The Minister of Public Service, Administrative Reforms, Policy Coordination and Delivery has underscored the need for The Gambia Trade Logistic Study and at the same time recognized the innovations launched by the Gambia Port Authority (GPA) and The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA).
Hon. Baboucarr Bouy made this statement last week as he presided over the three-day validation workshop on Gambia Trade Logistic Study on Thursday January 25, 2024 at Bakaji Hotel in Kotu.
Hon. Minister on behalf of his ministry and its stakeholders commended the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) for its partnership for conducting the study.
He advised his ministry’s stakeholders to engage thoroughly with the report and work together in order to shape the trading charter to serve as a performance benchmark for efficient operations at the port.
On behalf of the Minister of Trade Regional Integration and Employment Baboucarr Joof, Mr. Lamin Dampha Permanent Secretary at the said ministry emphasized that the commissioning of the Trade Logistics Diagnostic Study was timely.
“This 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,” PS Dampha explained.
He encouraged the private sectors 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, Chief of Staff, office of the President said it is important to invest in the Port of Banjul and its custom processes to make it competitive and he stressed the importance of the validation processes and 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 the 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.”
Mr. Ousman Jobarteh, Managing Director of the Gambia Port Authority highlighted the strides being 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 digitization 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 constitute about 80% of the cargo, the Port handles transit cargo for adjoining countries that include Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, and Mali.”
Earlier, Mr. Alieu Senghore, the Country Director of Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) Gambia dilated on the crucial role that trade plays in shaping the economic fortunes of The Gambia. He thanked all stakeholders for their participation in the study and their compliment 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.
The three-day workshop provided an opportunity to scrutinize 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 programs being spearheaded by various players within the port community.
The validation workshop was conducted for private and public sector stakeholders was organized by the Office of the President and Ministry of Public Service, Administrative Reforms, Policy Coordination and Delivery.
By: Lamin B. Darboe