By Kebba AF Touray
The Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs, Seedy Keita, on Friday, 13th December 2024, delivered the 2025 budget speech.
The Minister’s speech touched on critical sectors of the economy, as well as the development plans and priorities of the government for the 2025 fiscal year.
Such sectors include the productive sectors of the Gambian economy, such as agriculture, petroleum, works, and water resources. This report highlights the Minister’s reports on the productive sectors of the Gambian economy.
Ministry of Agriculture
Speaking on the Agriculture Ministry, he said with support from development partners, the Ministry continues to drive its transformation agenda guided by the Recovery Focused National Development Plan 2023- 2027. Through various interventions, production of key commodities across the country significantly increased during the 2023/2024 agriculture season.
“This was driven by the increase in yield for maize, rice, and groundnuts. For the 24/25 season, the Ministry provided fertilizer support amounting to 35,000 tons, including 1000 tons of organic fertilizer for vegetable growers and 5,513 bags (50kg) of chemical fertilizer. High-yielding seeds amounting to 677.4 tons were also distributed,” he said.
On Fisheries and Water Resources
He reported that the Ministry with support from development partners implemented various projects and programs aimed at improving the sustainability of fisheries and water resources sectors.
According to the Minister, these include procuring and installing forty (40) Automatic Rainfall Stations, in all the administrative regions.
He added, “The Ministry will also prioritize constructing and installing fifty-five (55) large solar-powered piped-water supply systems to provide safe and quality drinking water to 250,000 people in the rural areas.”
Communication and Digital Economy
Minister Keita reported that the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy is finalizing the formulation of the Communications Bill 2024.
The bill he said will enhance legal and regulatory frameworks, sustain the principles of fair competition, and ensure quality affordable services for consumers. Concerning digital infrastructure development, the contract for the second subsea fiber optic cable transaction advisory was signed in July 2024.
“This initiative will ensure adequate redundancy in the first mile as well as increase bandwidth capacity,” he said.
Tourism and Culture
“In 2025, the sector plans to demarcate other TDAs such as the North Coast and the Kiang West National Park. The sector will also roll out more youth-friendly products such as theme parks as well as picnic hubs in TDA 1 to target the millennials,” Minister Keita told lawmakers.
He added that the sector also plans to pursue the revamping of the site museum at Fort Bullen, among other programs.
Trade Industry Regional Integration and Employment
The Ministry, he reported, has been extensively involved in mitigating the impacts of global market uncertainties, ensuring priority berthing for vessels carrying essential commodities, and extending the waiver for rice importation.
“These efforts have helped stabilize prices and ensure the availability of essential food commodities. Efforts were also directed toward formulation and implementation of the AfCFTA National Implementation Strategy,” he remarked.
Works and Infrastructure Ministry
Dwelling on the Works and Infrastructure Ministry, he said there was successful commissioning of the ultramodern Doppler VHF Omni-directional Range (DVOR) at the Banjul International Airport (BIA), by the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority, in the second quarter of 2024, and has enhanced operational safety and efficiency at BIA.
He unveiled “In line with the RF-NDP 2023-27, GCAA is undertaking works on overlaying the runway pavement and construction of a turning loop at Runway. These works, which will cost US$20 Million, are expected to enhance the safety of aircraft operations and prolong the lifespan of the runway.”
Petroleum Ministry
“On access to clean water, the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) will expand access to water and sanitation services in rural and peri-urban areas. This is aimed at achieving Universal access with a minimum coverage of 85% by the end of 2025,” he said.
Follow the next edition of Foroyaa for detailed highlights of the social sectors of the Gambian economy.
