Vice president Alieu Badara Joof has tasked Seedy Keita, new finance minister and governor of the Central Bank of Gambia to urgently step-up efforts and  address growing cost of living in the country.

Mr Joof made the call today (10 May) while addressing the newly sworn in cabinet ministers at the State House in Banjul.

“The recent election is a watershed in Gambian history. We cannot afford to fail. There are some pressing challenges that are facing us recently. One is the crisis of rising cost of living and I would challenge the minister of finance, the governor of Central Bank, incoming minister of trade, the GRA [Gambia Revenue Authority] people to come together [and] work with Chamber of Commerce and business community to see how we could mitigate this difficult time,” he said.

VP Joof also urged the new cabinet to honestly work together through collaboration and consultation in order to bring development.

“To do that we have to work as a team and work as a team, we need to consult, we need to cooperate, we need to dialogue, with the fragment the development agenda and therefore the realisation of the aspiration of the NDP [National Development Plan].

“Let’s work as a team, move the development agenda of this country. To fulfil the aspiration of the person who appointed us to these positions and by extension to fulfil the expectation of 

Gambian people,” he added.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba