The Gambian leader President Adama Barrow has thanked the Diasporians for contributing to the economic growth of the country by sending D30 million.
He praised the Diaspora during the Fourth Stake in the Nation Forum (SNF4 held on virtual online – represented by Vice President Dr. Isatou Touray.
“Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fourth Stake in the Nation Forum (SNF4) was held – as an online event on 8 and 9 January 2021.The advantage of the online edition of the forum was that all the proceedings were live-streamed, thereby reaching thousands of Gambians across the world,” President Barrow said in a statement.
The President thanked the Diaspora for their “patriotism, immense financial input and other development contributions.”
Earlier in the proceedings, Dr. Seeku Jaabi, the First Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of The Gambia, representing the recently appointed Governor, Mr. Buah Saidy announced that the interim data for 2020 is that Gambians in the diaspora sent remittances of US$578.5 Million, which is equivalent to D29.6 Billion, representing a staggering 48.1% of GDP. In 2020, despite the difficulties faced by the diaspora due to COVID-19, remittances increased by nearly a quarter of a Billion US Dollars, from the 2019 figure of US$329.79 Million.
He acknowledged that despite their contributions, the diaspora face difficulties in acquiring relevant documentation from agents of government in pursuing ventures, projects and programmes.
“Through the Office of the President, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other Ministries, Departments and Agencies, we will redouble our efforts to resolve implementation bottlenecks and operational challenges.” He added that “I renew the government’s commitment to work closely with the MSDG project and others, to facilitate expanded and enhanced diaspora contributions.”
Honourable Mambury Njie, the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, gave a review of economic policies and priorities of the past three years, highlighting challenges and successes, whilst identifying options to enhance diaspora input.
“There were 36 keynote speakers and expert discussants and moderators, including the internationally acclaimed award-winning musician Ms. Sona Jobarteh, the academic, writer and publisher Dr. Momodou Sallah, and the Vice-Chair of the Democratic Union of Gambian Activists (DUGA), Mr. Pa Samba Jow. The Special Guest Speaker was Honourable Aboubacry Diallo, Diaspora Member of the Thirteenth Legislature, National Assembly of Senegal, Representing the Americas and Oceania. The three interactive workshops were on: ‘Appreciating and Advancing Gambian Culture in a Changing World’; Development Review: Lessons, Actions and Diaspora Input’; and ‘Gambian Diaspora Voting and Representation: Actions and Logistics’,” he said.
Ambassador of Switzerland to The Gambia, H.E. Dr. Marion Weichelt Krupski, applauded the strengthening of Swiss-Gambia development cooperation and renewed Switzerland’s commitment and partnership with GK Partners, the initiators and implementers of the MSDG Project.
The Diaspora Keynote Speaker, Ms. Elizabeth Sosseh Sisay, gave a comprehensive analysis of diaspora-development in the past three years, and made practical and positive suggestions on how to improve future cooperation and development. On his part, the Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, Alhaji Alieu Momarr Njai reassured the diaspora, stating that: “Although we have recently announced a delay in the start of voter registration in Gambia, the dates of Out-of-Country diaspora voter registration remain July 2021”.
The forum was organised by the Migration and Sustainable Development in The Gambia project (MSDG) led by Professor Gibril Faal of the London School of Economics (LSE), in partnership with the Office of the President.
Stake in the Nation Forum is mandated as an annual consultative event in the Gambia National Development Plan (NDP) as a forum to enable the Gambian diaspora, which is the Eighth Region of the country, to engage with government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, as well as NGOs and CSOs, on a wide range of developmental matters.