By Binta Jaiteh
National Assembly Member for Banjul North, Ousman Sillah has disclosed that Covid-19 has impacted the country’s economy, operation of government and livelihood of Gambians
According to him, it has resulted to reduction of revenue which the Minister of Finance has informed us that, this period is a wakeup call for the Government as it has found them unprepared and also identified the country’s weaknesses in terms of social protection.
Honorable Sillah noted that, there is also an irony of devastation and provided opportunities with potentials for the country to take advantage in the case of health
‘’This is an opportunity to health care system and the expenditures, over six hundred and fifty million dalasi had been directed to health sector, this really helped us in terms of health delivery, equipment’s, drugs and medicines ‘’
He noted that, this is an opportunity to make savings because the country is resettling from debts, money should be spent on servicing loans, debts and can be utilized elsewhere to benefit the economy “that is irony of Covid-19,” he noted
He went on that it has claim lives, disrupted processes affected the revenue collection but the country can still take advantage.
He reminded that the groundnut sector that is the prices, favorable at the international market and that translate in increase income of farmers as Gambia experience bumper harvest in terms of groundnut production, we expecting to cash in terms of this development.
He said the Minister of Finance also talked about agriculture registration, livestock, forestry and fishing all projected to record increase growth and industry sector expected to grow modestly because of the impact of covid 19 otherwise it will realize market improvement as the minister said.
Noted further, he said mining, electricity, water are all expected to grow in terms of revenue compared to 2019 in the first nine months this year, registered and improvement, physical deficit as an increase which we were told that from 5.5 billion in the first nine months to 6 billion in the same period of 2020.