By Olimatou Coker
The Office of the Vice President Monday hosted Chief Economists of Government (CEoG) annual forum on empowering Africa’s future energy access and financing options.
Held at the International Conference Centre, the 3 days forum brought together chief economists, senior government officials, and development partners from across Africa and beyond to engage in policy dialogue and share strategies for driving inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
The vice president Muhammed BS Jallow said The Gambia has made remarkable progress in expanding electricity access – from 56% in 2017 to 74% in 2024. “With a number of ongoing projects led by the government and supported by the World Bank and other development partners, The Gambia is on track to attain universal access ahead of the United Nations SDG Target of 2030,” VP Jallow said.
He said the recently approved Gambia Infrastructure Project by the World Bank pushes the country closer to its goal.
“As a government, we remain fully aware of the challenges pertaining to the reliability and affordability of electricity and its impact on economic growth and private sector competitiveness.” He said the government is committed to working with partners to address the challenges facing the electricity sector and create a level playing field and enabling environment for private sector development.
“To further address key sectoral reforms, the country is currently drafting a draft Compact under the aegis of the Mission 300 Framework to address key structural issues in the sector. Ultimately, this will provide an impetus to further leverage private sector participation in the industry,” he added.
VP Jallow added that successes registered so far have been achieved on the back of major reforms and investment in the sector.
Domestic taxes
He acknowledged the significant progress the country has made in domestic revenue mobilisation.
“The country’s tax revenue contribution to GDP has increased from D7.1 billion in 2023 to D18.8 billion in 2024. The progress has been underpinned by strategic reforms to improve the tax administration and processes such as the rollout of Asycuda World, Single Window platform, e-tracking, and the digital weighbridge,” he said.
Finance Minister Seedy Keita said The Gambia’s democratic transition marked a significant turning point for the country’s economic trajectory.
“Under the leadership of President Barrow, the country has sustained economic growth expanding by 5.0 percent on annual average. This growth has been fueled by structural reforms, increased infrastructure investments, and improved social services.”
