The Gambia has lost a staggering 70 million dollars in income after change in regional cashew trade shipping. 

Karafa Jobarteh, a senior staff of the Central Bank of Gambia, made the disclosure during an interview with the Money programme on West Coast Radio.

Jobarteh added that this loss has significantly impacted the flow of foreign currency in the country.

“This [cashew trade] used to bring on  average of 60 to 70 million dollars in our country.

“(But) it has not come because cashew from Guinea Conakry and Southern Senegal that used to be routed via Gambia are now being shipped directly to Senegalese port,” he said.

“This has impacted our availability of getting foreign currency flow.”

Meanwhile, he also told the programme that another economic impact on the flow of foreign currency is the ban on the timber trade which “was also pumping revenue growth to the country”.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba