Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment (PAGE).

This Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment (PAGE) is a nationwide multi-sectoral document aiming to accelerate pro-poor growth and generate employment. The commitment of reducing poverty and improving the well-being of the population is the focus of the Government’s long-term strategy, Vision 2020. The PAGE is The Gambia’s development strategy and investment program for the period 2012-2015. To achieve the aim the Government envisages, inter alia, the improvement of employment levels, per capita income, social services, gender equity and The Gambia’s economic competitiveness through sustainably exploiting agriculture, tourism, infrastructure and other natural resources. The average economic growth rate is expected to reach 11.5% together with a poverty decreasing of 15%. These overall objectives will be achieved through five pillars as follows: accelerating and sustaining economic growth (Pillar 1); improving and modernizing infrastructure (Pillar 2); strengthening human capital stock to enhance employment opportunities (Pillar 3); improving governance and fighting corruption (Pillar 4); and reinforcing social cohesion and cross-cutting interventions (Pillar 5). Through Pillar 1 the PAGE aims at consolidating the macroeconomic framework, strengthening the main sources of economic growth, and improving competitiveness. Aim of Pillar 2 is a more modern infrastructure through public and private sector investments on transport, energy, and information and communication technology. Pillar 3 will be implemented through strategies in favor of access, equity, quality, and equality, and by financing education, health, and water and sanitation. Through Pillar 4 will be improved public services, local governance and decentralization, land use planning, public financial management, and strengthening Government institutions. Finally, through Pillar 5 the Government will intervene on social protection, child protection and disability, food security, gender equality and women empowerment, environment, disaster risk reduction, and climate change, nutrition, and public health.
To help eliminate hunger and food insecurity, main actions will aim to (i) build farmers’ capacity to adopt best agricultural practices especially conservative agriculture; (ii) provide farmers with adequate storage facilities; (iii) enhance the use of weather and climate products in farming decisions; (iv) better maintain soil fertility and conserve the soil; (v) strengthen national food security and nutrition information systems; and (vi) support the fisheries sector through efficient and effective management, including integrated fisheries projects to offer alternative income possibilities in situations of diminishing fish resources.
In order to make agriculture, forestry and fisheries more productive and sustainable, the PAGE envisages to (i) transform the agricultural sector from a traditional subsistence economy to a modern market-oriented commercial sector through all year round irrigation and use of high crop yielding varieties as well as improved genetic livestock breeds; (ii) expand irrigation systems; (iii) enforce sustainable forest management such as community forestry program for the natural forests, agro-forestry and parkland systems practices, woodlot and orchard development and ecotourism; (iv) promote an effective and efficient monitoring, control, and surveillance system to safeguard the fisheries and marine resources; (v) training of Gambian fishermen to enable them to adopt responsible fishing practices; and (vi) simplify the process of leasing land for production and investment purposes.
More inclusive and efficient food and agricultural systems will be developed through () targeting the productive sectors (agriculture, fisheries, and manufacturing) through value addition for export and supported by the services sector; (ii) encouraging more labor-intensive economic activities, particularly in agriculture, natural resources, fisheries and construction, by means of more support and incentives for the private sector; (iii) the creation of accessible credit schemes for women and the youth; (iv) the development of micro and area–based schemes to address vulnerability at the community level, including micro-insurance, agricultural insurance, social funds and programs to manage natural disasters; (v) supporting implementation of food-based interventions focusing on local production, processing, preservation, and utilization at community level; (vi) a reform of the land tenure system so that women can have equal access to farmland; (vii) the development of firms in the tourism sector to allow local populations to provide restaurants and hotels with produce and other agricultural products; (viii) linked small businesses to provide cleaning services, food suppliers, security and guiding tours; and (ix) building stakeholders’ capacity to mainstream gender equality measures.
To achieve the resilience of livelihoods to disasters the Government will (i) improve proper building codes and land use planning; (ii) strengthen the climate change early warning systems; (iii) increase household resilience to disaster and shocks through institutional and operational support to disaster preparedness, response and mitigation; (iv) develop rainwater harvesting infrastructure; (v) address the situation of the poor drainage system; (vi) revive river transport and railway transportation system to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases; (vii) promote the use of renewable energy resources, particularly in the rural areas; and (viii) strengthen disaster risk reduction institutions through institutional strengthening and capacity building at national and local level.
As for the Governance, the Government will focus its attention on the following strategies (i) maintaining macroeconomic stability; (ii) containing the domestic debt by initially reducing the pace of its growth and then adopting a mechanism to redeem the debt over a period of time; (iii) accelerating growth by investing in growth enhancing sectors and activities; (iv) creating employment with the investment decisions made particularly in agriculture; and (v) reducing the lending rate of the financial sector to spur domestic private investments in the real sector of the economy.