No Loans Or Grants Can Reduce Poverty But

from All Africa

FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)

NEWS

In his reaction to the Budget delivered by the Secretary of State for Finance and Economic Affairs at the National Assembly, the member for Wuli West constituency, Hon. Sidia Jatta asserted that no amount of loan or grants can reduce poverty in this country. Honorable Jatta pointed that the only way to bring about poverty reduction in the Gambia is to create employment opportunities, improve agricultural production and address the chronic problem of groundnut marketing. Sidia argued that unemployment and underemployment are major factors of poverty in this country, yet the National Budget is completely silent on the issue. He said the rate of unemployment in the country is so great that it is one of the fundamental reasons why the youth are risking their lives to go to Europe, because they cannot have the means of survival in their country.

Recently, Sidia said, 130 youths who were on board a boat missed their way, fifty of them lost their lives and some are still hospitalised in Dakar. Sidia asserted that any meaningful poverty reduction program must address this crucial issue of unemployment and underemployment, otherwise poverty would only escalate.

On Improved Agricultural Production

On the issue of improved agricultural production, Sidia pointed out that land is the most significant factor in agricultural production but, as he said, the problem in this country is that the land is dead and that fertilizer is extremely expensive. Last year he said, the cost of fertilizer went up to D700 per bag. Sidia pointed out that anybody who wants to have good produce must use fertilizer, because if one wants to use a virgin land the forestry department would not allow them because they (forestry) said it contributes to deforestation. He agued that due to high cost of fertilizer and the lack of fertility of the soil, farm produce this year, in some parts of the country, would be terribly bad and in other parts fairly good. To reduce poverty in this country, Sidia stressed that the issue of fertilizer must be addressed because fertilizer is very crucial in agricultural production.

On the Marketing of Groundnut

On the marketing of groundnuts, the National Assembly member for Wuli West said it is a crucial issue on the drive to reduce poverty. He pointed out that last year the marketing of groundnuts in the country was a fiasco, since the buying centers that were established did not operate and that farmers were asked to sell their groundnuts at the depots, which required a minimum of five tonnes. "Which farmer in this country is capable to producing five tonnes of groundnut?" asked Sidia.

He also said the cost involved to cross the river in his area to take their groundnut to the depot at Basse, makes it impossible for any farmer to take his or her groundnuts to Basse depot. Sidia stressed that the issue of groundnut marketing in this country needs to be reviewed seriously. He said every year the government would promise that a task force has been created to look into the issue but those task forces have not come with any realistic solutions to the problem. Sidia argued that unless the Seccos that were established before are operational and the problem of credit buying addressed, poverty in this country will never be reduced, he concluded.