THE GAMBIA: BUDGET 2003

BUDGET SPEECH 2003

PROGRAMME BASED BUDGETING FOR EFFICIENT RESOURCE ALLOCATION AND USE WITH A POVERTY REDUCTION DIMENSION

Mr Speaker Sir,

185. Within the context of participatory forestry resource management, the joint forest-park management concept is being piloted in the Central River Department. This concept seeks to involve the local communities in the management of state-owned forest parks. To enhance the commercialisation of forest products for the benefits of local communities, the Forestry Department in collaboration with FAO has initiated the implementation of market analysis and development in the Western Division, with the initiative designed to provide avenues for the local communities to sell their forest products at high premium. Similarly, the Central River Division Forestry Project is helping to introduce the idea in the CRD.

186. Through the HIPC initiative, the Department had trained and financed communities in Western and Lower River Divisions to undertake beekeeping. Most of the communities have already started producing high quality honey for local consumption with a strong possibility of exporting Gambian honey.

187. Eco-tourism development has also been given an added impetus within the overall forest policy objectives of contributing to the socio-economic development of this country. To that effect, eco-tourist centres have been established in the villages of Pirang, Brefet and Batelling in WD & LRD respectively to attract tourists. This move is expected to result in significant job creation and other economic opportunities at the community level.

188. Through the bilateral agreement concluded with the Federal Republic of Germany, GTZ and KFW continue to finance the Central River Division Forestry Project in its second phase. A memorandum of understanding has already been signed between the Departments of Forestry and Livestock services and the ITC to improve grazing conditions along the peripheries of selected forest parks for the benefits of the herders in the neighborhood.

189. The Forestry Department continues to benefit from the German voluntary programme through which young experts are attached to GTZ projects. These cadres of young professionals are providing an invaluable service to the department and the communities. The EU through the Support to Decentralised Rural Development (SDRD) has agreed to provide funds to support forestry activities in the Upper River Division. The support is particularly geared towards community forestry implementation in the division.

190. Regarding future projects, a proposal for the development of a master plan for sustainable utilisation of the mangroves has been submitted to the ADB while negotiations are underway with the EU for the replication of the Gambia Forest Management Concept (GFMC) through the implementation of North Bank Division Forestry Project.

191. Undoubtedly, one of the most intractable problems for the forestry sub-sector is the issue of bush-fires. The year 2002 has been particularly difficult with a very high rate of bush-fire incidents all over the country. The situation can only be controlled with the active involvement of all. Bush-fires are a crosscutting issue, which spills far beyond the confines of the Forestry Department. The construction of three additional sub-stations in Dankunku, Karantaba, Dutokoto and Kaur, will further strengthen the forestry infrastructure and enable the department of forestry to consolidate and expand on the achievement made in forest resource management.

Mr Speaker Sir,

192. The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) through its Council has approved the UNEP/GEF Global Project to develop a National Biosafety Framework. The overall objective of this UNEP/GEF Global Project includes carrying out an assessment of current technological capacity to manage biosafety issues and implications of this on the implementation of national Biosafety program. This will lead to strengthened national capacity to develop the national regulatory Biosafety Frame Work.

193. The World Bank has also approved a grant for an Integrated Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Management Project and the Project implementation is due to begin soon following the signing of the agreement in August 2002.

Mr Speaker Sir,

194. Generally, the average rainfall over the Gambia during the last rainy season has decreased due to a late start, coupled with poor time and space distribution. This reduction in the annual expected rainfall has resulted in the drying up of many wells and re-deepening of these will prove challenging to the Water Resources Department.

195. Following ongoing negotiations, the Saudi Sahel Programme Phase IV approximately costing eight million U.S. dollars, is expected to commence implementation in late 2003. This project will provide 100,000 rural inhabitants with safe drinking water. The project will intensify the related water sanitation component activities to ensure sustainable hygienic practices.

196. The Japanese water project with the Gambia which was suspended in 1994 is also due to be reactivated. The project, at an approximate cost of two billion Japanese yen, will concentrate on rural settlements with lesser safe water facilities in the North Bank Division, Central River Division and the Upper River Division.

197. Furthermore, a project for the strengthening of the Hydromet services of Gambia is being developed with the Government of Taiwan. The project aims to develop a national programme to ensure self-sufficiency in food by improving the quality of agricultural produce, and the management of natural resources through the involvement of women in Meteorology and Hydrology services by effective training and sensitisation.

198. The EC funded Regional Solar Programme (RSP), originally launched in 1985 in the nine Sahelian countries which form the CILSS has demonstrated the viability of solar energy technology in the water supply sector. The EC has therefore, agreed to finance a second phase of the project, which is aimed at consolidating the achievements of the first project and the expansion of the solar powered supply system into more rural communities. For The Gambia, an additional two million Euros will be invested under RSP, which complements the four million Euros already every effort is made available through the EC funded village water supply project.

199. While all efforts are being made by government to improve the socio-economic well being of its citizenry, the beneficiaries should take ownership in maintaining all related facilities, as a necessity for any meaningful development.

Mr Speaker Sir,

200. Important achievements have been noted in the past years in the attainment of the objectives of the Gambia Environment Action Plan (GEAP). This includes legislation on the Action Plan that is now being implemented. With regard to environmental quality, implementation of the strategies on environmental quality monitoring and solid waste management is well underway, with an Inspectorate unit established to facilitate enforcement.

201. In the field of chemical management, the National Action Plan for Integrated Chemicals Management is being implemented and a network of designated enforcement personnel formed countrywide for the purpose of monitoring compliance with the Chemicals Act. Similarly, a national action plan to phase out the use of ozone depleting substances has been developed and training sessions conducted for Custom officers and other relevant stakeholders.

202. Cognisant of the fact that the participation of youths is essential in sustainable natural resources management, Government in collaboration with the UNDP embarked on a project, called the National Environment Youth Corps Project. This Project calls for harnessing the energy and idealism of the Gambian youth to engage in income generating activities that would address environmental concerns and promote public awareness. The Project, which has taken off, is focusing on unemployed Gambian youths from the age range of sixteen to twenty five years, and the activities will involve among others, waste recycling, horticulture, bee-keeping and coastal zone management.

203. Even though an amount of success was registered in the achievement of targets, there is still some work to be done to ensure a mature level of public participation in environmental management actions. The Government has realized that grassroots participation in all community natural resources management and environmental management schemes is an important prerequisite for successful implementation.