Press Release
During its 10th Meeting, Cabinet considered a number of papers laid before it for consideration and adoption.
1. Cabinet adopted a paper presented by the Hon. Minister of Information and Communications Infrastructure to reduce international incoming termination rate from US$0.45 to $0.25 and $0.30 in The Gambia. The essence of this move is to make the Gambian destination more competitive (cheap), enable the country to comply with the required harmonization within ECOWAS; combat specific network-related fraud in communications services and increase the volume of direct incoming tele-traffic and improve on the current revenue stream of incoming international voice traffic.
2. Cabinet also adopted a paper presented by the Minister of Information and Communications Infrastructure for the establishment of an ICT agency in The Gambia. The Agency will be mandated to carry out several issues including, but not limited to:
• Provision of centralized platform for the government’s e-governance adoption and application.
• Facilitate the use of ICT for the improvement of the efficiency, effectiveness and operations of government and cost effective delivery of government services.
• Facilitate the development of systems and applications (e-agriculture, e-tourism, e-health) for improved public service delivery.
• Facilitate the creation of Made-in-Gambia ICT services to boost local content generation to drive self-employment.
3. Cabinet also adopted a paper laid before it by the Hon. Minister of Interior for the ratification of the ECOWAS convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, their ammunitions and related matters. The former government refused to ratify this ECOWAS-wide convention when it was first brought before it in 2011. The new government has taken the bold step to join the league of nations in the ECOWAS sub region to adopt this important document for its subsequent ratification in the National Assembly.
Done on this 11th day of October, 2018, State House in Banjul, on behalf of Government Spokesperson,
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Mr. Ebrima SIllah
Hon. Minister of Information and Communications Infrastructure.
