Expected Outputs

Strategies

Priority interventions or activities

Responsible entity

Key sectors of the economy supported to improve export performance

Commercialize Agriculture for increased production and productivity

• Promote PPPs in the sector that could yield rapid returns to the economy;
• Adopt a coherent agricultural logistics strategy that supports the agriculture and fisheries sectors;
• Increase investments in irrigation schemes to support farmers in boosting production for food self-sufficiency in rice and vegetables;
• Promote establishment of light scale milling industries for agricultural produce (rice and other cereals) across the country
• Adopt a comprehensive Land Policy that addresses usage of agricultural land;

MOA, GIEPA, DPPP-MoFEA, MOLRG, MOTIE, GCCI

Promote value chain development in the agriculture sector

• Adopt and implement a one-region one-commodity policy in the production of agricultural commodities to improve production and quality;
• Encourage and promote the establishment of processing facilities in-country as opposed to exporting raw cashew and groundnuts for processing abroad;
• Promote participation of women and youth in development of out-growers schemes in poultry and horticulture
• Support the implementation of the Aflatoxin mitigation programme

MOA, MOTIE, GIEPA, MOFEA, NFSPMC (GGC), GCCI

Diversify local production by introducing high value products such as findi, moringa, sesame, honey, cashew and horticulture for the export and domestic markets

• Develop sector strategies for findi, moringa and honey
• Implement the sector strategies for cashew and sesame
• Create market linkages for agricultural products to support the diversification

MOA, MOTIE

Address poor farm management practices by enhancing interventions to farmers’ associations

• Enhance technical expertise in research in improving and distributing quality seeds
• Provide environment-friendly technologies to address poor farming practices and produce quality for the market
• Popularize the use of farmer field schools.
• Support the establishment and strengthening of agricultural cooperative societies.

MOA, MOTIE

Put in place mechanisms for sustainable and viable exploitation of fisheries resources

• Popularize the use of fisheries management plans by communities for a sustainable use and management of fisheries resources.
• Encourage more industrial fishermen to land their catch in-country;
• Offer better incentives in the operation of the Fisheries Jetty to enhance bunkering opportunities;
• Put in place a mechanism to address rising cost of fuels and fishing materials and limited access to finance for fisheries operators;
• Promote investment in the development of Aquaculture

MOFWR, DoF, MOFEA, GPA, GIEPA, MOTIE

Promote value chain development in the fisheries sector

• Encourage and promote the establishment of processing units for value addition and more employment opportunities
• Promote youth and women participation in the fisheries value chain through services in sanitation, logistics, marketing and transport to support landing and export activities;
• Adopt a cold chain strategy and implemented through partnerships with private entities to boost the quality of exports and create value adding employment along the chain;

MOFWR, DoF, MOYS, OVP, Women’s Bureau, FSQA, MOTIE, GIEPA

Diversify tourism products through a value chain approach

• Encourage usage of local produce in the tourism sector through youth and women participation in the value chain
• Develop infrastructure and promote cultural and historic sites;
• Promote the development of performance arts and conference tourism

MOTC, GTBoard, NCAC, MOA, MOTIE

Promote inclusive tourism

• Promote tourism offerings including eco-tourism
• Supports skills development in the sector to enhance service delivery.

MOTC, GTBoard, GTHI, MOTIE

Diversify the country’s energy mix to reduce the cost affecting the productivity of industries and thereby enhance the growth of businesses

• Review the policy and regulatory environment to attract investments into the sector;
• Promote sustainable energy solutions with emphasis on the use of clean energy technologies such as renewable energy production to support national development
• Restructure/unbundle NAWEC to improve efficiency in its service delivery
• Promote cross border trade in energy to enhance availability and affordability.

MOE, NAWEC, PURA, MOFEA, MOTIE, GIEPA

Harness e-commerce as a means of maximizing possible benefits accruing to businesses

• Conduct eTrade readiness assessment to identify the capacity development needs to support businesses.
• Strengthen the ICT infrastructure to handle the growing demand of the use of information technology by businesses;
• Improve the regulatory environment and the ecosystem for ICT and ICT-related sectors to flourish;
• Ensure a robust regulatory framework to address issues of cyber security and tackle risks associated to e-commerce.

MOICI, PURA, MOTIE, DPPP-MOFEA

Develop a package of support measures and incentives to promote and encourage local manufacturing

• Address the high cost of logistics related to infrastructure deficit, especially for energy and telecommunications,
• Address the complexity of the tax system by deepening tax reforms and streamline and reduce tax rates
• Enhance the efficiency of the financial sector and lower interest rates to promote and facilitate access to affordable financing
• Enhance training and skills development to create a critical mass of skilled workforce
• Ensure availability of land for industrial development purposes within specially designated zones
• Apply tax and non-tax measures that limit importation of certain products in support of local products

MOE, MOICI, MOFEA, CBG, MOHERST, MORGL, GRA, MOTIE, GIEPA, GCCI, AGM

Capacity for market access enhanced

Develop capability to improve the utilization of the market access preferences

• Improve trade and investment negotiations through enhanced capacity building
• Reinforce engagement with the ECOWAS Commission and concerned Member States (Senegal, Guinea Bissau and Mali) on the effective implementation of the ETLS and ISRT protocols to facilitate trade for Gambian businesses;
• Engage the national stakeholders for the effective implementation of ECOWAS protocols on ISRT
• Strengthen cooperation with the AUC-AfCFTA Secretariat and technical partners to build necessary capacity of the Gambian private sector;
• Engage and negotiate better terms with countries that offer duty free market access for Gambian businesses in accessing those markets (issues of standards, rules of origin).
• Conduct an assessment of the available market access preferences product by product to determine comparable advantages and build a database showing the MFN and preference rates for our top exporting products to each preference country
• Review the EPA implementation roadmap and update it to include strategies to access the EU market beyond EBA and in anticipation of the signing of the EPA
• Develop an AGOA National utilization Strategy which will include strategies to attract US investors beyond AGOA, and initiate the re-activation of the textile visa arrangement
• Formulate national value addition plan and strategies to enable the sourcing of raw materials from the region for value addition purposes within the framework of AGOA and AfCFTA market access.
• Continue sensitising the Gambian producers and manufacturers to take advantage of the market access openings and opportunities negotiated and obtained by the government.

MOTIE, MOFA, GRA, MOI, GIEPA, GCCI

Strengthen GIEPA for effective implementation of its mandate

• Enhance business development and support services to small and medium enterprises
• Centralize all investment promotion activities within GIEPA for improved efficiency
• Operationalize the MSME Fund to support small businesses
• Develop a framework on commercial diplomacy in strategic Embassies to promote investments and made in Gambia products.
• Assess and review the effectiveness of the investment incentive regime.
• Undertake Investment incentives policy reforms.

GIEPA, OP, MOTIE, MOFA, MOFEA

Trade facilitation Systems strengthened

Develop the Trade Facilitation hard infrastructure to enhance capacity for increased trade

• Conduct resource mobilisation to implement ports expansion projects. (deepen access channel, rehabilitate and strengthen piers, and expand container storage yard)  
• Promote investment and partnerships for the establishment of airlines in the Gambia.
• Seek sufficiently networked operator in the operation of the new Cargo Complex.
• Promote use of BIA as a technical stop aerodrome as well as a fuel bunkering facility. 

• Invest in a network of feeder roads to allow the whole country to feed into a multimodal transport system that uses the river as the main artery.

MOFEA, GPA, GCAA, GIA, MOTWI, NRA, MOTIE

Enhance national capacity to implement the provisions of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement

• Assess and strengthen the capacity of GRA to implement the TFA.
• Establish the Single Window Custom Clearance system to increase efficiency in clearance of goods.
• Implement reforms to migrate the national electronic customs data system from ASYCUDA++ to ASYCUDA World.

MOTIE and its TFC, GRA, MOFEA

Consumer Protection and Welfare enhanced

Enhance competition to improve consumer welfare

• Review the Competition Act 2007 and Consumer Protection Act 2014 to cater for issues of e-commerce and other emerging issues
• Repeal the Price Control Act. of 1974
• Review the Essential Commodities Act to address issues of affordability and availability
• Strengthen the Weights and Measures Bureau
• Enact the draft Legal Metrology Bill

MOTIE, GCCPC, MOJ, TGSB, W&MB

Enhance the national quality infrastructure to meet required standards and safety of consumers

• Strengthen the capacity of The Gambia Standards Bureau to undertake conformity assessment as mandated by its Act;
• Establish an ultra-modern National Quality Control Center in The Gambia consisting of laboratories to provide testing services relating to chemical, biological, renewable energy, pesticides, construction, metrology, etc.

TGSB, MOTIE, FSQA, PURA, NARI-MOA, DoF-MOFWR, MOHSW

Promote the competitiveness of national industries and enterprises to ensure compliance to regional and international standard requirements

• Encourage regulatory agencies to develop appropriate technical regulations based on Gambia and International Standards.
• Sensitize producers and exporters on the existence of standards to support production and marketing
• Promote capacity building of enterprises for HACCP

FSQA, PURA, TGSB, MOTIE, GCCI

Strengthen the national capacity to address TBT and SPS measures

• Modernize the animal health regime by reviewing the Disease Animal Act of 1965
• Modernize the plant protection regime by enacting the Plant Health Protection Bill drafted since 2014
• Strengthen the Plant Protection Unit, Department of Livestock and Horticulture Technical Services to fully implement their mandates;
• Revitalize the National Technical Regulations Coordinating Committee,
• Implement ECOWAS Harmonized regulation on quality and Food Safety.
• Strengthen capacity of the DoF, DoA, FSQA to ensure compliance to sanitary requirements

TGSB, PPU, DoL & HTS–MOA. FSQA, MOTIE, DoF

Trade Policy Coordination mechanism strengthened

Revitalize the Trade Policy Coordination Mechanism

• Reconstitute membership of the Trade Policy Decision Making Committee.
• Create incentives for the committee members to ensure high level and regular attendance.
• Build the capacity of committee members on Trade related issues

MOTIE