The Gambia’s development aspirations, as articulately pronounced in the 2008 budget, is on a sound footing.

As in the the words of the pragmatic SoS for Finance, Gibril Bala Gaye: “The economic fundamentals of the Gambia are strong and outstanding, and the government needs not blow its own trumpet as the numbers speak for themselves.”

The appreciation of the Dalasi, after a brief  period of depreciation - characterised by a seemingly uncontrollable free-fall - as well as improvement in the public finance management system, among others, are a clear indication of what is proclaimed by this 2008 budget document.

Notwithstanding this tone of appealing social and economic prospect, there is absolutely no room for complacency; especially given the revelations in the same document of the manner in which our commercial banks are said to have displayed un-professionalism, dictated by uncooperative greediness during the months of the appreciation of the Dalasi. When the Gambian currency underwent the tumultuous experience of the unenviable free-fall, it was apparent that some forces somewhere were behind it, but everybody sort to vindicate themselves.

But at the end of the day, who bore the brunt of the impact? The poor majority certainly did. Nobody can pretend to have derived any form of enjoyment from such a pathetic scenario. As in the common adage ‘life is not worth living on an island of extreme richness surrounded by seas of untold suffering’. That is why the battle does not exclude anybody.

What is important here is to note that in order to achieve the common goal of raising the standards of living of the average Gambian, the most important thing is attitudinal change, and this must express itself at all levels of the development effort.

For instance, institutions like the National Road Authority and the National Agricultural Development Agency should emulate the likes of the Gambia Revenue Authority in changing the operational mode of their respective departments.

A lot of roads have been constructed in the past ten years, but most, if not all of them, are getting back to their former condition, thanks to the culture of neglect. And in the case of NADA, the green revolution in the President’s home village can serve as a perfect model for the transformation of the agricultural sector.

The minds of the people should be the sole target in that regard. There is ample evidence to point to in Kanilai, that this small country has the potential to put a permanent stop to rice importation in the nearest possible future.