President Adama Barrow has said The Gambia must shift from being a country that imports almost everything it consumes to one that produces locally, describing the new investment by GACH Global Manufacturing Company as a major step in that direction.

“We are importing basically everything that we are consuming. That means we are a liability. Now, if we want to compete, that means we have to produce,” Barrow said during a visit to the company’s headquarters in Banjulunding.

The president said he was pleased to tour what he described as an industrial park owned and built by a Gambian based abroad, adding that infrastructure development remains the foundation of national progress.
He said the project is expected to create “a lot, a lot, a lot of jobs” and contribute to growing the national economy.

He also praised the role of the private sector, saying his government’s policy is to ensure that the private sector remains the main driver of economic growth and job creation.

He said the country must reverse what he described as a wrong trend in which government leads while citizens follow.

“In other countries, it’s the citizens that lead, what has followed. It’s the other way around in The Gambia. Supporters are leading, we are following,” he said.

“Now we want to change that narrative. I think this investment is doing exactly that,” Barrow added.

The president urged Gambians with financial capacity, especially those outside the country, to invest in The Gambia, assuring them that his administration will protect investors and promote citizen participation in business.

By Adama Makasuba