WT/TPR/M/365  
14 March  2018 
(18-1535) Page: 1/33 
Trade Policy Review Body  
23 and 25 January 2018   
 
  
TRADE POLICY REVIEW  
THE GAMBIA 
MINUTES  OF THE MEETING  
Chairperson: H.E. Mr Juan Carlos Gonzá lez (Colombia)  
CONTENTS  
 
1  INTRODUCTORY REMARKS  BY THE CHAIRPERSON  ................................ .......................  2 
2  OPENING STATEMENT BY  THE REPRESENTATIVE O F THE GAMBIA  ...............................  4 
3  STATEMENT BY THE DIS CUSSANT  ................................ ................................ ................  7 
4  STATEMENTS BY MEMBER S ................................ ................................ ........................  12 
5  REPLIES BY THE REPRES ENTATIVE OF THE GAMB IA AND ADDITIONAL 
COMMENTS  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  27 
6  CONCLUDING REMARKS B Y THE CHAIRPERSON  ................................ .........................  32 
 
 
Note: Advance written questions and additional questions by WTO Members, and the replies 
provided by The Gambia  are reproduced in document WT/TPR/M/ 365/Add.1  and will be available 
online at http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tpr_e/tp_rep_e.htm.  WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 2 - 
 
  1  INTRODUCTORY REMARKS  BY THE CHAIRPERSON  
1.1.  The third Trade Policy Review of The Gambia was held on 23 and 25 January 2018. The 
Chairpe rson, H.E. Mr. Juan Carlos  Gonzá lez (Colombia) welcomed the delegation of The Gambia 
headed by H.E. Dr. Isatou Touray , Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and 
Employment; the rest of the delegation; and the discussant, H.E. Mr. Daniel Blockert (Sweden).  
1.2.  The Chairperso n recalled the purpose of the Trade Policy Reviews and the main elements of 
the procedures for the meeting. The report by The Gambia  was co ntained in document 
WT/TPR/G/365  and that of the  WTO Secretariat in WT/TPR/S/365 . 
1.3.  Questions by the following delegati ons had been submitted in writing before the deadline: 
Brazil; United States; European Union; Canada; and Japan . The following delegations submitted 
written questions after the deadline: China; and Thailand . 
1.4.  At the last TPR in 2010, Members had observed th at The Gambia had weathered the global 
financial crisis relatively well. However, economic performance had been  hampered by a small and 
undiversified production and export base consisting mainly of groundnuts and fish, and export 
performance had also been adversely affected by SPS and quality assurance issues.  
1.5.  The Gambian economy continued  to face challenges. According to the Secretariat 's report, 
some of the main problems were high fiscal deficits, the growing public debt, and financially 
distressed state -owned enterprises. High government borrowing combined  with tight monetary 
policy had  resulted in high interest rates crowding out private se ctor development. The Gambia 
had also been hit by external shocks, notably the 2014 Ebola outbreak in neighbouring countries 
which had affected its tourism sect or. Overall, real GDP growth had  averaged 2.9% in the period 
2010-16. However, according to the IMF , there had been  some encouraging developments last 
year (2017) with a rebound in tourism and trade and renewed interest by foreig n investors. The 
Secretariat 's report also underlined  the importance that international aid and remittances play ed in 
sustaining the Gambian economy.  
1.6.  The Secretariat 's report indicated that The Gambia had  by and large an open trade and 
investment regim e, noting that the country needed  to import most of its food and other needs. In 
their advanc e written questions Members  expressed an interest in learning more about measures 
to attract FDI, and remaining restrictions on FDI.  
1.7.  The WTO and the  Economic Community of West African States ' (ECOWAS) trade regime 
provide d the basic parameters for The Gambia 's trade policies. For example, customs procedures 
with respect to rules of origin and transit were governed by ECOWAS rules.  
1.8.  The Se cretariat 's report highlighted  as the main trade policy development the adoption of the 
five-band ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CE T) from 1 January 2017. It noted  that for The 
Gambia, the change from the national customs tariff (2010) to the ECOWAS CET had been  a majo r 
tariff reform, entailing adjustments of thousands of tariff lines. The average CET (MFN) rate was 
12.3%, down fro m the previous average of 14.1% . None of the ECOWAS CET rates exceed ed The 
Gambia 's tariff bindings. The Gambia applied  the CET to all of its  trading partners, including other 
ECOWAS members, at present, except for goods covered by the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization 
Scheme (ETLS), which enter ed duty free.  
1.9.  Other trade policy reforms since the last TPR include d a new food safety regime, a 
modernize d TBT regime, updated legislation on intellectual property rights and government 
procurement, and the introduction of a  VAT regime. The Secretariat 's report noted  that the excise 
tax regime appeared  to have some features of differential application between imported and 
domestically -produced goods, something that had already been observed during the last TPR in 
2010. This might  be a matter of systemic interest that WTO Members might  wish to revert to.   
1.10.   The Gambia had  deposited its instrument of acceptance of the Trade Facilitation Agreement 
(TFA) in July 2017. Several delegations had submitted questions regarding further clarificati on as 
to when The Gambia intended  to submit its TFA related notificatio ns.  WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 3 - 
 
  1.11.   Other areas where Members had questions for this TPR include d customs procedures, import 
restrictions, plans for privatization of state -owned enterprises, and The Gambia 's transport and 
energy policies.  
1.12.   This meeting would  thus be a good opportunity fo r Members to discuss in greater detail 
issues of interest to them and of systemic importance to the multilateral trading system.  The 
Chairperson  looked forward to a fruitful exchange.  
  WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 4 - 
 
  2  OPENING STATEMENT BY  THE REPRESENTATIVE O F THE GAMBIA ( H.E. DR. ISATOU  
TOURAY)  
2.1.  My delegation is happy to be here for the third Trade Policy Review of The Gambia. I want to 
take this opportunity to thank you Mr Chairman and the WTO Secretariat for the efforts that went 
into the organisation of this meeting. We appreciate the Secretariat 's diligence in preparing its 
comprehensive report which formed part of the basis of our discussions in this review meeting. 
The review gives us an opportunity to look at some of the reforms and trade policy developments 
that have been take n by The Gambia since the last Trade policy R eview in 2010. I would also like 
to thank H.E. Ambassador Daniel Blockert of Sweden for kindly agreeing to assume the role of the 
Discussant and I look forward to hearing his observations and insights.  
2.2.  A lot has occu rred in The Gambia since our last trade policy review and th e most recent is the 
change of G overnment which led to the establishment of the new Government of President Adama 
Barrow in January 2017. The new G overnment has had challenges at the beginning as it inherited 
a fragile economy that is weak with high poverty levels and high youth unemployment. The 
Government inherited a debt burden of over D56.5 billion (120 % of GDP) putting pressure to 
finance its development agenda. However, through commitment and  strong partnership with 
development partners and priv ate sector engagement, the G overnment has registered progr ess in 
stabilizing the economy.  The Government is already implementing a series of economic and 
institutional reforms to foster greater efficien cy in the public sector, ensure macroeconomic 
stability and strengthen the business climate.  
2.3.  The Government 's fiscal consolidation and reforms are already yielding good results. The 
Government 's net borrowing requirement has declined sharply from 12 % of GD P in 2016 to a 
projected 1 % of GDP in 2017 slowing down the rate of growth in the accumulation of domestic 
debt. In the wake of this, the cost of Government borrowings has  also declined markedly with 
91-day, 182 -day and 364 -day Treasury b ill yields declini ng from 17.56% , 20.87 % and 16.97 % in 
September 2016 to 5.04 %, 7.1% and 8.11 % in September 2017, respectively.  
2.4.  The Gambian economy is therefore expected to grow by 3.0 % in 2017 compared to an actual 
outturn of 2.2 % in 2016. The a gricultural sector, a major force of economic growth is expected to 
rebound to 2.6 % in 2017 compared to 0.5 % in the preceding year. Service sector growth is 
anticipated to experience a small set back with growth projected to fall to 4.1 % in 2017 compared 
to 5.1 % in 2016. The substant ially low performance of the service sector is due to the negative 
impact of the December political impasse that affected the tourism sector, leading to low 
occupancy over the period January -March 2017. I am glad to inform this Body that the tourism 
sector  is rebounding quickly with increasing number of visitors since November 2017 and we 
expect to have a good season this year.  
2.5.  Since the last review, the Gambia has adopted a number of measure s to improve the trade 
and investment policy environment  to suppor t trade development. The food safety regime has 
been modernized through a new Food Safety and Quality Act of 2011 which led to the 
establishment of the Food Safety and Quality Authority in 2013. We have established structures to 
strengthen the development and enforcement of food safety legislation and to ensure compliance 
with international commitments. The Gambia Standards Bureau has also been operational since 
2011 and has made progress in the development of standards and providing technical support to 
other trade -related institutions in the development of technical regulations to support trade. A new 
Consumer Protect ion Act was enacted in 2014 and is currently being implement ed by the Gambia 
Competition and Consumer Protection Commiss ion. We have also mod ernized our  public 
procurement legislation through the establishment of the Public Procurement Authority Act in 2014 
to make it in line with international best practice. Under the Act, the procurement Cadre, the 
Independence Complaints Review Board and the  Major Tender Board are all fully operational since 
2015. The intellectual property right legislations have also been strengthened by amending the 
Industrial Property Act in 2015 to align it with international standards. The new Act increased the 
protectio n period for patents from 15 years to 20 years and it also introduced provisions to ensure 
conformity with the Madrid Protocol relating to international registration of Marks.  
2.6.  To ensure that all trade related legislations are consistent with our WTO agree ments and 
obligations, we have established a National Technical Regulation Committee in 2011, chaired by 
the Ministry of Justice to serve as a clearing house for all newly trade related legislations. The WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 5 - 
 
  Committee reviews all draft trade related laws and r egulations to ensure that they are consistent 
with WTO Agreements before their notification to the WTO and subsequent enactment.  
2.7.  On the invest policy environment, The Gambia has also revised the Companies Act in 2013, 
established the Single Window Registr ation Act in 2013, and revised the Gambia Investment and 
Export Promotion Act in 2015. The Single Window Business Act helped in establishing a one -stop 
business registry in 2014 which now provides an electronic registration system for businesses. The 
new i nvestment and export promotion act expanded the scope of investments and incentives to 
cover small and medium size enterprises. The Government has also formulated the Micro Small 
and Medium Size Enterprises Policy in 2014 and the Gambia National Entreprene urship Policy was 
developed in 2016. As most of you may be aware, the Gambia Investment Policies were reviewed 
in November 2017 under the UNCTAD Investment Policy Reviews. As part of the review process, 
we have developed an Action Plan as a framework to ad dressing some of the challenges to 
improve the Gambia investment environment.  
2.8.  The Gambia will therefore continue to be committed to the multilateral trading system and 
will continue to work hard at improving compliance with the various obligations under t he WTO. 
Following the ratification of the Trade Facilitation Agreement in March 2017, I am glad to inform 
you that we will be submitting the Gambia 's Categories A, B and C notifications under the Trade 
Facilitation Agreement today as required by the Agreem ent. The Government has also fi nalized 
arrangements to open a M ission in Geneva to bring us much closer to the WTO and to ensure our 
effective participation on WTO related discussions here in Geneva.  
2.9.  The Gambia, as an LDC, continue s to face trade capacity  development challenges as 
highlighted in both the Government and Secretariat reports. We will continue to strengthen our 
collaboration with development partners and called on them to support the New Gambia in our 
efforts to develop trade and productive ca pacities for th e attainment of the SDGs. As a 
Government, it is very clear to us that building trade capacities , improving competitiveness and 
promoting private sector development is the way forward for the Gambia to revive the economy to 
promote trade, inclusiveness and sustainable development. The Government is therefore 
undertaking reforms to improve the busines s environment and competitiveness to support p rivate 
sector development. The G overnment has commenced the implementation of a number of 
measures in 2018 which led to the reduction of personal income tax, the corporate income tax 
(reduced from 30% to 27%), residential income tax (reduced from 10% to 8%) and the tariff on 
commercial rent also reduced from 15% to 10%.  
2.10.   The Government is currently working with the World Bank to implement the energy sector 
roadmap, which aims to improve efficiency in supply of e lectricity. We are also working closely 
with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a program me to put the country 's macroeconomic 
fundamentals on a sound footing.  
2.11.   In this regard, the new Government has now complemented the drafting of its National 
Development Plan (2018 to 2021), where trade and trade -related issues have gained more 
prominence to support the government employment creation and economic developmen t drive for 
poverty reduction.  
2.12.   The new National Development Plan is anchored on eight strategic priorities, and seven 
critical enablers, key  amongst these priorities are: restoring good governance; respect for human 
right, the rule of law,  and empowering citizens through decentralizati on and local governance; 
stabilizing our economy, stimul ating growth  and transforming the economy; m odernizing our 
agriculture and fisheries for sustained economic growth, investing in our people through improved 
education and health services; building our infrastructure and restoring energy services; 
promoting  an inclusive and culture -centred t ourism for sustainable growth; r eaping the 
demographic dividend t hrough an empowered youth; and m aking the private sector the engine of 
growth, transformation, and job creation  
2.13.   However, in order to achieve these prioriti es, The Gambia will require critical enablers to 
build on the implementation of the N ational Development Plan. Amongst these are: a  public sector 
that is efficient an d responsive to the citizenry; e mpowering the Gambian woman to realize her full 
potential;  enhancing the role of the Di aspora in Gambian Development; p romoting environmental 
sustainability, climate resilient communi ties and appropriate land use; m aking The Gambia a WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 6 - 
 
  digital nation and creating a modern informati on society; and s trengthening evid ence-based policy, 
planning and decision -making.  
2.14.   In line with this, and cognizant of the potential positive impact that trade could have in a 
small open economy like ours, The Gambia Government continues to jealously guard its 
commitmen t to its liberal tr ade regime. The Government is also working with UNCTAD, through 
the EIF support, to formulate an  Industrial Policy and Trade Strategy to support trade 
development, particularly in promoting the implementation of trade development issues as have 
been encaps ulated in the New National Development Plan.  
2.15.   We have had a strong and beneficial relationship with the EIF Secretariat which has been 
very supportive during the period under review. In addition to Tier 1 project which focused on 
supporting trade instituti onal capacity developments, The Gambia has also successfully 
implemented two Tier 2 projects Under the EIF , including a Trade Facilitation Project. The Trade 
Facilitation project is supporting the improvement of Air -cargo facilities to enable exports of fi sh 
and horticulture produces and to attract more airlines serving The Gambia. All works under the 
project have now been completed and operations at the export wing of the facility has 
commenced. We are officially opening this ultra -modern cargo facility on  27 February 2018. We 
look forward to more closer engagement with the EIF Secretariat and development partners 
through the aid for trade initiative to support The Gambia trade development needs.  
2.16.   The Gambia also attaches great importance to regional econom ic cooperation and 
integration through our effective participation in the Economic Community of West African States 
(ECOWAS). The Government continues to be committed to the implementation of ECOWAS 
programmes to strengthen regional integration. We started  the implementation of the ECOWAS 
Inter-State Road Transit Scheme 2013 and both ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme and the 
programme to facilitate the Free movement of people are effectively implemented in The Gambia. 
The Gambia has also officially started  the implementation of the Common External Tariff (CET) in 
January 2017 as part of ECOWAS custom s union initiatives.  
2.17.   In conclusion, please allow me to once again thank the WTO Secr etariat, and all other 
partners  for all their valuable assistance over the years and particularly to the New Government. 
The Government of the Gambia will continue to work closely wi th the WTO Secretariat and all 
Member States to make the multilateral trading system more responsive to our needs and help 
make international trade t he engine o f growth in all our countries.  
2.18.   Thank you for your attention.  
  WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 7 - 
 
  3  STATEMENT BY THE DIS CUSSANT  
Introduction  
3.1.  As a discussant it is always useful if one can find strong links between your own country and 
the country that is being reviewed. However, in  this case I can 't really point to anything very 
impressive. Sweden was an early supporter of the Gambian independence in 1965. We were a big 
donor for many years. Today our trade relationship is very small. We import mainly cashews from 
The Gambia, and we  export machinery, vehicles and furniture. And, of course, we have some 
tourists from Sweden every year going to The Gambia . 
3.2.  This is not insignificant of course, but not that inspiring either. Therefore , I will move on to 
something that is more impressive.  
3.3.  I do want to congratulate the representatives from The Gambia who are here today, because 
The Gambia has done something that is very difficult to do, namely transitioning from an 
autocratic regime to a democratic one without triggering a massive internal conflict , which is 
something that is not easy to do . It was a difficult process after the election in 2016 when Adama 
Barrow was elected. There were some months where the whole process balanced on a knife 's edge 
before the situation was stabilized. We now have a new Government, a democratically elected 
Government and it should spare a new beginning for The Gambia. If this is not a reason for 
optimism I do not know what is.  
3.4.  One consequence of this for us today is that we have a situation where a country 's 
Government will be held accoun table for something a previous G overnment has done. This is not 
unusual of course. In democratic countries you have  shifts in Government  on a pretty regular basis 
and politicians are accusto med to work with what previous G overnm ents have left them, good or 
bad. But today we have something of a special case. Taking over after 22 years of autocratic rule 
and inheriting an economy that is facing huge challenges, it is not your average change of 
Government.  
3.5.  I think that is something that is useful to keep in the back of our minds today  when we talk 
about The Gambian economy . If this TPR can in any way be helpful and offer som e guidance and 
inspiration for T he Gambia  in its future reforms, I think it has been worthwhile.  
3.6.  I have structured my comments today so that I will start with a  very short introduction and 
overview, a lot of which you will recognize from the previous reports we have heard. After that , I 
will highlight a few areas of important reforms that The Gambia is curre ntly engaged in, and 
finally , I will raise a few subjects that I found to be of particular interest, and also try to identify a 
few questions which I think could be pertinent and perhaps can be returned to on Thursday when 
we conclude this TPR.  
Overview  
3.7.  If we start with the overview, I am not going to go into the basic facts in detail. You have 
those in the reports and your heard it from the Chair and from the Minister from The Gambia. But 
let me just reiterate that there is no lack of challenges for the ne w Government. They have 
inherited an economy with large fiscal and external imbalances, massive public debt stock costly 
domestic debt -service obligations, which are made worse by liabilities connected to loss -making 
State Owned Enterprises. The population  grows faster than agricultural production and The 
Gambia has had a substantial emigration for a large number of years.   
3.8.  Another fact that I want to highlight in this context is that The Gambia has been a recipient of 
relatively low levels of development a id. If you compare with other countries on a similar level of 
development, it is obvious that The Gambia has not been the focus of donors. In fact, after the 
World Bank visited The Gambia in 2017 , one of their representatives called The Gambia a 
"forgotten  State" in terms of aid, and encouraged donors to get engaged.  
3.9.  There are several reasons for this situation. One of them is the previous political regime in 
The Gambia, but hopefully this can change. I know that the new G overnment in the Gambia has 
alread y started ambitious cooperation with the World Bank, the IMF, development banks and has WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 8 - 
 
  also reached out to individual donor countries. Aid will not be a panacea that can solve all the 
challenges but it can be a powerful help during this important period o f transition.  
3.10.   There are also a few positive signs  that I think are very important to highlight . The Gambia 
was hit by the financial crisis just like everyone else, but they still managed to get through better 
than many others. I read the report from the IM F recently where they project increase in  growth 
rates, the IMF projects a 4% growth by 2019 , which is a respectable figure . 
3.11.   The trade and investment regime is fairly open and it is encouraging to see that The Gambia 
seems in tent on using the WTO as a mean  to boost their trade and assist in some of the domestic 
reforms that are necessary.  
Current reforms  
3.12.   When re ading the reports from the WTO S ecretariat, The Gambia and also a few other 
reports I found from the World Bank, IMF and the African Development Ba nk, one of the main 
conclusions is that the future economic prospects of The Gambia will depend on the country 's 
capacity to reform the economy.  
3.13.   Long term growth will be dependent on internal structural reforms to improve performance 
in the public sector and the state owned enterprises. Closely connected to this is the need to 
strengthen the private sector, especially when it comes to reforms of business environment, taxes, 
access to funding, education and training.  
3.14.   We also find many references to reforms  that are closely related to the trade regimes. The 
main issue here is clearly the relationship between The Gambia and ECOWAS.  
3.15.   From the reports that we have before us today it is clear that The Gambia is very much 
aware of the fact that reforms are necessa ry and a lot of reforms are already ongoing or in the 
pipeline. I would especially like to highlight a few of them that I find to be interesting. This is in no 
way an exhaustive list : 
 Tourism is still a main source of income for The Gambia but the sector i s volatile. Strategies 
have been launched through the Culture and Hospitality Plan which will now need to be 
implemented to create a more stable sector. Plans co nnected to tourism also include  PR 
strategies, targeting conference tourism and increased invol vement from the private sector.  
 Infrastructure continues to be a challenge and even if heavy investments have been made 
much more is needed. One of the key objectives is to improve the competiveness of the Port 
of Banjul and make it into a transit hub in the region. This entails moving away from the 
current Public Service Model and creating room for the private sector to get involved.  
 There are several reforms connected to agriculture. The current policy on development of 
the agricultural sector, The Agric ultural and Natural Resource Policy is under review.  
 There are several initiatives related to promote private investment in agriculture across the 
whole value chain. Projects are also underway to address agricultural infrastructure, such as 
the Land and W ater Management Project.  
 The fisheries sector is a priority not least because  of its potential for food security. 
Monitoring and better regulation is badly needed and The Gambia has a technical 
cooperation programme with the FAO.  
 There are also substantial  reforms in areas related directly to trade. Since 2017 , The Gambia 
has started implementing the Common External Tariff (CET) of ECOWAS. This is a huge 
undertaking and I will come back to this issue later.  
 As the current C hair of the Trade Facilitation Com mittee , I'm pleased to see that not only 
have The Gambia ratified the TFA, but there are also several projects related to 
implementation in progress. A single window is in place, a Trade Facilitation Committee has 
been created and there is an ongoing proje ct with the EIF connected to the Port of Banjul. WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 9 - 
 
  We hope to see this work continued  but, of course , I also feel obliged to remind The Gambia  
that we still lack some notifications concerning TFA, and we  hope they are in the pipeline.  
 I note with satisfactio n that The Gambia eliminated fuel subsidies in 2014. This is good news 
since fuel subsidies are rarely efficient or motivated.  
 The Gambia was one of the signatories of the Ministerial Declaration on Women and Trade 
that was adopted in Buenos Aires. Therefo re I was especially encouraged to see that The 
Gambia has devoted a separate headline in their report on gender mainstreaming. I hope 
you can be an inspiration for others to do the same. Women are important economic actors 
in all the major sectors in The G ambia and it is positive to see that the National Gender 
Policy and the Private Sector Development Strategy both include activities directed 
specifically to empowering women in trade. I also know that gender mainstreaming has 
been a key component in severa l projects that The Gambia has in partnership with the EIF 
and ITC, for example a Tier 2 that supported the cashew industry.  
3.16.   I have only highlighted some of the ongoing reforms and projects. In some cases The 
Gambia has encountered obstacles in implementi ng these  reforms but that is to be expected and it 
does not seem to have affected the country 's commitment to continue this work.  
Questions and challenges  
3.17.   Next, I will move on to mentioning a few areas where I feel it might be interesting to have a 
furthe r discussion here today and perhaps come back to on Thursday as well. I called my headline 
"Questions and challenges " and there are three blocks that I would like to mention. My objective 
under this headline is not to criticize or complain. My intention is  rather to highlight a few areas 
where I believe that there are  challenges. They are of a systemic nature and could  interest others 
as well. I believe that many other developing countries, LDCs in particular, are facing  similar 
challenges.  
Regional Trade and ECOWAS (1)  
3.18.   My first comment concerns regional trade and ECOWAS. A few years ago , I was a discussant 
for a fellow ECOWAS member: Cabo Verde. One of the issues that struck me during that Trade 
Policy Review  was that Cabo Verde had very limited trade wit h the rest of the ECOWAS members . 
At a first glance , it seems like the situation for The Gambia is different, but if you look closer you 
realize that The Gambia 's trade with ECOWAS is dominated by your trade with Senegal. If you 
would remove Senegal from the statistics, the trade with  the rest of the  ECOWAS members is 
fairly small and you have bigger trading partners such as China and the European Union.  
3.19.   The Gambi a has now implemented the ECOWAS common external tariff (CET). It 's a five tier 
system that will apply to all trade partners except for goods that falls under the ECOWAS trade 
liberalization scheme. I remember that for Cabo Verde , implementation of the CET  would lead to a 
large hike in tariffs. For The Gambia it 's the opposite. The average applied MFN tariff rate is now 
12.3% compared to 14.1% before the reform. The Gambia had a large number of unbound tariffs 
before but now, in practice at least, they have been bound by the CET. It has also lead to a 
situation where there is a huge amount of water in the tariffs, especially in the agriculture  sector . 
3.20.   In this context , I would like to highlight two issues . The first one relates to  The Gambia 's 
long term visio n of its relationship with the ECOWAS community. It is not uncommon in Africa that 
local trade is relatively limited. According to many st udies and recommendations from 
Organizations such as the W orld Bank, there is a great untapped potential here. There a re several 
program mes under ECOWAS designed to increase trade between its members. Several of them are 
mentioned in The Gambia 's report. Therefore , it is of interest to hear more about The Gambia 's 
strategic thinking in this area. What are you doing to inc rease regional integration and how can 
that help boost the Gambian economy.  
3.21.   The second question is more straightforward. Implementing a common regional tariff will 
certainly bring advantages, especially in a longer perspective. But it is a massive undertak ing and 
especially it should be felt both positive and negative  consequences in the short term in specific 
sectors . So how do es The Gambia look at the adaptation of the ECOWAS CET and what kind of WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 10 - 
 
  positive and negative effects can you see? Will there be ne ed to supporting measures in some 
sectors ?  
State Owned Enterprises and FDI (2)  
3.22.   Another feature that The Gambia shares with Cabo Verde is the importance of state owned 
enterprises. Accord ing to the report from the WTO S ecretariat  and also in the World Bank report , 
virtually all state -owned companies in The Gambia are in financial distress. High government 
borrowing combined with tight monetary policy has resulted in high interest rates, making life very 
difficult for the private s ector. In combination with weak infrastructure, energy shortages and a 
complex tax system , this creates several major challenges like public debt, a weak private sector 
and difficulties in attracting foreign investment.  
3.23.   I am acutely aware of the fact that this situation was created by the previous administration 
in The Gambia and that the current G overnment has the very difficult task trying to clean this  up. 
Some measures are already mentioned in The Gambia 's report, but I would be interesting to know 
more about how The Gambia looks at the possibilities to implement measures  to further reduce 
the role of G overnment, and to reduce the cost of state -owned enterprises in order to decrease 
public debt and secure continued good economic growth. In the report from The Gambia,  you 
mention  that "…measures will be put in place to end the recurring trend of bailing out state -owned 
enterprises… ". What measures are we talking about here, what measures could be feasible? What 
actions are facing major difficulties and why ? 
3.24.   Relate d to the issue of S tate-Owned Enterprises and the challenges in the business climate 
is the issue of FDI. Reports from the W orld Bank, the IMF and the African Development Bank 
highlight the importance for The Gambia to attract investments. We heard  from the Minister that 
The Gambia has a cooperation with UNCTAD on investments. It would be interesting to hear more 
about the strategies you have to attract foreign capital. And n ot least the tourism sector seems to 
be in need of these kind s of investmen ts. 
Capacity Constraints (3)  
3.25.   The final area I would like to mention  concerns capacity constraints. When reading the 
reports for this TPR , capacity constraints was a recurring theme. This is not unexpected from a 
small LDC.  
3.26.   We all know that Aid for Trade ( AfT) cannot solve all issues related to capacity constraints. 
But it can certainly be an important tool. The Gambia has had several projects in cooperation with 
the EIF and ITC. I also know that there have been a few projects with other actors as well. But  
there is not a lot of information about that in the reports.  
3.27.   Maybe this is because The G ambia has been this "forgotten S tate" that the World Bank 
talked about when it comes to foreign aid. But it is always valuable to hear more about the 
experiences of de veloping countries, especially LDCs  when it comes to AfT. And this is, of course, 
an interest also for me representing a large donor country in this area. Do you have success 
stories, projects that have been helpful  for you ? Projects that have not met with  expectations? Is it 
possible to define why projects have been successful or not? Are there specific areas or sectors 
where AfT is badly needed today  as a priority for you ?  
3.28.   This type of information is always valuable  to hear from both  donors and internati onal 
organizations.  
Conclusion  
3.29.   In conclusion , I would like to thank the delegation from The Gambia. I think that this TPR 
clearly shows that the country is working hard to get on the right track. There is a vision and a 
commitment to continue with the nec essary reforms in order to use trade as the very powerful 
means of development it can be.  
3.30.   There are certainly challenges, especially for a small LDC like The Gambia with the recent 
history  that you have. But I believe that The Gambia is prepared to deal wi th these challenges and WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 11 - 
 
  I do hope that this T rade Policy Review  will highlight the progress that has been done and also 
identify a reas where more work is needed. Thank you.  
  WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 12 - 
 
  4  STATEMENTS BY MEMBER S 
BRAZIL  
4.1.  Brazil welcomes the trade policy advances that The Gambia has made since the last review 
and looks forward to a constructive exchange regarding its domestic trade policies and practices, 
reflecting the strong Gambian commitment to the WTO. Some important d evelopments were 
mentioned here: enhanced consumer protection, new technical standards policies, investment and 
procurement reforms. The implementation of the new ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET), 
starting January 2017, shall also be noted. And Brazil w elcomes the announcement made today on 
the notifications of commitments under categories A, B and C of the TFA.  
4.2.  In light of the current reform spirit, The Gambia may wish to reflect upon its very modest 
bindings in the WTO – less than 15% of tariff lines a re actually bound, most of which are 
agricultural goods. Binding coverage of non -agricultural tariff lines is minimal, and the 
considerable gap between the country 's average bound rate, at more than 100%, and the 
substantially lower average applied MFN rat e of 12.3%, is also worrisome. The combination of a 
limited binding coverage and high average bound rates leaves ample margins for tariff changes 
and renders the tariff regime less predictable, although, in practice, the ECOWAS Common 
External Tariff is no wadays the bound customs tariff.  
4.3.  As described in the background report prepared by the WTO Secretariat, The Gambia, as a 
Least Developed Country (LDC), still faces significant economic challenges. But as we heard from 
Dr. Touray, the macroeconomic environm ent is improving, agriculture and tourism are rebounding, 
and the new development plan will certainly contribute to wider economic diversification, especially 
in the manufacturing sector. The Gambia is to be commended by a number of positive economic 
results, such as achievements in the services sector and the steady growth of the fisheries sector 
during the period under review – the later a significant development for the economic 
empowerment of women, an issue whose importance to many in this room cannot be disregarded.  
4.4.  Let me finish  with a word for bilateral trade flows, just to note that 100% of Brazil 's imports 
from The Gambia are manufactured products. Likewise, in 2017 , Brazil 's exports to The Gambia 
were predominantly industrial goods, at 74 % in 2017 .  
4.5.  I conclude by wishing the Gambian delegation a most successful Trade Policy Review.  
UNITED  STATES  
4.6.  I would like to begin by highlighting the fact that, effective January 1 of this year, The 
Gambia 's eligibility for preferential tariff treatment under the  African Growth an d Opportunity Act 
was restored. My G overnment took this step in recognition of the fact that, following democratic 
elections in December 2016, The Gambia has made progress in strengthening the rule of law, 
improving human rights, and supp orting political pluralism. We hope that The Gambia will take full 
advantage of the opportunities under AGOA, as the volume of our bilateral trade to date has been 
low. 
4.7.  The Gambia is clearly facing many challenges typical of a least developed country, incl uding 
limited ca pacity and resources. Yet, there is much to commend The Gambia with respect to it s 
trade and investment regime. With limited exceptions the country is open to foreign direct 
investment, and it imposes relat ively few barriers to imports. The Secretariat report seemed to 
indicate that greater clarity would be welcome as to what import prohibitions or restrictions do 
exist, as well as how import permits for restricted products are administered.  
4.8.  The G overnment of The Gambia has recognized for se veral years now the need to diversify its 
revenue sources beyond tariffs, and its participation in the ECOWAS common external tariff has 
inherently reduced its autonomy in setting tariff rates.  
4.9.  We were very pleased to see The Gambia ratify the WTO Trade Fa cilitation Agr eement. The 
Government has signalled  a strong interest in maintaining its high ranking in the region for ease of 
cross-border trade.  Implementation of the TFA will help reduce the cost of doing business in The WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 13 - 
 
  Gambia and will foster greater c ertainty for the trading community. We look forward to The 
Gambia notifying its Category A and B com mitments to the TFA Committee.  
4.10.   The Gambia has a relatively good track record on making notifications to the WTO, with 
some required no tifications still outs tanding. My G overnment attaches great importance to WTO 
Members meeting this foundational requirement, with all the benefits that such transpare ncy 
provides to all concerned. The Gambia should continue to provide international stakeholders the 
opportunity to comment on its draft regulations affecting trade, such as the one the government is 
developing concerning the labelling of pre -packaged food.  
4.11.   We were pleased to see in the Secretariat 's report that The Gambia has reformed its 
government procurement regi me in line wi th international best practices  although we do note that 
a large proportion of public procurement appears to be occurring through restrictive tendering.  
4.12.   Finally, we view as positive the range of intellectual property rights protections in The 
Gambia 's legislation, the fact that the copyright law is being amended to strengthen it, and the 
fact that the gover nment is pursuing enforcement. We would encourage the G overnment to join 
additional WIPO treaties, such as the WIPO Copyright Treaty and the  WIPO Performances and 
Phonograms Treaty.  
4.13.   In closing, we welcome this opportunity to review The Gambia 's trade policy regime and to 
provide feedback and observations on ar eas of progress and of concern.  We recognize the 
challenges that The Gambia is facing  but believe that continuing down the path of transparency, 
reform, and open trade and investment policies will keep The Ga mbia on a positive trajectory. We 
look forward to studying The Gambia 's answers to our questions and to those of other Members. 
We wi sh you a successful Trade Policy R eview.  
EUROPEAN  UNION  
4.14.   The EU would like to start by commending The Gambia for its significant progress towards 
its re-integration into the international community.  
4.15.   The Gambia ranks among the poorest countries in the world  and, during the period under 
review, its economic performance has been affected by a series of external shocks. Despite the 
economic challenges that the current Government is facing, the EU acknowledges that The Gambia 
has maintained a generally open trad e and investment regime since its last TPR held in 2010. 
Recently, its economy has started to recover following the sharp growth slowdown in 2016 and 
economic growth in 2017 is projected at 3 %, with a strong rebound in tourism and trade, and 
renewed intere st from foreign direct investors in energy, tourism, agriculture and transportation.  
4.16.   These positive results are encouraging and could help The Gambia to become an attractive 
production platform and a key regional trading hub.  
4.17.   Among the reforms that have t aken place during the period under review, the EU 
appreciates The Gambia 's policy framework for investment as it contains measures that will boost 
FDI's and, more in general, the economic growth. The EU also appre ciates the adoption of the 
five-band ECOWAS  Common External Tariff (CET) from 1 January 2017.  
4.18.   The EU welcomes The Gambia 's recognition of the importance of the Trade Facilitation 
Agreement, and, in particular, the EU congratulates the country for its efforts to establish a Trade 
Facilitation Commi ttee. However, the EU notes that the notifications of its Category A, B and C 
commitments are still outstanding and encourages The Gambia to submit them in the near future. 
This would allow the EU as well as other donors to clearly identify its needs for t ailored and 
adequate technical and financial assistance for supporting its implementation.  
4.19.   A word on our bilateral relationship. Relations between the EU and The Gambia are 
governed by the Cotonou Agreement. A new chapter in relations with The Gambia has b een 
opened in January 2017, following the change of government marked by th e determination of The 
Gambian G overnment to reengage with its partners at regional and international level, including 
through trade. Since then, a broad and intensive political dia logue between the EU and The 
Gambia is ongoing.  WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 14 - 
 
  4.20.   The Gambia is a Party of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the EU and 
West Africa. Gambian authorities have expressed in a first announcement back in February 2017 
their commitment to sign the  agreement. The EU hopes that The Gambia 's signature of the EPA 
will become effective as soon as feasible. In the meantime, The Gambia continues to benefit from 
preferential treatment under the Everything But Arms (EBA) agreement.  
4.21.   The EU continues to be Th e Gambia 's main donor in the area of development cooperation. 
The envelope available to The Gambia in the 11th European Development Fund for the period 
2014-2020 amounts to €150 million. EU has stepped up support for sustainable and inclusive 
development a nd is committed to supporting the government 's reform agenda to establish strong 
democratic institutions in full respect of human rights and the rule of law.  
4.22.   At regional level, The Gambia is a member of the regional integration group of countries 
forming t he Economic Community of West African States as well as the African Union. The EU 
encourages The Gambia as a member of ECOWAS and of the West African Monetary Zone 
(WAMZ), to actively participate in regional integration and economic development policies.  
4.23.   At a multilateral level, the EU acknowledges that The Gambia 's broad objective is to 
maintain an open and liberal trading environment and to better integrate The Gambia into the 
global economy.  
4.24.   The EU shares with The Gambia the great importance to the iss ue of gender equality and 
women 's pivotal role in the economy and, in particular, is pleased that The Gambia acknowledges 
the positive impact trade has on gender empowerment. In this respect, the EU commends the 
Government of The Gambia for the establishme nt of the National Gender Policy 2010 -2020.  
4.25.   Within  this general overall positive context, the EU considers that in certain areas there is 
still room for improvement. In particular:  
 First, The Gambia should further foster a business -friendly environment by  streamlining 
business establishment procedures, facilitate the access to financing, improving the 
procedures in labour market, building capacity in competition regime, and increasing efforts 
in tackling corruption.  
 Second, The Gambia should develop a com petitive private sector and, in particular, it should 
continue promoting investments in priority sectors, such as agro -processing, energy and 
infrastructure, and ICT.  
 Third and last point, the EU appreciates the commitment of The Gambia 's government to th e 
multilateral trading system and, referring to its call for support contained in its Government 
report, the EU stands ready to support its efforts in the implementation of the WTO 
commitments and to enhance its integration into the global economy. The Nat ional 
Development Plan will be an important instrument in order to focalise donor support.  
4.26.   On behalf of the EU, I wish The Gambia the utmost success during its Trade Policy Review.  
CANADA  
4.27.   Canada does not currently have extensive commercial relations with The Gambia but we 
nonetheless want to take th e floor today to encourage the G overnment 's efforts to rebuild public 
institutions and improve governance and service delivery for the Gambian people.  
4.28.   A review of the Secretariat and Government reports reveals t he scope of liberalizat ion 
efforts pursued by the new G overnment of The Gambia in many sectors of its economy. The 
success of these reforms will certainly be assured by sound macro -economic management and 
good governance.  
4.29.   We note, for example, that the co untry has already achieved improvements through 
structural and fiscal reforms introduced since the last review. These include full adoption of the 
ECOWAS common tariff; a new investment law; as well as new legislation dealing with 
competition, fisheries, f ood standa rds and intellectual property. The Gambia has also reformed its WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 15 - 
 
  Industrial Property Act and government procurement regime in line with international best 
practices, and Canada encourages The Gambia to consider acceding to the Agreement on 
Governm ent Procurement.  
4.30.   While Canada recognizes The Gambia 's strong will for reform, Canada also believes that to 
achieve its goals the country needs to unlock its underlying potential by taking concrete steps to 
enable growth across multiple sectors.  
4.31.   We note th at the Government of The Gambia continues to prioritize the agriculture sector in 
its development agenda and to reinforce relationships with development partners to promote 
agricultural production and food productivity for food security and enhanced rural livelihoods. In 
this context, we need to make sure that women and girls are empowered to reach their full 
potential so they can earn their own livelihoods, which will benefit families and promote the 
economic growth of their communities and country. Canada  applauds The Gambia 's endorsement 
of the Declaration on Women and Trade at MC11 and look forward to cooperating with you in this 
respect.   
4.32.   Another area requiring immediate focus and investment are the infrastructure and power 
sectors. Access to affordabl e and reliable power as well as good infrastructure are a prerequisite 
for economic development, with the potential to have a multiplier effect on growth. In addition, 
the power and infrastructure sectors facilitate high capital spending, which can promote  
investment and build economic competitiveness.  
4.33.   The Gambia has recently taken a variety of measures to address corruption and reduce its 
devastating effects on its economy. We commend these measures, but cannot help but note that 
the Gambia still ranks 14 6th out of 185 economies in the most recent World Bank 's Ease of Doing 
Business survey, and places 145th out of 176 in Transparency International 's Corruption 
Perceptions Index. We therefore welcome Gambia 's continuing efforts on this matter.  
4.34.   Achieving the  goal of long -term growth depends on continuous improvements in the 
performance of the public sector and state -owned enterprises, and in particular in strengthening 
the private sector, including through further privatization. Improvements in these areas wo uld 
attract a broader range of potential partners, including many firms and institutional investors from 
Canada and elsewhere. We invite and encourage The Gambia to keep Members informed of further 
developments in this area.  
4.35.   We welcome The Gambia 's ratification of the Agreement on Trade Facilitation and look 
forward to receiving notifications of its Category A, B, and C commitments, as well as indicative 
dates for Category B. We also encourage the Gambia to deposit its instrument of acceptance of t he 
Protocol amending the TRIPS agreement.  
4.36.   Although commercial relations with Canada are currently limited, there are always 
opportunities, particularly in education, tourism, agriculture, energy and infrastructure for further 
business linkages. The Gambia 's maritime and Atlantic connections also make it an important 
potential regional partner for many WTO Members.  
4.37.   We therefore wish the delegation of The Gambia all success in this Trade Policy Review and 
in your ongoing reform efforts, and we will follow wi th interest your continued integration into the 
global trading system.  
JAPAN  
4.38.   Needless to say, Japan has been providing cooperation for the development of The Gambia 
for many years, and Japan will continue to make every effort to maintain and further develo p the 
good relationship between us.  
4.39.   According to the Secretariat reports, The Gambia 's recent real GDP growth has been 
relatively weaker than previous years, averaging 2.9% in the review period, as a result of certain 
internal issues and external shocks su ch as natural disasters.  WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 16 - 
 
  4.40.   Moreover, The Gambia 's economy relies on two main drivers of growth: services, which 
comprise 66% of GDP; and agricultu re, which makes up 21% of GDP. So Japan hopes The Gambia 
will accelerate its industrial diversification to promo te the stabilization of its economy.  
4.41.   On the other hand, Japan welcomes the country 's introduction of VAT in January 2013, 
which led to its economic growth of 4.8% in 2013. We expect The Gambia to continue to promote 
positive economic reform.  
4.42.   Let me turn to  the WTO issues.  
4.43.   We commend The Gambia on the efforts it has been making to commit to the multilateral 
trading system. During the review period, The Gambia provided 21 notifications to the WTO. 
Moreover, The Gambia deposited its instrument of acceptance of  the Trade Facilitation Agreement 
in July 2017, and today, the Gambia submitted its Category A, B, and C notifications to the WTO. 
We look forward to studying the Gambia 's Category C notifications which we can identify the 
Gambia 's needs of assistance.  
4.44.   Let me next make some comments on The Gambia 's trade policies.  
4.45.   Japan is pleased to note that The Gambia has actively introduced and maintained various 
methods for trade facilitation.  
4.46.   For example, in January 2017, The Gambia implemented the new five -tiered ECO WAS 
Common External Tariff (CET), which has a lower simple average applied MFN rate of CET than 
that of The Gambia 's customs tariff of 2010.  
4.47.   Moreover, The Gambia has taken the following actions to promote trade: it relaxed its 
documentation requirements f or importers; it made appropriate pre -arrival declarations to The 
Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), which helped to expedite the customs process; and it updated 
and rolled out its national electronic customs date system (ASYCUDA).  
4.48.   The Gambia 's efforts in thi s regard have increased its ranking to number two in the region in 
terms of ease of cross -border trade in 2017, and have also contributed to facilitating world trade.  
4.49.   Before concluding, I would like to touch upon Japan 's initiatives to provide support for 
African countries.  
4.50.   First, Japan announced plans to implement quality infrastructure investment through such 
means as region -wide development, resource and energy development, and urban development at 
the 6th meeting of the Tokyo International Conference on  African Development (TICAD), which 
was held in 2016.  
4.51.   Second, o n 8 December 2017, the Japanese Government made a pledge to provide 
approximately US$300 million over the next three years to support the development of the 
information and communications techn ology field, including e -commerce, in developing countries.  
4.52.   Japan hopes The Gambia will utilize these forms of assistance for further development and 
actively engage in future discussions on e -commerce and the digital economy.  
4.53.   We wish The Gambia a successf ul and productive TPR.  
CHINA  
4.54.   As the reports point out, Gambia is one of the least developed and poorest countries in the 
world. Though Gambia has weathered the global financial crisis relatively well, the economic 
performance was considerably  weaker after 2010 and the new G overnment is facing a serious of 
economic challenges including large budget deficits, weaknesses in the business environment, 
infrastructure bottlenecks, etc.. Thus , we would encourage Gambia to undertake further domestic 
reforms and adju stment of macroeconomic and trade policies, to relieve the high government 
borrowing, create a more competitive business environment, attract more investments and 
enhance economic resilience and diversification.  WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 17 - 
 
  4.55.   We also appreciate Gambia 's commitment to th e multilateral tr ading system in the 
Government r eport and commend its ratification of Trade Facilitation Agreement in 2017.  
4.56.   China attaches importance to cooperation with Gambia and is willing to enhance Gambia 's 
capacity for self -development and sustaina ble development. We have granted Zero Tariff 
Treatment to the Products in 97% of the Tariff Lines from Gambia since 1 Dec ember  2017.  
4.57.   On 21 December 2017, witnessed by President Xi and Gambia 's President Barrow, China 's 
Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan and G ambia 's Minister of Foreign Affairs, International 
Cooperation and Gambians Abroad Darboe signed the Memorandum of Understanding on 
Economy, Trade, Investment and Technical Cooperation between China and Gambia in Beijing. 
According to the MOU, China and Ga mbia officially build bilateral joint committee of economics and 
trade mechanism. We firmly believe the established committee will lead the friendly cooperation 
between the two countries in areas such as trade, investment, infrastructure, development 
assistance and human resources, playing an important role in developing the relationship between 
China and Gambia.  
4.58.   According to our statistics, the two -way trade reached US$410 million from January to 
October 2017, increasing by 18.8%. The stock of China 's inve stment in Gambia is US$12.8 million 
by the end of 2016. China would like to continue to earnestly make our due support to the 
development of Gambia under the South -South cooperation framework.  
4.59.   We have raised some questions on Gambia 's economic and trade po licy, covering the areas 
of investment, taxation, environmental impact assessment and business environment 
improvement. We appreciate the responses from the Gambia 's delegation to our questions, which 
we will study closely.  
4.60.   I would wish this Trade Policy Review of Gambia a complete success.  
THAILAND  
4.61.   In 2016, the trade value between Thailand and The Gambia was US $21 million, with exports 
and imports value at US$20 million and US$200 thousand, respectively.  
4.62.   Although  the bilateral trade between Thailand and The Gambia is still relatively small, there 
is trade potential that can be explored. For exports, such potential may exist in plastics, fabrics, 
cereals, vehicles, paper and electric machinery. While wood, iron, an d steel can be considered 
high-potential imports.  
4.63.   Thailand would like to congratulate The Gambia on depositing its instrument of acceptance 
of the Trade Facilitation Agreement on 11 July 2017. We would also like to commend The Gambia 
for its effort to furt her facilitate trade, which includes the implementation of laws and regulations 
in accordance with the WTO Agreement on Customs Valuation; the adoption of international 
standards; and the reform of its government procurement regime in line with internation al best 
practice.  
4.64.   In this review, Thailand submitted a few questions to The Gambia, covering, among others, 
issues regarding the maritime transport strategy of the Government, foreign investment in river 
transport, and land leasing by a foreign investor in  tourism sector. We thank The Gambia for 
timely responses to our questions, and will study them in detail with great interest.  
4.65.   In conclusion, Thailand would like to express our appreciation to The Gambian delegation for 
today 's presentation. We wish The Ga mbia every success in the third Trade Policy Review.  
INDIA  
4.66.   Gambia is amongst the smallest coun tries on the African Mainland. The GDP growth of 
Gambia slowed down from 4.3% in 2015 to 2.2% in 2016 and during the period under review 
grew at an average of 2.9 % from 2010 -16. The economy of Gambia still remains largely reliant on 
agriculture, tourism, re -exports, remit tances and international aid. The challenges facing Gambia 
include large public debt, diversification of the economy, infrastructural needs, vulne rability to WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 18 - 
 
  droughts and addressing poverty and socio -economic development.  We commend the Government 
of Gambia for the efforts being made to address these challenges including taking fiscal measures 
for revenue mobilisation, reduction of fiscal deficit, c reating of a competitive business 
environment, addressing debt sustainability and diversification of the economy.  
4.67.   India and Gambia sha re warm and cordial relations. The bilateral trade between India and 
Gambia stood at USD 10 6 million in 2016 -17. Though mo dest there is considerable potential to 
expand trade and economic ties between both countries in areas including textiles, cotton yarn, 
drugs and pharmaceuticals, agricultural products, engineering goods, machinery, metals and 
minerals.  
4.68.   During the third In dia-Africa Summit , our Prime Minister announced a comprehensive 
development assistance plan for all the African countries over the ne xt five years which include 
US$10 billion in LOCs; US$ 600 million as grant assistance and US$100 million through India -Africa 
Development Assistance Fund. Under Development Partnership Cooperation , India has been 
assisting Gambia for socio -economic development.  Concessionary lines of credit have been 
extended for the following projects:  
i. US$6.7 million for a tractor assembly plant project;  
ii. US$10 million for the construction of National Assembly Building Complex;  
iii. In 2014 a US$ 22.5 million credit line for expansion of electricity project in Greater Banjul 
Area and replacement of Asbestos Wate r Pipes by UPVC Pipes in Greater Banjul Area;  
iv. Recently in 2015 a US$ 92 million credit line for expansion o f Banjul port in Gambia and 
US$10 million for the Gambia Rural El ectrification Extension Project.  
4.69.   India is also extending assistance to Gambia in the  area of new and renewable energy, 
vocational training, ICT and agro & food processing.  
4.70.   For capacity building and human resources development , India is regularly offering 
scholarships to Gambian professionals under India 's Economic and Te chnical Cooperatio n 
programme. Scholarships are also being extended to students from Gambia for studying in India 
by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.  
4.71.   India has always been a supporter of special dispensation for LDCs and provides 98.2% 
tariff lines as duty free o r preferential access to LDCs with applicable tarif f on all cotton lines at 
zero. We have also provided one of the most liberal packages for services waiver, including 
complete waiver of visa fees.  
4.72.   To conclude, we look forward to working closely with the a uthorities of Gambia for further 
expanding and harnessing the potential of our trade and inves tment ties for mutual benefit. We 
wish the delegation of Gambia a productive and successful TPR.  
BENIN 
4.73.   The delegation of Benin endorses the statements made by Rwa nda on behalf of the 
African  Group and Cambodia on behalf of the LDC Group.  
4.74.   The Gambia's economic performance over the review period was encouraging, despite 
external shocks and the effects of climatic variations to which the economy remains highly 
vulner able, leading to a sinusoidal growth pattern, with a drop to 0.9% in 2014 followed by an 
upswing to 4.3% in 2015. Growth is projected at 3% for 2017.  
4.75.   The delegation of Benin commends and encourages the Government's efforts to introduce 
reforms aimed at re vitalizing the domestic economy, in particular by implementing the customs 
and excise duty provisions of the ECOWAS CET, simplifying the tax system, launching the fourth 
component of Gamswitch to provide a greater and more efficient means of financial tran saction 
processing in the country, and further liberalizing telecommunications to attract investors in the 
sector.  WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 19 - 
 
  4.76.   Agriculture, fisheries and tourism are the key sectors of the economy. Various structural 
reforms implemented by The Gambia, such as the agri cultural reform, the reform on competition 
in the manufacturing sector, and the tax and budgetary reform have helped the country achieve 
economic and trade results. The Gambia will need support to continue and improve these 
outcomes.  
4.77.   The delegation of Ben in encourages The Gambia to pursue its efforts to diversify and 
restructure its economy.  
4.78.   The Gambia's trade policies are aimed inter alia at boosting exports, economic development 
and job creation. Two strategic plans have been drawn up to that end, namely the Medium -Term 
Plan 2016 -2020 and the National Export Strategy 2013 -2017, both of which are underpinned by 
the Diagnostic Trade Integrat ion Study (DTIS) carried out in mid -June 2103.  
4.79.   The country's firm commitment to the multilateral trading system and regional integration, 
aimed at using trade as a tool to stimulate growth and support development, has resulted in the 
ratification of the T rade Facilitation Agreement and the signing of several regional, sub -regional 
and bilateral trade agreements.  
4.80.   The delegation of Benin invites development partners to support The Gambia's efforts to 
develop its socio -economic and transport infrastructure an d to realize its great potential, 
particularly in the agricultural, fisheries, energy, mining and tourism sectors.  
4.81.   The delegation of Benin thanks the WTO Secretariat and the Government of The Gambia for 
the highly informative reports prepared for this rev iew of The Gambia's trade policies.  
4.82.   It wishes The Gambia every success in this Trade P olicy Review.  
ARGEN TINA 
4.83.   The Argentine Republic is very interested to note that since its previous trade policy review 
in 2010,  The Gambia has maintained an open trade and investment regime. The country has 
weathered the financial crisis relatively well, recording solid economic growth from 2007 to date, 
with a figure of over 5.6% in the period 2007 -2010.  
4.84.   Our bilateral trade has expanded significantly over the past two years, exceeding 2011 
levels by almost 40%. Argentina's exports to The Gambia include rice, beans and peas, among 
other agricultural products.  
4.85.   We emphasize the importance of The Gambia's tariff reform, which led to the adoption of 
the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) in January 2017. Adoption of the CET entailed 
adjustments in the customs duty rates for nearly two thirds  (4,000) of all tariff lines.  
4.86.   Argentina welcomes the actions undertaken by The Gambia Investmen t and Export 
Promotion Agency (GIEPA) and highlights, among other things, the Agency's administration of the 
special investment certificate scheme, which offers a range of incentives for foreign direct 
investment in priority sectors and areas.  
4.87.   We would al so like to emphasize the substantial upgrading of telecommunications 
infrastructure, especially with the establishment of the Africa Coast to Europe submarine cable 
landing station in 2012 and the completion of the nationwide fibre -optic backbone network 
in 2015. We hope that the new National Information and Communication Infrastructure 
Policy  2017-2025 will become a key tool to improve the regulatory environment and broadband 
access across the country.  
4.88.   Argentina notes that The Gambia has notified the WTO that its laws, regulations and 
administrative procedures are in line with the provisions of the WTO Agreement on Customs 
Valuation. It also notes that substantial import duty and tax exemptions have been granted on 
imports of capital and intermediate goods  in order to safeguard the competitiveness of the 
economy.  WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 20 - 
 
  4.89.   As a final point, Argentina greatly welcomes the progress made by The Gambia in the area 
of standards and technical requirements. Indeed, since its entry into operation in 2011, 
The Gambia Standard s Bureau (TGSB) has published 33 standards, most of them directly adopted 
from international standards.  
4.90.   Lastly, while reiterating our appreciation of this renewed opportunity to exchange 
information and comments on the trade policies and practices of The Gambia, we would like to 
draw attention once again to the importance of this exercise in transparency from every point of 
view, and to wish the Gambian authorities a successful conclusion to this review.  
SINGAPORE  
4.91.   Trade flows between Singapore and The Gamb ia, albeit modest, saw healthy growth in 
2016.1 This is a positi ve trend and we believe there is potential for deeper bilateral economic 
relations.  
4.92.   Despite weathering the 2008 Global Financial Crisis relatively well, The Gambia has since 
seen slower gro wth averaging 2.9% between 2010 and 2016. This was primarily hampered by 
weaknesses in the business environment, infrastructure bottlenecks, and external shocks. That 
said, we note The Gambia 's recent efforts at improving its business environment, including in 
amending its Industrial Property Act (to improve protection of Intellectual Property rights), and 
upgrading its telecommunication infrastructure through the National Information and 
Commu nication Infrastructure Policy 2017 -2025. We are encouraged by these developments and 
urge The Gambia to continue in its efforts to ensure sustained future economic growth.  
4.93.   We commend The Gambia 's timely ratification of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (T FA). We 
hope that this will avail them of further resources to further improve their business and trading 
environment. We also appreciate The Gambia 's efforts at transparency in submitting 21 WTO 
notifications in the period under review. We note that there  are still outstanding notifications, 
including on domestic support in Agriculture, and we encourage The Gambia to rectify this as soon 
as possible. We also note that The Gambia has yet to ratify the Protocol amending the TRIPS 
Agreement, and also urge the m to do so as soon as possible.  
4.94.   Finally, we wish The Gambia every success in its 3rd Trade Policy Review.  
GHANA  
4.95.   Since the last review, The Gambian economy has been generally stable with robust 
economic growth until recently when growth contracted from 4.3%  in 2015 to 2.2% in 2016. The 
contraction was principally due to the decline in tourism earnings and reduced agricultural outputs 
due to, among others, delayed rains in 2014. Subsistence, rural and rain fed agriculture is one of 
the major drivers of The Ga mbia's economy contributing about 21% to the GDP in 2016 and 
serving as the main source of livelihood of the majority of the rural population.  
4.96.   The Gambia relies heavily on services which contributed about 66% to GDP in 2016. 
However, after experiencing som e decline in 2015, the services sector again picked up growth in 
2016, which was quite impressive, especially in the 2014 Ebola crisis in the region.  
4.97.   The Gambian G overnment 's effort at holding inflation at below 5%, tightening monetary 
policy and strength ening banking supervision, is  commendable. We wish to encourage The Gambia 
to improve its debt sustainability policies as a means of reducing public debt.  
4.98.   On the bilateral level, Ghana has had long historical ties with The Gambia. Though trade 
between the two countries is very minimal, Ghanaian teachers and experts have been working in 
the Gambia since colonial days.  
4.99.   To demonstrate our bilateral attachment with The Gambia, last year, even before President 
Akufo -Addo had formed his Government, Ghana sent 205  combat troops to The Gambia as part of 
                                                
1 Trade flows increased by 58.7% to 1.39 million SGD in 2016.  WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 21 - 
 
  the regional mission to support the creation of a peaceful environment and to facilitate the 
inauguration of the President -Elect, Adama Barrow, on Thursday, 19 January 2017.  
4.100.   At the Multilateral level, w e recognize Th e Gambia 's ratification of the Trade Facilitation 
Agreement in March 2017 and the measures to improve trade facilitation infrastructure including 
the Single Window business registration and the building of the Cargo Complex at Banjul 
International Airport,  with assistance from the EIF project, to address inadequate storage for 
export products which will go a long way to improving customs clearance and delivery of port 
services.  
4.101.   On the ECOWAS F ront, we welcome The Gambia 's ratification of the Free Movement 
Protocol and all its supplementary protocols, the implementation of the ECOWAS Trade 
Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) and the Common External Tariff which will improve intra -ECOWAS 
trade for the benefit of all Members.  
4.102.   As a Member of the ECOWAS, Ghana appreciates The Gambia 's acceptance to host the 
ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority, a body to regulate anti -competitive practices within the 
regional market.  
4.103.   The performance of the agriculture sector of the Gambia, since the last review, has been 
declin ing with total agricultural output dropping from 308,141 tonnes in 2010 to 268,543 tonnes in 
2015. As one of the main contributors to the GDP of the country, and the main stay of a majority 
of the populace, we wish to spur the Government on, to reinforce i ts efforts at addressing the 
challenges in the agricultural sector such as the introduction of projects to improve irrigation and 
build feeder roads to provide access to markets for agricultural produce.  
4.104.   Lastly, Ghana would like to call on development part ners to support The Gambia in 
implementing its trade and economic policies to reduce poverty and create jobs for its people.  
4.105.   Ghana wishes The Ga mbia a successful Trade Policy R eview.  
PAKISTAN  
4.106.   The Gambia is the smallest country on the African mainland, with a per capita income of 
less than US$500. It has managed to keep on growing economically despite the global challenges 
and external shocks. It recorded solid economic growth in the period 2007 -10, averaging over 
5.6% and 2.9% in the period 2010 -16. The Gambia 's economy relies mainly on services which at 
66% of GDP in 2016 is the main driver of growth. Remittances and international aid play an 
important role in sustaining the economy. The export  base is very small (US$19.1 million in 2015), 
consisting mainly of groundnuts and fish.  
4.107.   Pakistan welcomes The Gambia 's acceptance of the Trade Facilitation Agreement. It is 
worthwhile to mention that The Gambia is a member of the least developed countrie s (LDC) and 
African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) groups, the African Group, the G -90, and the "W52" sponsors.  
4.108.   The WTO and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) trade regime 
provide the basic parameters for The Gambia 's trade policies.  
4.109.   For the Gambia, the change from the national customs tariff (2010) to the ECOWAS CET is 
a major tariff reform, entailing adjustments in the customs duty rates for nearly two thirds of all 
tariff lines. The simple average applied MFN tariff rate of the CET (1 2.3%) is lower than that of the 
Gambian customs tariff of 2010 (14.1%), and a wider range of products is now classified as inputs 
(essential commodities, raw materials, and capital goods), which have had their tariffs reduced to 
5%. Most goods can be trade d without any restrictions. Nonetheless, The Gambia has notified the 
WTO that it does not maintain an import licensing system and has never used trade contingency 
measures.  
4.110.   Pakistan appreciates that Gambia has maintained its generally open trade and invest ment 
regime since the last TPR in 2010. The Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA) 
is responsible for investment and export promotion, administering the Special Investment WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 22 - 
 
  Certificate (SIC) scheme and the export processing zone near Banjul I nternational Airport. SICs 
offer a range of incentives (with minimum FDI of US$250,000 in priority sectors and areas).  
4.111.   Pakistan has noted that The Gambia has made progress in the area of standards and 
technical requirements. The Gambia Standards Bureau (TG SB) became operational in 2011 and 
has since promulgated 33 standards, most of them directly adopted from international standards.  
4.112.   Competition rules are governed by the Competition Act of 2007, with The Gambia 
Competition and Consumer Protection Commissio n (GCCPC) as the enforcement agency.  
4.113.   Pakistan commends that with regard to developments in the services sector, the banking 
sector is liquid and profitable. Most banks are foreign -owned. The payments system, including the 
clearing and settlement infrastru cture, has been modernized through technical improvements. 
Pakistan welcomes the fact that the telecom infrastructure has been substantially upgraded, with 
the establishment of the African Coast to Europe submarine cable landing station in 2012 and the 
completion of a nationwide fibre -optic backbone network in 2015. The new National Information 
and Communication Infrastructure Policy 2017 -2025 aims at technology neutral regulatory 
environment and more affordable broadband access in the country. Two out of f our mobile carriers 
are foreign -owned.  
4.114.   We are highly appreciative of the positive role played by the Gambian Mission in Geneva 
towards upholding the sanctity of the multilateral trading system and their engagement in this 
forum.  
4.115.   In the end, we want to wish  Gambia a very successful and a fruitful TPR.  
TOGO,  COORDINATOR  OF THE ECOWAS  MEMBER  STATES  
4.116.   Based on the information contained in the two trade policy review reports, we wish to 
make the following comments and observations.  
4.117.   Despite real GDP growth slippin g to 2.2% in 2016 from 4.3% the year before, the outlook 
of the Gambian economy is positive, with an anticipated real GDP growth rate of 3.0%.  
4.118.   At sectoral level, services experienced a decline, increasing by only 3.7% in 2015 
compared to 6.0% the previous year. The sector's underperformance was attributed to the low 
turnout of tourists as a result of the 2014 Ebola crisis.  
4.119.   Fortunately, a return to growth in agriculture and tourism is forecast as a result of 
increased investment and policy coordination amon g key stakeholders in 2017.  
4.120.   In this connection, we are pleased to note that the Government of The Gambia continues 
to prioritize agriculture in its development agenda by strengthening relationships with 
development partners in order to boost agricultural production and food productivity with a view to 
ensuring food security and enhancing rural livelihoods. We welcome these measures on account of 
their effectiveness in combating poverty.  
4.121.   At ECOWAS level, we note that The Gambia benefits from several trade a nd economic 
development programmes and has implemented protocols and programmes to guide its regional 
integration and economic development agendas. Among the most relevant for trade are the 
Protocol on Free Movement of People and Goods, the ECOWAS Inter -State Road Transit Scheme 
(ISRT) and the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme.  
4.122.   We commend The Gambia for applying the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) since 
1 January 2017, and both our countries remain committed to the renegotiation of WTO tariff 
concessio ns that all the ECOWAS countries are about to undertake as a group over the coming 
triennium 2018 -2020 - even though The Gambia, as is the case of several other ECOWAS 
members, has not breached its bindings as a result of implementing the CET.  WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 23 - 
 
  4.123.   We hope that  with sound reforms and engagement on the part of the country's current 
leadership, the economy of The Gambia will continue on the path towards structural 
transformation for the benefit of the Gambian population.  
4.124.   Lastly, we wish the delegation of The Gam bia a successful Trade Policy R eview.  
SENE GAL 
4.125.   Senegal endorses the statements made by Rwanda, Cambodia and Togo on behalf of the 
African and LDC Groups and ECOWAS.  
4.126.   Since its previous review in 2010, The Gambia has maintained its open trade and 
investment regime despite difficulties at the political level and a challenging environment.  
4.127.   Real GDP growth has been weaker than expected, averaging 2.9% in the period 2010 -
2016. On the other hand, the country's economy shows encouraging signs with real GDP growth 
forecast at 3%.  
4.128.   The Gambia relies heavily on services, which account for  66% of GDP according to 2016 
estimates. The services sector is the main driver of growth, along with agriculture and fisheries.  
4.129.   Remittances and international aid also play an important  role in sustaining the economy.  
4.130.   The outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever in 2014 has had consequences for The Gambia 
and its neighbours. Nonetheless, the Government's efforts hold the promise of growth in the 
tourism and agricultural sectors as a result of increased investment and policy coordination among 
key stakeholders.  
4.131.   It should be noted that the Government has reformed its key trade policies and that the 
five-band ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) was adopted on 1 January 2017. The Gambia 
has als o pursued its trade facilitation endeavours, as evidenced by the deposit of its instrument of 
ratification of the Trade Facilitation Agreement in July 2017.  
4.132.   Gambian customs procedures with respect to customs valuation, rules of origin, and transit 
are gove rned by ECOWAS rules. The Gambia has notified the WTO that its laws and regulations 
are in line with the provisions of the WTO Agreement on Customs Valuation. As indicated in the 
Secretariat report, most goods can be traded without any restrictions.  
4.133.   Such m omentum argues for an increase in trade relations between The Gambia and the 
other African countries, particularly the ECOWAS countries and Senegal.  
4.134.   I would like to highlight the special links that unite the Republic of The Gambia and the 
Republic of Seneg al. The two countries have historical, cultural and multisectoral ties expressed 
through solidarity and significant cooperation and trade relations.  
4.135.   As the President of the Republic of Senegal, Mr Macky Sall, reiterated at the swearing -in 
ceremony of the President of The Gambia, Mr Adama Barrow, the two countries are inseparable 
because they share the same values, the same way of life, and the same history. The Gambia and 
Senegal are one people. The delegation of Senegal would like to take this opportunity  to call on 
WTO Members to give special consideration to The Gambia so that it can expand its export 
opportunities, implement its WTO commitments, and increase its integration in the multilateral 
trading system and the global economy.  
4.136.   Madam Minister, the d elegation of Senegal congratulates you and your Government as a 
whole for your endeavours and for the reforms undertaken to create jobs and reduce poverty 
despite a challenging international economic environment  
4.137.   Senegal urges the Republic of The Gambia to  persist in its commitment and efforts to 
further open up its economy to trade and global value chains, in particular by continuing to reduce 
tariff protection, eliminating quantitative restrictions, streamlining foreign trade procedures, and 
establishing an environment conducive to business development, in order to complete the WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 24 - 
 
  structural transformation of the country's economy and achieve more inclusive and sustainable 
growth.  
4.138.   We look forward to cooperating with the Permanent Mission that The Gambia inte nds to 
establish in Geneva. In closing, I wish you and the delegation accompanying you every success in 
this review of your country's trade policies.  
EGYPT  
4.139.   Egypt supports the statement of Rwanda on behalf of the African Group.  
4.140.   Egypt is pleased to see that , despite certain unfavourable developments that have affected 
the national economy of The Gambia, such as the Ebola crisis, the decline in tourism earnings and 
reduced agricultural outputs, the Gambian economy has been generally stable with robust 
economi c growth over the last five years. Furthermore, the outlook of The Gambian economy is 
positive with an anticipated real GDP growth rate of 3.0%.  
4.141.   Egypt commends the fiscal measures adopted by the Government of The Gambia with a 
view to improving revenue mob ilization, reducing the fiscal deficit and creating a competitive 
business environment, leading ultimately to the enhancement of the private sector development as 
well as attracting investments.  
4.142.   On another note, Egypt encourages The Gambia to further pursu e tax reforms over the 
medium term to enhance revenues and strengthen the business environment.  
4.143.   As for monetary policies, Egypt commends the monetary policy adopted by the 
Government of The Gambia, which aims at holding inflation to no more than 5% to prev ent further 
price increases.  
4.144.   We note with appreciation Gambia 's commitment to tightening up the monetary policy and 
the continued strengthening of the supervision of the banking system to ensure compliance with 
the banking rules and operations.  
4.145.   Egypt is of  the opinion that development is central to the function of the global trading 
system, and that trade plays a focal role in achieving sustainable development to various nations. 
Consequently, and since the Gambia is a least developing country, realizing de velopment 
necessitates integration to the multilateral trading system. We are, as well, of the conviction that 
this proactive integration of The Gambia will not be effectively realized without extending 
necessary technical assistance. Consequently, we call  upon the WTO to play its inherent role in this 
regard, in such a way that enables The Gambia to make full use of its potentials in realizing 
sustainable development.  
CAMBODIA  ON BEHALF  OF THE LDC GROUP  
4.146.   We have assessed through the reports that, since its last TPR, the Gambia has maintained 
its open trade and investment regime, but the real GDP growth has been considerably weaker, 
averaging 2.9% in the period 2010 -16. However, the Gambian economy is positively projected 
with the anticipated real GDP growth rate of 3.0%.  
4.147.   We have noted that Gambia 's economy relies mainly on services (66% of GDP in 2016) as 
the main driver of growth and drought -prone agriculture sector (21% of GDP in 2016). 
Remittances and international aid play an important role in sustaining the economy. The service 
sector declined, with a growth of only 3.7% in 2015 compared to 6.0% of the previous year. The 
underperformance of this sector was attributed to the low turnout of tourist as a result of the 2014 
Ebola crisis. Nonetheless, there is  an expected growth in agriculture as well as tourism through the 
increase of investment and policy coordination amongst key stakeholders in upcoming years.  
4.148.   We have seen from the reports that, even though  the country is open to foreign  
investment, economic  growth has been affected by weaknesses of the business environment, 
including a complex tax system and infrastructure bottlenecks. Foreign direct investment (FDI) WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 25 - 
 
  flows to Gambia have been instable, and remain far below levels preceding the global financi al 
crisis. In this regard, we recommend the country to consider simplify its business environment.  
4.149.   We have also observed that, in response to low trade and economic development 
performance, the Gambian Government has reformed its main trade policies with t he adoption of 
the five -band ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) since 1 January 2017. The LDC Group 
wishes the country a successful implementation of its trade policy reform.  
4.150.   We have been aware that Gambia, as an LDC, benefits from the EU 's Everything But  Arms 
(EBA) Initiative and also benefits from duty -free and quota -free (DFQF) accorded to LDCs by India, 
Republic of Korea, Morocco and the People 's Republic of China. In this connection, the LDC Group 
calls on other Members to further grant non -reciprocal  trade preferential treatment to LDCs, 
including Gambia to enhance their export opportunities.  
4.151.   Finally, the LDC Group calls on WTO Members to continue their efforts to support small 
economies like the Gambia in the implementation of the WTO commitments and  to enhance their 
integration into the multilateral trading system and the global economy.  
4.152.   Once again, on behalf of the LDC Group, I wish Gambia every success in their initiatives in 
promoting trade and economic development as well as a successful third TP R. 
RWANDA  ON BEHALF  OF THE AFRICAN  GROUP  
4.153.   The two reports highlight progress  and challenges facing t he Gambia 's trade and 
development. It is highlighted  that throughout the review period, The Gambia 's economy has been 
relatively stable with a GDP growth of around 5.6% (but with a weaker real GDP growth averaging 
2.9% in the period of 2010 -2016); while the economic outlook is predicted to be relatively positive 
with a real GDP growth rate of 3%. Inflation has been kept at a single digit although it is still 
above the Central Bank target of 5%. We commend the Government of t he Gambia for al 
macroeconomic efforts undertaken in this regard. At sectoral level, however, the challenges seem 
huge although not insurmountable; but to address current structural challeng es, it will require a 
transformative agenda for a future sustained and inclusive economic growth.  
4.154.   Indeed, The Gambia 's economy relies heavily on services accounting for 66% of GDP in 
2016 (WTO report); 21% for agriculture; a meagre 5 -6% for manufacturing a nd 2% for fisheries. 
This said, we positively note the Government 's commitment to implement sectoral policies for 
more diversification and productivity. In this regard, we welcome the review of the industrial policy 
which is underway with the objective of transforming the manufacturing sector. Likewise, we 
welcome efforts towards sustained diversification of food production despite pervasive drought.  
4.155.   More generally, t he Gambia, as a small economy, exhibits a trade profile that has a 
number of similarities w ith most African economies:  
i. A small export basket dominated by primary goods;  
ii. A higher trade deficit;  
iii. Insignificant manufacturing value added exports.  
 
4.156.   According to the UNIDO Report 2016, most African countries  are experiencing a premature 
deindustrialization (i.e. decreasing manufacturing outputs and decreasing manufacturing jobs). A 
small share of manufacturing value added in GDP, such as that of The Gambia (5 -6%), which is 
common to many African countries, is  detrimental to the future sustainable development of the 
continent; because manufacturing has a huge potential for technological change than any other 
sector. We therefore fully support The Gambia, and indeed all African countries to pursue industrial 
development in line with the 2063 Agenda, the Africa we want. Industrial development will help 
rebalancing the overall economic structure; create needed massive jobs and lay a solid foundation 
for technological catch -up and structural transformation. Such a t ransformative agenda shall 
contribute to effective integration of the Gambia into the ECOWAS and the world economy. We 
urge all donors (bilateral and multilateral donors) to continue and increase their support to the 
Gambia in order to realize these noble goals.  WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 26 - 
 
  4.157.   I take this opportunity to wish the delegation of The Gambia a very successful Trade Policy 
Review.  
SIERRA  LEONE  
4.158.   Sierra Leone aligns itself with the statements of the LDC and African Groups.  
4.159.   Sierra Leone has a number of things in common with Gambia.  We both are classified as 
Least developed countries and are members of the Economic Community of West African States. 
Our historical links is reflected in prevalence of the Sierra Leone lingua franca in the Gambia.  
4.160.   Sierra Leone would like to congratulate the new Gambian Government for the impressive 
steps it has taken in the past year to bring Gambia "back to the fold ". In this connection, Sierra 
Leone notes the Government of the Gambia has embarked on a comprehensive economic reform 
to re-integrate itself  into the global economy by improving its business environment to promote 
and facilitate trade and investment. The Government recently adopted a new National 
Entrepreneurship Policy to support the development of MSMEs which constitute more than 70% of 
the economic operators and contribute more than 60% of employment in the economy. Gambia 
also concluded a comprehensive Investment Policy Review with the support of UNCTAD.  
4.161.   It is gratifying to note that the Gambia is committ ed to advancing gender equality  and 
youth and women empowerment as well as creating a policy environment to unleash their 
potential. In this connection, Sierra Leone notes that Gambia is a signatory to the Gender and 
Trade Declaration which was launched by the Geneva Gender Champions in the margins of MC11.  
4.162.   The Gambia has ratified the Trade Facilitation Agreement and, as stated by the honourable 
Minister at MC11, remains committed to the multilateral trading system as the best option to 
foster global trade.  
4.163.   Inter-regional trade is important t o achieve economic integration. It was for this purpose 
that the 15 Member States of the Economic Community of the West African States on 25 October 
2013 adopted the five -band ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET). It is pertinent to note that, as 
a member o f ECOWAS, Gambia has adopted the five -CET since 1 January 2017.  
4.164.   In conclusion, while noting that the Gambia has benefited from funding from the Enhanced 
Integrated Framework (EIF), Sierra Leone calls on developed countries and developing countries, 
in a po sition to do so to extend greater aid for trade assistance to the Gambia, including in 
facilitating the access of women to resources to enable them to increase their contribution and 
impact to Gambia 's development.  
  WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 27 - 
 
  5  REPLIES BY THE REPRE SENTATIVE OF THE GAMBIA  AND ADDITIONAL COMME NTS 
5.1.  I wish to thank WTO Members for their valued observations and words of encouragement on 
The Gambia 's trade policy environment and the reforms that have been undertaken since the last 
trade policy review. Let me assure you of the new G overnment 's commitment to the multilateral 
trading system and our conviction to reintegrate The Gambia into the  international community. As 
a Government, we believe strongly in multilateralism as it provides transparent and predictable 
trading sys tem that works for all.  
5.2.  We have provided written answers to all the advance questions and follow -up questions 
received. We also appreciate the comments by Members on the need for The Gambia to do more 
in promoting productive capacity development, improvin g the business environment and 
infrastructural development to increase foreign direct investment in the economy as well as to take 
to advantage of opportunities offered by the regional integration. I also want to thank and 
appreciate the views of H.E. Amba ssador Daniel Blockert for critically looking at the trade policies 
and the development environment of The Gambia and highlighting areas where we need to work 
on to support The Gambia 's trade development. He clearly highlighted areas where we need 
improvem ent and also provide d questions in areas that are critical to our development.  
5.3.  In response, let me assure you that the new Government is working closely with partners to 
quickly stabilize the economy, and the current economic outlook is really promising. We are aware 
of the high deb t burden we inherited, and the G overnment is doing everything possible to address 
it head -on. The Government has introduced tight fiscal discipline to control expenditure. The 
Government is also working with development partners  to formulate a debt sustainability strategy 
to deal with the debt burden on a sustainable basis.  
5.4.  In the short -term, the new Government is also implementing reforms to significantly reduce 
domestic borrowing by ensuring that the Government expenditure is limited within the budget. In 
the medium -term, the Government reforms include streamlining the civil service to enhance 
performance; restructuring of the public enterprises and agencies, and improve macroeconomic 
performance.  
5.5.  With regard to the state -owned enterprises, current efforts are focused on limiting contingent 
liabilities and promoting enhanced transparency and improve the financial viability of these 
enterprises. To restore confidence in the state -owned enterprises, the Government has already 
completed special audits of five major public enterprises to address leakages, which would go a 
long way in improving their financial situation. This exercise , which is being supported by the 
World Bank, is continuing in other public enterprises to enable the  Government to carry out a 
comprehensive reform of the public enterprises to put them on a sound footing. The audits of the 
five major state -owned enterprises, including the Central Bank, that were most affected provide a 
solid basis for a resolution of cr oss arrears between the G overnment and the state -owned 
enterprises. In addition, the Government has put in place a mechanism to strengthen oversight 
functions of these enterprises as well as working on to introduce a State Own ed Enterprise Reform 
Action Pl an. 
5.6.  The proposed three -year State Own ed Enterprise Reform Action Plan would improve 
performance and enhance their contributions to national development in the form of increased 
contribution to tax revenue, dividend payments, job creation and efficient serv ice delivery.  
5.7.  On regional integration issues, the implementation of the ECOWAS CET led to significant 
changes in the tariff structure of The Gambia. Even though The Gambia has limited binding 
coverage with high average bo und rate as alluded to by some M embers, the implementation of th e 
CET has significantly enhanced  the predictability of the tariff not only for The Gambia but ECOWAS 
as a whole give n that no single ECOWAS member S tates can unilaterally change any tariff under 
the CET. This helps in enhancing  certainty, predictability and transparency of the tariff for 
businesses. In addition, its implementation strengthens our participation in regional integration, 
which is also positive in our effort to deepen the regional integration agenda particularly tow ards 
the creation of a customs union. As a small economy, enlarge market enable us to enjoy 
economies scale and thus attract investment in the economy.  WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 28 - 
 
  5.8.  However, the implementation of the CET is posing some challenges in the economy in areas 
of revenue, pr ice hike in some social goods such as rice, cooking oil, flour, cement and few others 
whose tariffs were much lower than the CET rate. Although 3% exclusion list could address these 
challenges, this is only applicable in the short run. We therefore call on  development partners to 
suppo rt The Gambia and other ECOWAS m ember States to deal with the challenges of CET 
implementation by carrying out the necessary economic reforms.  
5.9.  To facilitate Trade within the region, The Gambia is also participating in the har monization of 
ECOWAS Standards within the region as one of the objectives of the Regional Quality Policy. As 
part of efforts to improve  the business environment, the G overnm ent is undertaking a tax reform  
and improvement in energy sector to reduce the cost  of doing business and enable enterprises to 
effectively utilize the ECOWAS trade liberalization scheme.  
5.10.   In addition, we are also working to strengthen our bilateral relationship with the 
neighbo uring countries to facilitate the implementation of the ECOW AS protocols and programme 
particularly the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme, Inter -State Road Transit and the protocol 
on free movement of people.  
5.11.   On the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and West Africa, The 
Gambia has started t he process of signing the EPA. A Cabinet paper will be tabled in the next 
Cabinet meeting.  
5.12.   The new Government attaches great importance to investment promotion and private sector 
participation in the economy particularly in the productive sectors. To demo nstrate commitment to 
these ideals, the G overnment has commenced the implementation of tax reforms to improve the 
business environment. An investment policy review has been conducted by UNCTAD in 2017 and 
the Government is committed to the fully implementa tion of the recommendations. An Action Plan 
is already developed and the G overnment is now seeking assistance from development partners in 
the implementation  plan. We look forward  to work with UNCTAD on this and other development 
partners.  
5.13.   Improvement in t he supply of electricity is also among the priorities of the Government. This 
has culminated into the development of an energy sector road map to improve efficiency in the 
supply of energy and enhance the participation of private sector investment in the e nergy sector.  
5.14.   To increase private sector confidence in the economy by providing them the necessary to 
participate in the decision making, the Government , in consultation with the private sector , has 
created high level political platform called National Bus iness Council, constituting of major business 
executives, including the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry to be chaired by the 
Minister of Trade. The Cabinet already endorsed the body created and my Ministry which led the 
initiative is now working on  the inauguration of t he Council to commence its work maybe next 
week.   
5.15.   On the notification requirements, The Gambia is committed to meeting all its notification 
obligations under the various WTO Agreements. It is for this reason that we established a Nati onal 
Notification committee in 2013 to work on the back logs of The Gambia 's notifications. I am happy 
to say that we have made progress in this area as indicated in the Secretariat 's report. My 
Ministry, through the notification committee, will continue to work with the relevant sectors to 
ensure that the notification requirements are fully met. We have had some challenges in the timely 
preparation of some of the notification relatin g to quantitative restrictions and did request the WTO 
Secretariat to assist in developing capacity in this area. We look forward to working with the 
Secretariat in these areas. In addition, let me also assure you that all WTO Members will be given 
the opp ortunity to make comments on our draft trade related technical regulations before they are 
finalized as required by the TBT and SPS agreements. In this regard, the draft regulation on 
labelling  of pre -packaged food will be notified for comments once its re view by the National 
Technical Regulation Committee is completed.  
5.16.   The Gambia also continues to strengthen its intellectual property laws. We tak e note of the 
interest of some M embers for The Gambia to join other WIPO treaties. In this regard, The Gambia 
has started consultations with WIPO on WIPO Copyright Treaty and the WIPO Performance and 
Phonograph Treaty. We are also drafting our intellectual property policy with the support of WIPO WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 29 - 
 
  and the final recommendations for joining these additional WIPO treati es is expected when the 
intellectual property policy is finalized by end February 2018.  
5.17.   With regards to the TRIPS agreement, The Gambia is committed to the ratification of the 
Protocol amending the TRIPS agreement. My Ministry has started the initial consu ltation with the 
relevant sectors at the national level for the ratification of the Agreement. It is hope d that we will 
be able to complete these consultations and have the protocol ratified before the end of 2018.  
5.18.   Let me also thank Members for acknowledgi ng The Gamb ia's ratification of the Trade 
Facilitation Agreement. The Gambia attaches great importance to the Trade Facilitation Agreement 
and its effective implementation will no doubt reduce cost of trading in The Gambia. As I have said 
during our first session, The Gambia has submitted the notifications of its Category A, B and C 
commitment under the Trade Facilitation Agreement on 23 January 2018. We look forward to 
working closely with development partners to ensure that the required capacities are developed to 
support full and effective implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement.  
5.19.   Finally, I want to thank the WTO Members and the Enhanced Integrated Framework for 
supporting The Gambia since the last Trade Policy Review. The Government of The Gamb ia will 
continue to honour its commitment to the multilateral trading system and where it lacks capacity it 
will continue to seek the support of WTO Members and development partners to strengthen it. The 
Gambia also continues to seek assistance from develo pment partners to address its supply side 
constraints, particularly through the Aid -for-Trade Initiative, to enhance its development efforts 
towards poverty reductions. Our country 's trade needs are well articulated in the New National 
Development Plan whi ch will soon be presented to our development partners as part of resource 
mobilization for its implementation. I encourage all of you to take time from your busy schedule to 
participate in the event. We will inform you when the date and venue is agreed.  
5.20.   Thank you.  
DISCUSSANT  
5.21.   Thank you Chair for giving me the floor again today.  
5.22.   I spoke at length on Tuesday so I will only make a few quick comments today.  
5.23.   First of all, I want to thank Dr Isatou Touray, the Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional 
Integration and Employment, and her delegation for your commitment during this TPR  and the 
very substantial work that you have put in . Many of the questions that were asked the day before 
yesterday have been answered and I think that all Member S tates that have participat ed in this 
TPR have learned a lot about the s tate of The Gambian economy, its trade regime and the 
Government 's ambitions for the future.  
5.24.   Many issues have been raised and I do not intend to be exhaustive in my final remarks, but 
I would like to highlight a  few things that I will take away from this TPR.  
 Many M embers have recogni zed the challenges The Gambian G overnment faces. Some of 
them are fairly common for many LDCs around the world. Others are more specific for The 
Gambia and usually  related to the eco nomic policies of the previous G overnment.  
 Among the challenges that were highlighted were badly needed reforms of state owned 
enterprises, boosting the private sector, improving the ease of doing business and 
combatting corruption, reviewing the tax syste m, the need for investments in the energy 
sector, the importance of having modern laws in place in areas like IPR and procurement, 
and measures to increase productivity in the agriculture and fisheries sectors.  And as we 
heard from the Minister in her intr oduction today, these are issues that the Government is 
working on.  
 Many M embers have also commended The Gambia for maintaining a relatively open trade 
and investment regime. With limited exceptions the country is open to investments  and 
imposes relatively  few barriers to imports.  WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 30 - 
 
   Another issu e that caught the attention of M embers was the introduction of the ECOWAS 
CET. This process is likely to be complicated initially  but there is great potential in  increased 
regional integration and larger trade flows wi th neighbouring countries.  
 Many M embers highlighted the fact that The Gambia has ratified the TFA and welcomed that 
the remaining notifications seem to be in the pipeline . I can just join others in encouraging 
The Gambia to take advantage of the substanti al benefits that the TFA can bring.  
 As a member of the Geneva Gender Champions and representin g a G overnment that prides 
itself of being feminist, it is encouraging to see how The Gambia is highlighting the role of 
women in trade and economic activity . After all one of the few things that basically all 
economists around the world would agree on is that the economic empowerment of women 
is always sound economic policy.  
5.25.   In conclusion , I hope that this TPR h as been helpful for The Gambia  and for the future work 
that you are going to do . If so then this TPR has been worthwhile.  
5.26.   A personal reflection : after going through the reports and reading up on the economic and 
political situation in The Gambia, I think that it 's clear that what this nation needs  now more than 
anything else is stability.  
5.27.   The new G overnment seems to have a clear vision of what they want to achieve. I think  that 
most, if not all, of the M embers that have commented on the Gambian TPR, would subscribe to the 
general priorities laid out by th is Government. But ambitious reforms require political , financial , 
and economic  stability.  
5.28.   Since The Gambia is a coastal S tate, I will conclude by using an old sailor 's greeting, and 
wish that Dr. Touray and her delegation will have fair weather and smooth  sailing.  
5.29.   Thank you.  
EUROPEAN  UNION  
5.30.   Let me first express our sincere appreciation to the delegation of The Gambia for the timely 
replies they have provided to the advance written questions submitted by the EU.  
5.31.   As acknowledged by several Members on Tuesday , despite the considerable infrastructural 
challenges, difficult business climate and the need for more economic diversification, The Gambia 
shows strong commitment to be considered as a credible trade partner within ECOWAS and the 
WTO.  
5.32.   With reference to t he notification submitted by The Gambia of its Category A, B and C 
commitments under the Trade Facilitation Agreement, the EU would like to recognize the interest 
and the effort to follow up this matter.  
5.33.   After a preliminary look at the notification, the EU  would like to ask The Gambia whether 
they could give more information on how they think to implement the Category B measures that 
are, according to the notification, indicatively scheduled for next month.  
5.34.   The EU also takes note of the provisions notified as Category C for which The Gambia is 
seeking assistance and technical support.  
5.35.   In conclusion , on behalf of the EU, let me again express our appreciation to the delegation 
of The Gambia for their presence here, their participation in this important exercis e and for the 
contributions presented during this third Trade Policy Review of The Gambia.  
UNITED  STATES  
5.36.   The United States would like to sincerely thank the entire delegation of The Gambia for 
answers to our previously submitted written questions and for the extremely prompt answers to WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 31 - 
 
  our follow -up questions which we received this morning. My authorities in Washington look forward 
to study ing everything.  
5.37.   We also very much appreciated the very thoughtful and constructive work that went into 
both of the answers  and the overall preparation by everyone, including the very professional 
Secretariat for this Trade P olicy Review.  
5.38.   We also would like to express our special regard to the Honourable Dr. Touray for her 
statement this morning and Ambassador Blockert for his detailed intellectual angle as our 
discussant.  
5.39.   The United States very much appreciates its bilateral relationship with The Gambia and as 
mentioned on Day 1 of this review, my Government is very pleased to have restored eligibility  for 
preferential tariff treatment under the African G rowth and Opportunity Act at the beginning of this 
year following democra tic elections.  
5.40.   We followed with very great interest news of  economic growth , reforms and challenges 
faced and how the new Government is dealing with those challenges. We applaud the efforts to 
improve the business environment, reduce corruption and reduce inefficiencies.  
5.41.   In addition, we encourage The Gambia to continue improving infrastructure, developing the 
workforce, diversifying exports and thoughtfully building an attractive situation for increase foreign 
investment in tourism.  
5.42.   The United States is very enthusiastic about a number of cooperative projects and 
partnerships to develop trade, health, security and prosperity.  
5.43.   As the United States attaches great importance to notifications, we very much appreciate 
the commitment  to notifications expressed in this Trade Policy Review.  
5.44.   We look forward to continue d active and deep er cooperation with the delegation of The 
Gambia here in Geneva and elsewhere and we are very sure that this Trade Policy Review has 
been a valuable exercise. Please accept our best regards and our wishes for safe travel s to 
everyone returning to capital.  
H.E.  DR. ISATOU  TOURAY  (HEAD  OF DELEGATION)  
5.45.   Thank you very much. I am very appreciative of the efforts that have been put into this TPR 
regarding The Gambia. On behalf of my delegati on, on behalf of His Excellency, the President 
Adama Barrow, and of the entire people of The Gambia, I want to express appreciation to all of 
you who have, in one way or another, taken a front seat in support ing The Gambia or a backseat 
in other ways  to encourage us to move forward. And I want to take this opportunity to say that we 
are open, ready and available for any constructive engagement of any international support or 
bilateral relationships with regard to moving The Gambia forward. I want to just as sure you that 
we are now sharing a democracy, a democracy that we want the whole world to see  as a best 
practice having emerged from an authoritarian regime for 22 years  which  resulted in the flight of 
Gambia 's intellectual capital, Gambia 's young people. And now we want to reverse all those 
negative trends and we will be doing everything that we can to show that we can do it and that we 
can only do it when we work together as a community of nations to move a country that is ready 
to change the situation that it has inherited from an authoritarian regime. Thank you all for 
everything that has been done here.  
  WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 32 - 
 
  6  CONCLUDING REMARKS B Y THE CHAIRPERSON  
6.1.  This third Trade Policy Review has offered us an excellent opportunity to deepen our 
understandi ng of recent developments in The Gambia, and the achievements and challenges 
related to its trade and investment policies. Also, as was highlighted by several delegations during 
the review, this exercise has come at an important juncture for The Gambia, af ter having 
experienced a historical democratic change in government last year.  
6.2.  I would like to thank the Gambian delegation, headed by H.E. Dr. Isatou Touray, for the clear 
and thorough policy statement, and our discussant H.E. Mr. Daniel Blockert (Perman ent 
Representative of Sweden) for his detailed and thoughtful analysis and assessments. I would also 
like to acknowledge the numerous comments and advance questions from the 19 delegations that 
took the floor during our deliberations.  
6.3.  Members noted that th e Gambian economy continued to face challenges, but there were 
encouraging signs that it was stabilizing and that higher growth might take place. Some of the 
main problems referred to by delegations were high fiscal deficits, the growing public debt, and 
financially distressed state -owned enterprises. Also, it was considered that high government 
borrowing combined with tight monetary policy had resulted in high interest rates crowding out 
private sector development. However, as noted by the Gambian delegati on, fiscal consolidation in 
2017 had already slowed the growth of debt accumulation and has significantly brought down 
interest rates. The delegation also added that while real GDP growth averaged 2.9% in the period 
2010-16, growth was forecast to reach 3%  in 2017.  
6.4.  Members commended The Gambia for maintaining an open trade and investment regime and 
welcomed the new government 's trade policy outlined by the Gambian delegation during the TPR; 
its main thrust being building trade capacity, improving competiti veness and promoting private 
sector development. The business environment is to be further reformed, and some taxes have 
already been reduced. The corporate income tax rate was cut from 30% to 27% in January 2018. 
Agriculture and fisheries, industry, trans port and energy are seen as critical for development. The 
delegation also highlighted the importance of empowering women in the Gambian economy, which 
was welcomed by a number of delegations.  
6.5.  Members praised The Gambia for a range of reforms undertaken si nce the last Review. The 
country has adopted the five -band ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) from 1 January 2017. 
The average CET (MFN) rate is 12.3%, down from an average rate of 14.1% of the previous 
customs tariff. None of the CET rates exceeds The Ga mbia's tariff bindings. However, it was noted 
that there was a large gap between the country 's average bound rate and average applied rates, 
and only 15% of the tariff lines were bound, rendering the tariff regime less predictable, although 
in practice the  ECOWAS CET regime has reduced the country 's discretion in setting tariff rates.  
6.6.  Members also welcomed that The Gambia had modernized its food safety, TBT, industrial 
property and government procurement regimes. Reference was also made to the opportunitie s 
arising from tourism and logistics. The Gambia was invited to consider acceding to the WTO 
Agreement on Government Procurement and several WIPO treaties, and was encouraged to 
deposit its instrument of acceptance of the Protocol amending the TRIPS Agreem ent. The Minister 
today has shared with us that they have already started consultations with WIPO in acceding to 
several of the treaties mentioned.  
6.7.  Some Members felt that there was room for improvement of the business environment, 
notably by facilitating a ccess to financing, labour market reforms, and increasing effort in 
enhancing good governance. In their advance questions, some Members sought further 
clarification with regard to the investment regime, notably with regard to taxation, environmental 
impact  assessment, and remaining restrictions on FDI.  
6.8.  The Gambian delegation reiterated its commitment to the multilateral trading system and 
announced, during the TPR meeting, that it had decided to open a trade M ission in Geneva. The 
delegation also informed M embers that all draft trade -related legislation and regulations were 
reviewed by a National Technical Regulation Committee to ensure consistency with WTO 
agreements. In this respect, The Gambia was invited to ensure WTO Members had an opportunity 
to commen t on draft regulations affecting trade. Members welcomed that The Gambia 's instrument WT/TPR/M/365 • The Gambia  
 
- 33 - 
 
  of acceptance of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) was deposited in July 2017 and were 
encouraged by the announcement that its TFA notifications were submitted to th e WTO in the 
course of this TPR. It was noted that these notifications would allow donors to identify the needs 
for assistance. Overall, it was observed that The Gambia had a good track record in notifications, 
although some notifications were still outsta nding.  
6.9.  The Gambia has provided replies to all of the questions raised by Members. As noted by 
several Members during the exercise, there is a window of opportunity to expand aid for trade and 
other development aid to achieve The Gambia 's goals to increase  its participation in the 
multilateral trading system and to achieve higher and inclusive growth. The Gambia 's own efforts 
through initiatives such as development plans were considered important to mobilize this 
assistance. I wish to thank again the Gambia n delegation for their commitment to this exercise 
and to all delegations that participated for their constructive feedback.  
__________