country is stable, adding that there is peace countrywide. He went on to state that besides the lamentable last September fatal shooting incident that involved three security personnel and a few other cases of murder and suicide, the crime rate in the country has dropped.
“To deliver on our promises, my administration’s focus on development is now firmly anchored to the National Development Plan - YIRIWA (2023 - 2027) and the Medium-Term Economic Fiscal Framework (2023-2026) for macro-fiscal stability.”
“Although inflation has risen to 18%, The Gambia is faring much better than many other countries; however, we admit its far-reaching impact on the cost of living in the country, especially on the poor. Part of the solution to this challenge lies in stepping up local production to reduce imports and, thus, avoid the cost burden associated with importation.”
Barrow disclosed that his government will continue to subsidise essential imported commodities, even though this reduces spending ability on development projects. To achieve such a milestone, the president said they must fall back on taxation, which he describes as ‘taxation purely for inclusive development.’
