Fellow countrymen and women , as we bid goodbye to 2023 and usher in 2024, I take this opportunity to wish us all a happy and prosperous new year. In particular, I think about our brothers and sisters in jail, those lying sick at home and in hospitals, those in institutions such as Tankatanka, our children who are in transit in the back way to Barcelona or Barsaha, and those in countries going through conflict. I call on everyone of us to keep them in our prayers. Their conditions/ situations may not even permit them to consciously enjoy the joy of celebrating this new year. May the Almighty Allah improve their lot and grant them reprieve and success in their endeavors.

Sitting in the flight going back to cold and grey Netherlands, I had a brief chit chat with a Dutch couple who were in our country for a short holiday. They visited several regions and experienced a bit of our culture. They marveled at how lucky we are to have such great weather and above all, a warm and friendly, sharing and caring people- even with whatever little one has.

I nodded happily in agreement and smiled broadly at the lofty values for which my country is being credited. However, throughout the flight, I kept thinking- what is happening in The Gambia today? Are we still the smiling coast-The Gambia No Problem? Is this a fanciful dream that is devoid of any reality?

With these questions swirling in my head, my heart bleeds at what is happening in our country today, especially for the ordinary folks. Our people no longer understand what vision or lack thereof is driving our country.

Although economic hardships and high cost of living is being felt in many countries around the world, our situation is terrible. Low or no incomes for the overwhelming majority, plus high inflation, plus high living cost spells disaster for the middle class and a desperate existence for the majority poor people in our country.

As always, I do not put blame on anyone for the current malaise afflicting our country. Perhaps we should all take responsibility for it. But what is clear is that the policy interventions seem not to be working. More and more of our young population are taking the back way even at the risk of death and those left behind hopeless clinging to a dream of few opportunities. Increasingly, the urban youths are resorting to drugs and crimes as an escape from this terrifying reality. To add more fuel to the fire, taxes would be increased as of the new year. For many of us, this move would sink us into deeper poverty. This is tax and spend or slash and burn economics. We cannot continue to raise taxes as a way out of our national conundrum. Our government must be visionary and pragmatic in our quest for economic development. Ways must be found to expand the pie by creating new sources of revenue generation instead of taxing to death already over-taxed people and entities.

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Our government should consider the following interventions:

1. Increase opportunities for Gambians to access capital and do business. The more income generators we have, the more revenue the government collects.
2. ⁠Create more opportunities for youth employment. Programmes that will keep our youth gainfully employed can go a long way in not only increasing government revenue , but also reduce the constant outflow of our able bodied men and women to other countries. Not only the back way, but the brain-drain is also killing our country.
3. ⁠Establish realistic and value creation programmes for returnees. The programmes that exist are more significant in their symbolism than problem solving. The weak intervention pushes returnees to drugs and petty criminality.
4. ⁠Return the people to the land to embrace agriculture. Our villages are now empty. Only old people remain there. If we do not go back to the land to grow what we need to feed our nation, we would remain trapped in this vicious cycle of poverty.
5. ⁠Our country is increasingly dependent on remittances from abroad. We must establish a cordial and harmonious relationship with Diaspora Gambians. They are our best, if not the only hope to develop our country. Roll out the red carpet to them to invest in their country instead of just focusing on subsistence remittances. This will happen if they are given opportunities, streamlined procedures, greater protection of their investments/resources and a fairer, certain and reliable justice system. Our rule of law must not be empty talk but a dependable reality.
6. ⁠Don’t just talk about the corruption. Deal with it seriously.

In essence, our national development must be anchored on a vision that is followed by pragmatic actions. Otherwise it just becomes an unattainable dream. The Smiling Coast would gradually become the Snarling Coast and the Gambia No Problem would become The Gambia Full of Trouble. Should this happen, we would all lose our humanity and the great values for which many love and respect us for.

Time for action is long overdue.

Happy and prosperous 2024 to everyone.

Long Live The Gambia.

Essa Mbye Faal