By Fatou Sillah
The Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration, and Employment officially launched the Trade Logistics Charter on Friday at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center in Bijilo. The event brought together key figures, including Vice President Mohamed B.S. Jallow, Cabinet ministers, and other dignitaries.
The Trade Logistics Charter is a significant initiative aimed at enhancing trade efficiency and improving logistics systems within The Gambia. It seeks to bolster the country’s trade environment, stimulate economic growth, and streamline operations for a more competitive future.
Speaking on behalf of President Adama Barrow, Vice President Jallow highlighted the charter’s objectives and its transformative potential for The Gambia’s trade sector.
“This Chartered is to add as a foundation for improving the operational efficiency of our ports and trade ecosystems. By the same token, it is to ensure that we join the regain long-lost revenue and secure a brighter and more competitive future for The Gambia. The trade logistics chartered is more than a document as some may believe,
“It is a framework meant to bind all stakeholders within the trade community, and it sets out specific key performance indicators that will seek to achieve, through this framework we are determined to streamline Custom processes, optimize our physical assets and ensure effective coordination across various government agencies,” He Said.
The Vice President further highlighted the government’s commitment to optimizing investments, emphasizing that the ultimate aim of the initiative is to enhance the livelihoods of Gambians. He pointed out that the charter would create more economic opportunities and make commodities more affordable for the population.
“Trade Chartered is the result of hard work of over a year and half, this process involves consultation with stakeholders, all of whom are committed to delivering KPIs, importantly the entire process meets World Trade Organization standards and the key output of this journey is an assessment of the entire trade EcoSystem. This launch ceremony is only a step forward, with the next phase officially beginning today, we now have to establish a trade logistics council. The council will oversee the implementation of the chartered, ensure that we meet our target and report on the implementation process,”He Said.
The TBI Global Lead for Trade and Infrastructure also expressed confidence that the commitments outlined in the Charter would yield tangible benefits for the Gambian people.
“This is important because it matters for the country, and for the people of The Gambia. High trade cost, our problem, they are our problem because they reduce trade, they increase cost for business, they increase price for consumers and in the end effect of that is to reduce economic growth, reduce job creation and in the end reduce income, this is not good. So this is an important charter, it is important because we hope it will foster change, reduce trade costs to help the average Gambian,” He Said.