By Yunus S Saliu
The Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment (MoTIE) has disclosed the Ministry’s interest in cross-border trade as he continued his border and industrial tour across the country.
Honourable Minister Bubacarr Ousmaila Joof visiting the Giboro/Selety Border on Monday stated that its Ministry is currently working with ECOWAS about the creation of a joint border with Senegal “and Giboro will be a great candidate for such an investment.”
He, however, noted that the infrastructure at the border needs a lot to be desired as it still makes the job difficult “we also understand that some of the policies encourage cross border trade being it export, transit which is currently hampering by some issues that we are facing at the other side of the border.”
But “it was good we went there, and we saw firsthand that some trucks been delayed at the border, which is not auguring well for international trade,” he explained.
Notwithstanding, he commended officers at the border, saying, “They are doing a great job, but they need a very more conducive environment.”
On the joint border post, he expressed that the idea of a joint border post, which has already been tried by ECOWAS in other countries is a concept we want to replicate “which Giboro will be a great candidate.”
The Minister and his delegation’s visit to Giboro are important in the ongoing tour and was taken on a conducted tour of the Giboro Border by Inspector Hatab Jallow of the Gambia Immigration Department (GID) and Commissioner AK Janneh of Custom and Excise. Also, he was joined by officials of the Giboro Border Post to visit the Senegalese officers at the Selety Border Post for inspection of the border, and also had a brief meeting with both officials before a final meeting at the Giboro Boarder Post with Gambians officers at the post.
Minister Joof was accompanied on this tour by some senior officials from his Ministry, including the Permanent Secretary, Deputy Permanent Secretaries, technicians, and some senior officials of different institutions from GIEPA, Weight and Measure, GCCPC, PSSE, Standard Bureau, GCCI, Immigration, Gambia Transport Union, ECOWAS representative, Cashew Alliance, and among others.
