Fifty-eight per cent of Gambians live in poverty despite the government’s determination to reduce it to 40% in line with international standard, the Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation of the Ministry of Economy, National Planning and Industrial Development has said.
Director Juldeh Ceesay said that despite all the ongoing initiatives and efforts, the objective of socio-economic performance in terms of sustained growth, poverty reduction, food and nutrition security still need great attention.
While speaking at a one-day MDG draft report validation workshop, organised recently by the National Planning Commission at the Paradise Suites Hotel in Kololi, Mrs Ceessay added that fighting poverty and sustained development in The Gambia requires the active involvement and participation of all stakeholders and development partners.
The Millennium Development Goals that were adopted at the Millennium Declaration Summit in September 2000 in New York set an agenda to fight the abject poverty inequalities that continue to afflict so many people across the world.
Speaking on behalf of his minister, permanent secretary Momodou Phoon of the Ministry of Economy, National Planning and Industrial Development (MENPID) expressed concern about the slow rate of achievement on income poverty. He said that although data on income poverty are not readily available, it is clear that progress towards full employment has been slow despite positive economic growth over recent years.
He added: “Labour productivity growth, which remains volatile on account of exogenous shocks and seasonality, was positive in recent years but not strong enough to engender higher employment.”
Evidence from a simulation exercise on the agricultural sector indicated that with the current growth of the economy, the MDG 1 (poverty and hunger) will not be met by 2015. Therefore, to achieve this target, growth should not only be accelerated above historical levels but should also create jobs.
The MENPID permanent secretary noted that despite progress made in most of the social indicators, the target on primary education completion presents a daunting challenge. He also explained that the urban and income gradient in enrolment underscore the need to focus more attention on rural areas and poor households to meet the targets.
“On gender parity in education, the gender gap continues to be wide at secondary and tertiary levels despite remarkable achievement of more girls than boys in primary school enrolment,” he said.
Efforts towards a greater achievement were stunted by global crisis which in The Gambia started from price hike on fuel and food and lately to financial and economic malaise, which in one way or the other kept further progress well below it potentials.
The current global financial and economic crisis presents a major obstacle to achievement of the MDGs as it has constrained the fiscal space, slowed foreign investments and remittances and threatens to stall the country’s hard-won gains in economic stability and prosperity.
BY: NYIMA JADAMA
