The Office of the President and the Ministry of Public Service, Administrative Reforms, Policy Coordination and Delivery of the Gambia have concluded a three-day workshop with private and public sector stakeholders to validate the findings of the recently concluded Trade and Logistics Diagnostic Study. The validation workshop was attended by high-ranking government officials, leaders from private sector trade and logistics companies along with industry experts and Consultants. The senior officials that graced the three-day workshop include the Honourable Minister of Public Service, Honourable Baboucarr Bouy; the Chief of Staff, Office of the President, Mod K. Ceesay; the Commissioner General of the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), Yankuba Darboe; the Managing Director of the Gambia Ports Authority, Ousman Jobarteh.
The workshop, held at the Bakadaji Hotel from 23rd – 25th January 2024, provided an opportunity to scrutinise and discuss the findings of a comprehensive study conducted at the Port of Banjul and along our major trade corridors in partnership with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI). The scope of the study covers marine operations, customs and port terminal operations as well as logistics and transportation. The result of the study provides insights into the challenges and opportunities within our port infrastructure and trade corridors and seeks to inform a Trade & Logistics charter that will bind together several reform programs being spearheaded by various players within the port community.
At the opening of the workshop, 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 thanked all stakeholders for their participation in the study and their commitment to the development of a Trade & Logistics Charter that reflects the ambitions to establish The Gambia as a key trade hub for the region.
The Minister of Public Service, Administrative Reforms, Policy Coordination and Delivery, underscored the need for the study and recognised the innovations launched by the Port Authority and the Gambia Revenue Authority and thanked the Tony Blair Institute for its partnership in conducting the study. He also encouraged all stakeholders to engage thoroughly with the report and to work together to shape the trade charter to serve as a performance benchmark for efficient operations at the port.
During the opening remarks read on behalf of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade, Regional Integration and Employment, Mr Lamin Dampha, it was emphasised that the commissioning of 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 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.
The Chief of Staff of the President, Mod K. Ceesay, reiterated that it is important to ‘invest in the Port of Banjul and its custom processes to make it competitive.’ He stressed on the importance of the validation processes and challenged delegates to be diligent to make sure that ‘we draft a smart document to transform The Gambia’s trade and logistics services’.
On his part, the Commissioner General of the Gambia Revenue Authority, Mr Yankuba Darboe, stated that the findings of the study present a picture of where we stand and the vast potential for improvement. He added 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. He shared that, ‘reduced dwell times translates to lower costs, faster delivery of goods and ultimately a more vibrant and thriving economy’.
In the same vein, the Managing Director of the Gambia Port Authority, Mr. Ousman Jobarteh, 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 digitisation effort at the port. He welcomed the study and the port charter as a ‘commitment to improve trade and logistics flow for the Gambia’.
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. The Trade Logistics Diagnostic Study was crafted to (i) evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of current marine, customs, port terminal, and logistics processes, procedures, and systems in the country, (ii) assess the state and sufficiency of trade logistics equipment and infrastructure, and (iii) gauge the extent of the utilization of digital platforms in the country’s trade logistics industry. The study encompassed trade logistics activities from the arrival of vessels at anchorage to the release and eventual exit of goods from the Port.
Summary of Study Findings: The study reveals the necessity for adopting modern machinery, improving road and drainage infrastructure, and eliminating certain manual processes that contribute to inefficiencies at the port. It also highlights the need to improve governance and maintenance practices at the Port to ensure close adherence to international best practices and standards. The recommendations of the study cover staff training, resource mobilisation, process re-engineering, financial viability appraisals of proposed projects among others. Certain recommendations were related directly to customs, including expediting the establishment of the national electronic single window system and improving the risk management profiling system in the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA).
Next Steps: Following the validation of this study, the feedback from stakeholders will be incorporated and would serve as a basis for the development of a Trade Logistics Charter. Implementing the recommendations from the study would bolster the competitiveness of the Port of Banjul on the global stage.