By Samsideen Ceesay
The Principal Labour Economist at the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment (MoTIE) Mr Basiru Secka has said that with smooth and coordinated implementation of the approved National Employment Policy and Actions Plan (NEAP 2022-2026) it is envisaged that 1,500 jobs will be created, thereby alleviating the challenge of unemployment in the country.
He made this exhortation in the just concluded Job Fair held at The Gambia College premises in Brikama.
The Fair was organised by the Ministry of Trade in collaboration with the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development through the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ).
“The NEAP 2022-2026 pursues several goals which are consistent with the International Labour Organisation’s guidelines and strives to promote full, productive, decent and freely chosen employment which will mitigate poverty and reduce income inequality. The National Employment Policy harmonises all government interventions for accelerated employment creation under one umbrella for maximum impact. Thus, this policy is particularly relevant to The Gambia since demographic trends are putting enormous pressure on the labour market,” Mr Secka explained .
He said in The Gambia the critical role that employment can play in ensuring growth and poverty reduction is increasingly being recognised. Employment promotion or job creation, he noted, is an important part of the National Development Plan (NDP 2018-2022). He cited strategic priority 8 of the NDP, which intends to leverage The Gambia’s capacity to “making the private sector and trade the engine of growth, transformation and job creation,” through modernising manufacturing, industrialisation, improving trade and services for accelerated economic growth.
Mr Secka affirmed that the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment and the Department of Labour have the main responsibility to coordinate these components and will collaborate with the already existing Platform for Employment Networking Dialogue and Action (PENDA) that will provide overall guidance and orientation to address institutional challenges that may hinder the effective operationalisation of the NEAP 2022-2026.
“The total cost of implementing the strategies of the policy as indicated in the Action Plan is two hundred and sixty-five million, two hundred and fifty thousand Dalasi (GMD265, 250,000) over the period of five years. The funding will come from Government counterparts, from the annual budget as well as donor support,” the Principal Labour Economist disclosed.
