A good way to usher in a new year is to reflect on past achievements and shortcomings. This will allow us, as in the words of President Yahya Jammeh, to “commit ourselves to confronting the challenges before us with renewed vigour and greater collective efforts.” Collective effort is the key phrase. As the Gambia is for all its inhabitants, for it we must “strive and work and pray.”

Like in all other development-oriented societies, the Gambia government continues to strive to provide the necessary conducive working atmosphere, a prerequisite for any meaningful development. Infrastructural development has been at the topmost level of its priority list since day one of its assumption of authority; from road construction to solid buildings, which cut across all the adjoining sectors of our development aspiration: health, education, agriculture, etc, etc..

Employment opportunities are greater today than at any other time in the history of The Gambia, as the proliferation of educational facilities has corresponded well with the upsurge in institutions of greater employment prospects - the banking and financial services sectors, tourism, telecommunications, fisheries, the  list goes on and on. The 20% salary increment announced by President Jammeh is a laudable move that goes to amplify a genuine concern of a leader for his people.

The prudent administrative measures, obviously born out of ambitious minds, was what set the pace for the achievements whose blessings we are basking in today. The GDP growth of about 7%, positive control on inflationary pressures, as well as the recent HIPC completion point realised by The Gambia are all as a result of the sound monetary policies being spearheaded by government. If anything,  all these give the nation hope in its crusade to meet the demands of the Millennium Development Goals and our own Vision 2020 blueprint.

2007 shall remain a memorable year; if not for its prevalence of factors that ensured the greater level of social cohesion it witnessed, it also saw an overwhelming level of gains on the economic and infrastructural fronts. But benefits of these gains will hardly be realised for long if efforts to consolidate them dampen. As President Jammeh said in his new year’s message, there should be no room for complacency. To this end, therefore, it is reassuring to note that Operation No Compromise is here to stay.

And in the words of the President: “We shall continue to prevail over evil forces of Luciferians and of Bin Iblis.” Happy 2008 to all!