The validation workshop, held at the Bakadaji Hotel, Kotu, was conducted for private and public sector stakeholders, and was attended by high-ranking government officials, leaders from private sector, trade and logistics companies along with industry experts and consultants.
The validation was also attended by senior government officials including the Minister of Public Service, the Chief of Staff, the Commissioner General of GRA, and the Managing Director of the Gambia Ports Authority.
This three-day workshop provided an opportunity to scrutinise and discuss the findings of a comprehensive study conducted at the Port of Banjul and along the major trade corridors in partnership with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI). The scope of the study covered marine operations, customs, and port terminal operations as well as logistics and transportation.
The result of the study, as disclosed at the workshop, provided insights into the challenges and opportunities within The Gambia port infrastructure and trade corridors and seeks to inform a trade and logistics charter that will bind together several reform programmes being spearheaded by various players within the port community.
Addressing the gathering, Baboucarr Bouy, the minister of Public Service, Administrative Reforms, Policy Coordination and Delivery, acknowledged the innovations launched by the Ports Authority and the Gambia Revenue Authority and thanked the TBI for its partnership in conducting the study.
The Minister also advised the stakeholders to engage thoroughly with the report and to work together to shape the trading charter to serve as a performance benchmark for efficient operations at the ports.
On behalf of the Minister of Trade Regional Integration and Employment, Mr. Lamin Dampha, the permanent secretary, said that the Trade Logistics Diagnostic Study was timely. “This is because it establishes the basis for developing a strategic approach not only for implementing the TFA agreement but also to position Gambia to regain the lost glory of competitiveness in transit and re-export trade.”
He therefore encouraged the private sector to not only focus on reviewing the issues but also add value to the set of recommendations made in the report.
Mr. Mod K. Ceesay, the Chief of Staff at the Office of the President, said it’s important to invest in the Port of Banjul and its custom processes to make it competitive, while stressing the importance of the validation processes. He challenged delegates to be diligent in making sure that they draft a smart document to transform The Gambia’s trade and logistics services.
Yankuba Darboe, the Commissioner General of GRA, said the findings of the study present a picture of where they stand and the vast potential for improvement, noting that some of the current innovations by the Authority such as the introduction of the “single window system and the electronic cargo tracking system are in line with the recommendations of the study.”
Ousman Jobarteh, the Managing Director of the Gambia Port Authority, highlighted the strides made in the adoption of IT systems at the Port of Banjul such as the recently implemented E-Tally and E-Delivery Order systems that enhance data collection and mark the beginning of a wider digitisation effort at the port.
He noted that the Port of Banjul is the sole maritime gateway for The Gambia, “apart from imports for domestic consumption that constitutes about 80% of the cargo, the Port handles transit cargo for adjoining countries that include Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, and Mali.”
The Trade Logistics Diagnostic Study was crafted to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of current marine, customs, port terminal, and logistics processes, procedures, and systems in the country, assess the state and sufficiency of trade logistics equipment and infrastructure, and gauge the extent of the utilisation of digital platforms in the country’s trade logistics industry.
Earlier, Mr. Alieu Senghore, the Country Director of TBI Gambia, dilated on the crucial role that trade plays in shaping the economic fortunes of The Gambia. He therefore thanked all stakeholders for their participation in the study and their complement to the development of a Trade and Logistics Charter that reflects the ambitions to establish The Gambia as a key trade hub for the region.
