 |
| Halifa Sallah |
The opposition party, the Peoples Democratic
Organization for Independent and Socialism (PDOIS) have noted that over 1.6
billion dollars is traded in the currency markets of The Gambia annually
without any visible impact on the four fundamental pillars of the economy,
namely: public sector investment, private sector investment, cooperative sector
investment and informal sector investment.
This is why we refer to the Gambian Economy as a
transit economy. Monies appear to be leaving the country as fast as they enter
rather than nestling in one sector to generate economic growth and employment,
the party’s Secretary General Halifa Sallah told journalists during a press
conference held on October 20, 2012 at the Peoples’ Centre in Churchill’s Town.
According Mr Sallah, during the 1999 financial year,
the APRC administration used to indicate the annual gross turnover of public
enterprises and their contribution to the budget which amounted to 82 million
dalasi. Now dividends from public enterprises are recorded as zero, he said.
He said a PDOIS led government would ensure that the
annual turnover of public enterprises is scientifically calculated and made
known to the public as a matter of duty and that performance contracts would be
signed with all public sector operators to ensure that dividends are
scientifically calculated and increased on annual basis to build up the account
of sovereign national wealth.
“The Gambia earnings from mineral resources have
been elusive. PDOIS intends to make these earnings transparent and instrumental
in promoting public sector investment,” he said.
