By Adama Makasuba
United Nations Development Programme on Wednesday gathered Gambian stakeholders at hotel school to proffer solutional approaches which centred around its emergency community development project.
The one-day workshop brought together officials from ministry of finance and economic affairs and regional governors and other stakeholders in the country that seeks to reduce poverty and growing inequalities between regions by providing rural communities with basic socioeconomic infrastructure.
UNDP last year’s study recommended more focus on areas like feeder roads, electrification, agriculture and livestock and water.
Aissata De, UNDP resident representative told participants that: “this model provides a vehicle for large-scale, multi-sectoral approach to addressing poverty and inequality at community level and can help the government to respond to social demands.”
According to her, these sectors have been suggested because they form the basis of further socio-economic development in the community, which has been validated with poverty data and community visits.
Furthermore, the study also recommends ensuring sustainability of the investments through working to build the capacity of grass-roots communities and civil society groups within the context of decentralization to achieve more effective management of the assets, she said.
She expressed hope that the model will contribute directly to the overall objective of the National Development Plan is to “structurally transform the economy, for strong, sustainable, resilient, inclusive growth, creating decent jobs and leading to improved social well-being.” Overall mapping of the Gambia SDGs to the PUDC areas of implementation shows direct links with 15 of the 17 SDGs.
PS ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, Bhay Saidy, who spoke on behalf of Mambury Njie described the workshop as clear manifestation of government’s efforts to accelerating and enhancing inclusive development.
