In this age, security concerns form a crucial part of the policies of all governments. No matter the size or geographical location of a country, the eminent threat posed by international terrorism (individual and state-sponsored terrorism), and all other forms of criminality, makes it a priority that countries should ensure that sound security modalities are in place.

You do not need to offend anyone these days to be a viable target. The twin attacks on the US Embassies in Nairobi and Dar-es-Salem, in 1998, are a clear illustration of that.

It is therefore a cause for rejoicing for the people of The Gambia that we are blessed with a leadership that has not only demonstrated real security concern, which is indeed a genuine concern, but has gone further to make it a top priority in its development agenda.

 Of course, the performance of our security services have hardly been found wanting, and it has been improving incredibly, thanks to the support they enjoy from the top leadership of the country; in terms of moral, material and financial support.

As a matter of fact, the level of security The Gambia enjoys is responsible for its increasing popularity as a destination for people from an array of countries; from Africa to the Mediterranean, right across the Atlantic.

It is reassuring to note that our security-minded government has not lost touch with the need to venture into the fast changing technological world, which has become so prominent that one’s failure to get themselves well prepared makes them even more susceptible to attacks of all sorts.

The installation of the new state-of the-art security equipment – the biometrics visa system – puts this small but great country of ours far ahead of many countries in the region and beyond. This development does not only demonstrate The Gambia government’s resolve to safeguarding the security of its citizens, but it also reaffirms its degree of commitment to its responsibilities. It also re-emphasises our position in terms of ensuring international security.

But as President Jammeh himself urged during the inauguration of this facility, which is a monumental national pride, the instalment of the equipment by government is just a step in this genuine drive for international safety and security; the issue of sustenance, which rests solely on the shoulders of the common citizens, especially those directly in charge of its upkeep, is of crucial importance.

It is important for Gambians, therefore, to note that every single stride we register is sort of a prerequisite for another development level. We can only claim to be making true progress if we are able to maintain our gains, but not by destroying and replacing what we have already achieved. If we want to maintain the development trend we have been undertaking, it is of paramount importance that we jealousy maintain what we have first.

The impact of tourism in Africa accounts for more cash moving from rich to poor countries than governments give in aid. Tourism constitutes over 10% of total exports in more than half of African countries for which there is data. In countries such as Mali and The Gambia, tiny annual international arrival figures of 70,000 – that’s less than 200 tourists a day – are significant and tourism contributes 10.1% and 30.5% of total exports for these countries respectively.

But can tourism really be pro-poor? Yes, according to Caroline Ashley and Jonathan Mitchell, but only if current practices change. On the contrary it is fairly clear that isolated, ‘alternative’ and small-scale initiatives are unlikely to have the impact or market linkages to delivering the scale of benefits to the poor that are realistically possible from changes at the margin to mainstream tourism.

Over the decade of the 1990s, Africa has experienced a rise in tourist arrivals from 8.4 million to 10.6 million. According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO, 2006), the tourism industry in Sub-Saharan Africa enjoyed a robust annual market share growth rate of 10 percent in 2006. In spite of this, there are only few empirical studies that investigate the contributions of tourism to economic growth and development for African economies.

Using a panel data of 42 African countries for the years that span from 1995 to 2004.This study explores the potential contribution of tourism to economic growth and development within the conventional neoclassical framework. The results show that receipts from the tourism industry significantly contribute both to the current level of gross domestic product and the economic growth of Sub-Saharan African countries as do investments in physical and human capital.

A four-day Zonal Strategic Planning Meeting on Conflict Prevention and Peace-bulding, organised by the Ecowas Commission, kicked-off yesterday, at the Jerma Beach Hotel, Kololi.

The meeting seeks to strategise and plan the bottom-up approach to conflict prevention and peace-building. It was also designed to reflect and take practical steps towards consolidating human security in West Africa.

The meeting came barely a year after the first major consultative meeting on the draft Ecowas Conflict Prevention Framework, which took place in Banjul.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Dr Abdel Fatah Musah, conflict prevention adviser to the Ecowas President, said the 2007 draft Ecowas Conflict Prevention Framework serves as a tool to facilitate cooperation between Ecowas institutions and organs, member states, civil society and external partners. In this collaboration, he continued, challenges of the intermediate and root causes of human insecurity and conflicts in the sub-region would be addressed.

"In January, this year, Ecowas member states adopted the conflict prevention framework at their summit in Ouagadougou. Over the years, Ecowas has amply demonstrated its status as a continental trailblazer in interventions to stop violent conflicts and to build peace. The Gambia is an example to all as a willing troop contributor in this regard, whether in the sub-region or beyond," he said.

According to Dr Musah, containment of conflict is not enough, as the sub-regional body is often constrained in its actions in circumstances of so-called "local conflicts".

“Several local conflicts have been festering in the region, while new ones are emerging. They [the people] need concrete solidarity and support in their efforts. We are gathered here to further strengthen synergy between member states, civil society and Ecowas resources on the ground, in order to accompany and complement the tireless efforts of our member states to resolve lingering local conflicts such as in Casamance, the Yenga dispute, the Niger Delta, northern Ghana, Mali and Niger,” he emphasised.

In her keynote address, Nafi Barry, the deputy permanent secretary at the Department of State for Trade, Industry and Employment, who delivered a statement on behalf of SoS Abdou Colley, said Ecowas member-states cannot achieve their objectives without collective collaboration with key stakeholders.

"Sustainable peace can only be forged, when the people unite, as it is a prerequisite to good governance and development,” Ms Barry noted.

Speaking earlier, Afi Yakubu of Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FSDA), expressed gratitude to the Ecowas Commission for its foresight and leadership, which has created the necessary space for more engagement.

"Across the West African sub-region today, we have come to realise that our governments need the input of civil society to grow in as much as civil society can play complementary roles. A strong civil society reflects a strong government and the opposite is true. That is why we place a great premium on this Ecowas Zonal Strategic meeting on conflict prevention and peace-building," she said..

Other speakers at the ceremony included Moussa Dabal, zonal bureau head and Carlos Salsamendi, the Cuban ambassador to The Gambia. The meeting is being attended by the 16 representatives from Ecowas member countries.

On April 15, 1958, in the city of Accra Ghana, African leaders and political activists gathered at the first Conference of Independent African States.  It was attended by representatives of the governments of Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, The United Arab Republic (which was the federation of Egypt and Syria) and representatives of the National Liberation Front of Algeria and the Union of Cameroonian Peoples.  

This conference was significant in that it represented the first Pan-African Conference held on African soil.  It was also significant in that it represented the collective expression of African People’s disgust with the system of colonialism and imperialism, which brought so much suffering to African People.  Further, it represented the collective will to see the system of colonialism permanently done away with.

After 500 years of the most brutal suffering known to humanity, the rape of Africa and the subsequent slave trade, which cost Africa in excess of 100,000,000 of her children, the masses of African People singularly, separately, individually, in small disconnected groupings for centuries had said, “enough”!  But in 1958, at the Accra Conference, it was being said in ways that emphasized joint, coordinated and unified action.

This conference gave sharp clarity and definition to Pan-Africanism, the total liberation and unification of Africa under scientific socialism.  The conference as well laid the foundation and the strategy for the further intensification and coordination of the next stage of the African Revolution, for the liberation of the rest of Africa, and eventual and complete unification.
 
The Conference called for the founding of African Freedom Day, a day to, “mark each year the onward progress of the liberation movement, and to symbolize the determination of the People of Africa to free themselves from foreign domination and exploitation.”  

Five years later after the First Conference of Independent African States in the city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia another historical meeting occurred.  

On May 25, 1963, leaders of thirty-two independent African States met to form the Organization of African Unity (OAU).  By then more than two thirds of the continent had achieved independence from colonial rule.  At this historic meeting the date of Africa Freedom Day was changed from April 15th to May 25th and Africa Freedom Day was declared African Liberation Day (ALD).  African Liberation Day has been held on May 25th in every corner of the world since.  

African Liberation Day as an institution within the Pan-African movement reflects the growth and development of Pan-Africanism.  When Pan-Africanism was faced with fighting colonialism, the focus of African Liberation Day was on the anti-colonial struggle and the fight for national independence.  As Pan-Africanism grew stronger and developed into a more mature objective, African Liberation Day activities reflected this maturation.  

African Liberation Day has contributed to the struggle to raise the level of political awareness and organization in African communities worldwide.  It has further been used as a tool to provide a platform for many African and other oppressed peoples to inform the African masses about their respective struggles for true liberation and development.

Particularly for Southern Africa, African Liberation Day played a critical role in the defeat of colonialism and apartheid.  It inspired others to support through various progressive organizations, liberation committees and movements both in Africa and the socialist countries around the world, the building of anti-colonial and national liberation movements by generating arms for the freedom fighters, offering a platform where the world could receive political education on the nature of the struggle, and providing a mass assembly where the spirit and moral of the freedom fighters could be reinvigorated.

African Liberation Day has helped to expose U.S. led imperialism, Zionism and colonialism as enemies of Africa.  Imperialists for decades have attempted to distance African Liberation Day (and the African Revolution in general) from the struggle for socialism.  Remember that it was, and is, capitalist Europe, and not the Soviet Union, Cuba, North Korea, China or Vietnam which occupied, colonized and exploited Africa.  Several states in Africa today stand independent because of military and other assistance from socialist countries.  

From the first ALD held in Accra, Ghana where Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah planted the first seed to the hundreds of African Liberation Day observances which have occurred all over the world.

African Liberation Day stands committed to the struggle for national independence, African redemption, African liberation, African unification and scientific socialism.  Today African Liberation Day activities are being organized throughout Africa and all over the world where African people are living and struggling.  

The journey down the Revolutionary path can only be accomplished by joining a revolutionary organization working for the people.  The freedom of Africa and African people demands revolutionary action through revolutionary organization.

President Jammeh’s Post-AU Summit Speech: "Gambia is a super power"

"First of all, I want to thank the Almighty Allah for making it possible. Secondly, I want to thank the Gambian people, friends of the Gambia and all Africans and none Africans who made the summit a great success. The Gambia is the smallest country in Africa and is described as one of the poorest countries in Africa and also one of the smallest countries in terms of population and land-size. These are facts that cannot be disputed but one thing is certain and I will repeat.

Today The Gambia is a super-power. I always tell you that The Gambia is a super-power but people wonder how can  little Gambia be a super-power. The Gambia is a super-power, not on military terms or its ability to bully other nations, but in its ability to provide comfort, solace and inspiration to all humanity for the benefit of mankind. The Gambia therefore, is a super-power in the service of humanity.

I dare say The Gambia is among few countries where you are not antagonised by its citizens - by virtue of where you come from, religion, or your race. When I look around, it makes me very proud to be an African, but it makes me very grateful to the Almighty Allah for being a Gambian. When you look around, you see our brothers and sisters from Ghana, brother and sisters from Mauritania, brothers and sisters from Guinea Conakry, brothers and sister from Senegal, brothers and sisters from Mali, brothers and sisters from Cote d’Voire, brothers and sisters from Sierre Leone. You think that is the end of the list? There are others to it. Today, every country in Africa is represented by its citizens, living peacefully in this country (An Ethio-Kenyan too!)

I want to thank every human being who in one way or the other has contributed to the success of the African Union Summit. For patriotic Gambians, especially the youth and women, I can’t thank you enough. I stand before you full of emotion. That is why I am wearing sun glasses. I can’t thank you enough but one thing I know and I am certain of is that if I have to take my blood to make you happy I will do it. You have made me very proud. There are also good friends of The Gambia who have been with us throughout.

Open your eyes because this African Union Summit has proven to you who your true and genuine friends are - certain governments, foreigners. There is a particular nation whose citizens have been exceptional throughout and I will reward you accordingly. As from today, the citizens of that country in The Gambia will pay only taxes that Gambians pay because you have shown to us that you love this country as much as patriotic Gambians love this country.

I must say that certain governments have been exceptional to the Republic of The Gambia and I am very grateful that at least one of the ambassadors representing that country is here with me. I want to thank the government and the people of the Republic of Taiwan, through their Ambassador for their extra-ordinary and unprecedented generosity and contribution to the African Union Summit.

Mr Ambassador when you talk to your President tell him that President Jammeh is saying if there is anything that is beyond  "shai shai" tell him "shai shai" and more "shai shai".  I also want to thank the government and people of Turkey. Before the African Union Summit, you must have seen on TV security personnel graduating from their training session, the government of Turkey provided training expert in the fields of counter terrorism and special forces operation.

I also want to thank the government and people of Algeria for they have been true brothers of The Gambia. I also want to thank the government and the people of the Arab Republic of Egypt. Everyone is saying that the organisation is unprecedented, thanks to the professionalism of the Egyptian instructors who trained our beautiful ushers.

Special thanks and gratitude also goes to my brother, my friend, the Emir of Qatar, and the government and the people of Qatar for their unprecedented logistical and financial support. Of course, the government of Taiwan and some countries provided logistic support. Some provided technical support but Qatar provided both logistic and financial support.

The Republic of Taiwan provided assistance in all the areas that you can think of. I want to thank the government and the people of the Republic of South Africa for providing financial support to The Gambia.  I also want to thank His Majesty, the King of Morocco and the people of the Kingdom of Morocco - they have provided logistic, financial and technical support.

You will be wondering why there was no black out. They provided generators as well as personnel to operate on those generators 24hrs.  I also want to thank the government and people of India for providing all the computers and IT equipment that facilitated communication during the process. I also want to thank the government and people of South Korea.  I also want to thank a very special person our honorary Consul General in Milan, Italy, Prof Francesco Cristina. On his own he provided two generators, and provided fuel for 10 days.

I also want to thank our neighbours because Senegal is our second home and The Gambia is a second home for all Senegalese. So when you are thanking people, you thank your family last. They are not the least. I want to thank the government and the people of Senegal for providing financial support.

I also want to thank the government and the people of the Kingdom of Spain for providing very valuable assistance to The Gambia. I also want to thank the government and people of the Kingdom of Thailand, especially the Prime Minister and The King.

The Prime Minister loves The Gambia so much that he sent his deputy Prime Minister to come and attend this African Union Summit in Banjul. Finally, I want to thank all Heads of State and their representatives for attending the African Union Summit, making it unprecedented.

I also want to thank the Nigerian community through the Ambassador.

When we did the last Operation Clean the Nation just before the AU Summit, I saw a group of people ahead of where I was going to. What attracted my attention is the number of men, who participated in the cleaning exercise.

I knew that was not a Gambian group. Gambian men would not like what I am coming to say, but I will be very happy to tell you, if the Nigerian community in The Gambia, led by their distinguished High Commissioner who is a true friend and sister to The Gambia can fully participate in the cleaning exercise, what are the Gambian men doing? These were the comments I hear from the men: "hey the country is very clean, and this should continue."

They had the guts to drive past me, and wave at me, while I was cleaning. If you are not going to participate don’t drive past me to show me that you have a beautiful car. If I as the President cleans the street I don’t know who you are that you cannot clean the street, and you are saying let it continue.
 
If it was not Gambian girls, women and youth, this AU Summit would have been a failure. Each time I go out to participate in a cleaning exercise 99 per cent of all the participants are female gender. Where are the male gender? Do you know why I put women in key positions? If Gambian men continue with these kinds of behaviour and attitude that is detrimental to development, I can say you will be endangered species in my government because you will be so few, and I don’t mind to giving all the cabinet portfolios to the women of this country.

If you are not participating in Operation Clean the Nation, you should stay at home. In fact, you know that it is an offence to drive around whilst we are cleaning the nation. The next Operation Clean the Nation, I will deploy the NIA and the police to see how many civil servants participate. Cleaning the nation is not for the benefit of any individual, but for the benefit of our children and ourselves.

There is no civil servant who is higher than the President, next time if you do not participate in the cleaning exercise you will be looking for a job elsewhere. There is nothing political about cleaning the country. Yet you sit down and say this has to continue. Do you think you are better than anyone of those cleaning the country? They are better than you, because they are showing you that they are better people to develop this country.

I want to thank our brothers and sisters from Ghana, and the cultural troupe of Ghana. I also want to thank my cousins, the hunters from Mali. There are certain groups in The Gambia, who only went to the Airport to welcome their presidents. But the groups I mentioned were there throughout.

I want to thank every Gambian youth and woman for the welcome. There were few men, but it has been successful. Those men who have not participated, what does this tell you? Whether you participate or not, Yahya Jammeh, backed by Gambian women and Gambian youth, will make this country a heaven.

Finally, I want to thank the organisers and participants to the Miss Africa Queen pageantry and all those who participated in the competition. There is always first, second and third and you call them winners. But in the case of the AU pageantry in The Gambia, every participant is a winner, because you have demonstrated what a beautiful continent we would have been if we are all united.

Well I vowed not to throw any bomb. I can stop here, but I will tell you, Gambians and friends of The Gambia that if there was any expression better than thank you, I will would have said it to you. But I can only say may Almighty Allah reward you abundantly. I want to thank the Secretariat, Ushers, Protocols, Drivers, Security, ‘Yai compins’, youths, Governors, Chiefs, cultural troupes and the last but not the least , I want to thank a special friend of The Gambia without whose full participation the AU would not have been held in The Gambia.

Whom am I talking about? It is the one who promised to make me proud and he has made me more than proud- Muhammed Kharaffi. Kharaffi and Sons have built one of the best conference centres in the whole world, not only in Africa. What he has done is unprecedented. Towards the end they were flying equipment by the DHL, because they did not want it to fail.

They are special group of investors that are exceptional and they have invested this much and gone to the extra-mile using the DHL planes to bring equipment to make sure that they complete on time before the summit. One thing I want Gambians to know is that any person I bring into this country, I bring him in your best national interest. When Kharrafi came here people in the system did everything possible to frustrate him. There was a false rumour that the company has a relationship with me. To those people, I tell you thank you, because today I stand a proud African and a proud Gambian.

I also want to thank the media in general for being so skeptical and negative. All what you said which is negative has contributed in facilitating Allah’s blessing so that I prove to the whole world what type of media we have in this country.

People have come and they have seen it for themselves. Allah has rewarded you accordingly by proving you wrong. I also want to thank the government and people of Venezuela and the government and the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran. I also want to thank our brothers and our true friends, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Last but not the least, I want to thank a special Serer Mustapha Njie and Taf construction and I also want to apologise to his family.

Editor’s note

Excellent speech – the opposition took the "Gambia is a super-power" statement completely out of context, possibly deliberately!

The United States government has granted The Gambia a textile visa which allows the country to export textile and garment products to the US, duty free and quota free, under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

News of the much-awaited textile visa was contained in a letter sent to the secretary of state for Trade, Industry and Employment, Abdou Colley, from the United States trade representative, ambassador Susan C. Schwab, on April 28.

In her letter, Ambassador Schwab said her office had determined that The Gambia had adopted an effective visa system and related procedures to prevent unlawful transshipment and the use of counterfeit documents in connection with shipments of textile and apparel articles to the United States. Therefore, she said, imports of eligible products from The Gambia qualify for the textile and apparel benefits provided under AGOA.

Implementation of the textile visa is guided by the bilateral visa arrangement agreed by the two governments which, among other things, requires producers and exporters of textile and garment products to retain appropriate records and provide such records on request by the government of The Gambia.

The Gambia has now become one of 26 out of the 37 AGOA eligible countries that have qualified for the textile visa. The country now needs to acquire a Category 9 Certificate to export hand-woven textiles and ethnic printed fabrics.

In a May 2 meeting with the secretary of state for Finance, Mousa Bala Gaye, Ambassador Barry L. Wells congratulated the government and the people of The Gambia on the acquisition of the textile visa.

Ambassador Wells expressed his hope that the country’s talented fashion designers and other apparel producers would try to make the best use of this great opportunity and assured the Gambian government that the US Embassy would continue to work with the relevant government departments to ensure that the country proceeds rapidly to acquire Category 9 Certification.

The Gambia became an AGOA-eligible country in December 2002. The AGOA Law was passed by the US Congress in May 2000 as a new approach to US Trade and Investment Policy towards Africa. The program enables eligible African countries to export more than 6,400 products to the United States duty free and quota free.

Introduction/background.

There are or can be many reasons why an individual chooses to meditate on, explore and/or write an essay. These range from satisfying personal needs to the more open inclination to sharing with the greater society with the view to contributing to societal advancement and development by sharing information, if not knowledge.

This piece derives its ethos from the latter. In this context, it owes some apology if it does not meet all the rigorous high faluting theoretical profundity. Rather, its object is to contribute to mainstreaming socio-politico-cum-administrative adroitness and optimal praxis re-engineered and monitored by societal timely awareness, enlightened, active engagement and participation based on correct, reliable, factual and wholesome information.

But why public policy in particular? Well, because public policies have always, are now and will continue to influence if not affect our selves and lives, families, communities, societies, sub-region, the region and the global village at large in all aspects of life and livelihood.

By nature and to all intent and purposes, public policies influence our daily interactions to such a profound extent that with a closer look, we soon realize that we need to be active stakeholders in all aspects of public policies, including their analysis. This is my contribution and in sharing with my brethren, I propose to go as follows:

• Brief Genesis of Policy Science.

• Definition of Public Policy.

• Understanding Public Policy.

• Types of Public Policies.

• An Applied Problem - Solving Model of the Policy Process.

• Policy Implementation – Policy Design and the Choice of Policy Instrument.

• The Realities of Policy Implementation.

• Measures Policy Makers can take to improve Policy Design to facilitate Implementation.

• Factors to be considered in selecting Policy Instrument Choice.

• Policy Evaluation, Analysis and Policy Learning.

• Types of Policy Evaluation.

• Conclusion.

This way, I very much hope that it will be easy to follow and back track (if need be).

Brief Genesis of Policy Science

Policy Science is a relatively recent discipline emerging in North America and Europe post World War II as students of political science searched for new understanding of the relationships between governments and citizens.

Before then, studies of political life tended to focus on the normative or moral dimensions of governments using western political philosophy and political cybernetics to seek insights into the purpose, whys and wherefores of government and the activities governments need to or should undertake if their citizenry were to attain the good life. These inquiries generated a rich corpus of literature and discussion of the nature of society, the role of the state, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens and governments alike.

However, the increasing and obvious hiatus between prescriptive political theory and the political practice of modern states led many to search for alternative methods of examining politics, one of which would reconcile theory and praxis through empirical analysis of existing polities.

In this context of change and reassessment, several new approaches appeared with some concentrating on the characteristics of national societies and cultures. Most of these approaches – behaviorism, elite studies, political cybernetics and studies of political culture have come and gone as scholars experimented with each before grasping its limitations and abandoning  it to search for something better.

However, one approach is still with us which concentrates on what governments actually do as opposed to what governments should or ought to do. This is an approach which focuses on public policies and public policy making, or as the originators would call it, policy science pioneered by Harold Lasswell and others in the United States and United Kingdom.

The approach was expected to replace traditional political studies, integrating the study of political theory and political practice without falling into the traps of formal legal studies. To the extent that policy sciences have developed a significant corpus of empirical and theoretical studies into the activities of numerous governments and the globe, the early efforts of Lasswell and colleagues remain valid as well as valuable and continue to provide us with the solid foundation upon which the study of public policy is based.

Definition of Public Policy.

Now that we have traced, very briefly, the genesis of policy science, we now need to define what a public policy is. It this regard, I will not go into any theoretical configuration, but will rather advance a working definition for which there are many competing advances – some are complex while others are simple.

Notwithstanding, they all agree on certain key aspects e.g. public policies result from decisions made by governments and decisions by governments to do nothing are just as much policy as are decisions to do something.

Thomas Dye defines public policy as "anything a government chooses to do or not to do" while William Jenkins defines it as "a set of interrelated decisions taken by a political actor or group of actors covering the selection of goals and the means of achieving them within a specified situation where those decisions should, in principle, be within the power of those actors to achieve".

On the other hand, James Anderson offers that a policy is "a purposive course of action followed by an actor or set of actors in dealing with a problem or matter of concern". As can be thus discerned, all three definitions serve to outline what a public policy is and to a large extent, that public policy formulation is a difficult task and cannot be accomplished simply by going through the official records of government decision-making found in such forms as laws, acts, regulations and promulgations.

Although these are vital sources of information, public policies extend beyond the record of concrete choices to encompass the realm of potential choices, or choices not made.

Understanding Public Policy.

Public policy is a complex phenomenon consisting of numerous decisions made

by numerous individuals and organizations and often shaped by earlier policies and frequently linked closely with other seemingly unrelated decisions.

As such, it poses grave difficulties for analysts and it is argued that public policies vary according to the nature of the political system and its links with society. An other direction is to search for causal variables in public policy-making or what is sometimes referred to as policy determinants.

Such analysis focuses on whether or not public policies are determined by macro level socio-economic factors or micro level behavioural elements and such analysis is largely empirical and often quantitative in orientation.

While the method may enhance our understanding of public policies, they tend to lean towards general macro level explanations and often fail to develop their arguments in the sectoral and temporal contexts in which most public policies develop.

Types of Public Policies

n Regulatory.

n Distributive.

n Re-distributive.

n Constitutive.

By regulatory, we mean those policies that have specifically been designed for regulating spheres of operations to even out the playing field to enhance objective and rational courses of action in the public domain.

By distributive, we mean those policies designed to ensure actions directed towards distributing the national cake between and within actors be it public or private. Such policies and actions are very important since market failures, as a result of the multi-faceted nature of market imperfections, are common place.

Re-distributive policies are those that are formulated if and when the distributive one has not been effective and a course or courses of inter-related actions are needed. Constitutive policies are those that establish measures designed to bring into conformity desirable measures to enhance systemic realignment processes and attendant variations and impact.  

An Applied Problem-Solving Model of the Policy Process

One of the most popular means of simplifying public policy making has been to disaggregate the process into a series of discrete and complementary stages and sub-stages and the sequencing is oft referred to as `The Policy Cycle’ . There are five (5) such stages and their relationship to Applied Problem-Solving as follows:

The first thing is to recognise that a problem exists which corresponds to agenda setting in the context of an applied problem-solving model. The second, since a problem has been diagnosed and an agendum is or agenda are set for its or their solutions; the second phase is to make proposals for such solution(s) corresponding to policy formulation in the problem-solving model.

One a policy has been formulated, the next step in the problem-solving model is to select a choice of solution which corresponds to decision-making as the third logical step while the fourth step deals with putting the solution into effect corresponding to policy implementation in the problem-solving model. The fifth step is monitoring results corresponding to policy evaluation in the solving model.

To expand a little further, agenda setting refers to the processes by which problems come to the attention of governments while policy formulation refers to the processes by which policy options are formulated within government.

Decision-making refers to the processes by which governments adopt a particular course or courses of action(s) or non-action. Policy Implementation refers to the processes by which governments put policies into effect. Policy evaluation refers to the processes by which the results are evaluated by both state and social actors, results of which are used to inform other policies.

In a bid to curb the menace of cross boarder crimes, illegal trading, among other things, the top brass of the Senegalese and The Gambia customs officials on Tuesday convened its 6th bilateral meeting, held at the Paradise Suites Hotel in Kololi.

The meeting was a follow up to the previous bilateral meeting held in Dakar in October 2006, where issues regarding the the implementation of the inter-state road transport, re-opening of the Basse-Bajarra route, implementation of the joint customs post, reactivation of the trade observatory group and exchange of intelligence on authentics relating to cross boarder threats, among others, top the agenda of the discussion.

In his welcoming speech, Momodou Kabba Tambajang Commisssioner General of The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), recognised the fact that the Gambia and Senegal are inextricably linked historically, culturally and geographically, in a manner that makes the two countries one family.

According to the GRA boss, economic growth, development and integration cannot take place in the absence of free trade and the movement of goods and people. He added that their role as customs institutions of both countries is merely to serve as facilitators of this interaction so as to ensure save movement of goods and people.

“In the same vein, through our work, we ensure that our governments generate legitimate revenue as stipulated in the law.

Thus as far as the government of The Gambia and The Gambia Revenue Authority are concerned, we are not competing and contesting with our counterparts in Senegal, rather our aim is to ensure that all of us as nations and people benefit from legal trade and bonafide economic activity,” commissioner general tambajang told the gathering of experts.

Trade according to him is one of the major global act activities changing lives and transforming nations.  Therefore, The Gambia and Senegal cannot afford to allow mere administrative bottle nects and unreasonable competition to dilute the potential that trade can earn the two governments,” Kabba Tambajang observed.

He revealed that the whole aim of the creation of the GRA is to streamline revenue collection so as to make it more effective, less expensive and professional.

He described the meeting as an important event in the development of custom in The Gambia and expressed hope that strong recommendations will be made to review the earlier mentioned agenda for discussion.

Ada Gaye, deputy permanent secretary at the department of state for Finance and Economic Affairs on behalf of Musa Balla Gaye, secretary of state for Finance and Economic Affairs, said the issues for discussion in bilateral meeting are intended to strengthen the friendship bond between the Gambia and Senegal, provide the conduicive environment for the enhancement of bilateral trade activities, to improve trade facilitation and by extension the economic well being of the people of the two countries.

According to DPS Gaye, the Department of state for Finance and Economic Affairs is concerned about the issue of smuggling, adding that it does not only undermines the economic policies of the two countries, but it also make them to become an unfavourble investment destination.

DPS Gaye also observed that globalisation has continued to exert pressure on developing countries efforts to mobilise sustainable domestic revenue and thus creating micro-economic instability.

“It also calls for proactive and imaginative ways of dealing with cross boarder issues and more collaboration in order to address common challenges,” she further stated.

DPS Gaye finally wish the gathering a successful deliberations and deliberations and declared the the meeting open.

For his part, Armand Jean Jacque Nanga, director general of customs in Senegal, described the bilateral meeting as a step in realising a real integration of the two country’s economies, which compels the two states (The Gambia and Senegal).

The senegalese customs boss said the bilateral meeting will help to strengthen the existing cooperation between the two countries, adding that the meeting is also timely as it is scheduled at a time when commodity prices are escalating.

He thanked The Gambia customs department for the warm welcome accorded to them.