By Fatou Sillah
Bakary Kora, the National Assembly Member (NAM) for Upper Fulladu West, has commended President Adama Barrow’s government for what he described as its outstanding contribution to The Gambia’s development. Speaking during the parliamentary debate on the President’s State of the Nation Address, Hon. Kora said the government deserves “full credit” for the country’s progress.
“If I am to rate them, I will give them 110% as far as development is concerned, so President Barrow and his lieutenants, I salute you once again for the good work that you have been doing in this country,” he remarked.
Hon. Kora emphasized that infrastructure is the bedrock of national progress, noting that Gambians have long demanded meaningful development.
“You must develop the infrastructure; if you want to have a better education, you must have the infrastructure. If you want to have a better health system, you must have the infrastructure,” he stressed.
Addressing economic matters, Hon. Kora highlighted the challenges of maintaining a tax-based economy, pointing out that while citizens often complain about taxation, it remains the primary source of national revenue.“It is a tax-based economy; today if the government says we want to increase tax, the same people are going to complain,” he said.
On agriculture, Hon. Kora praised the government’s efforts to support farmers, noting that last year, thousands benefited from a margin grant. He cited the procurement and subsidized sale of 28,000 metric tons of fertilizer, which was reduced from D2,500 to D1,150 per bag.
“Last year, many farmers across the country benefited from this margin grant, and 28,000 metric tons of fertilizer were purchased and sold to farmers at a reduced price from D2,500 to D1,150,” he said.
He added, “You can see how committed the Government is. We thank the government of The Gambia for that subsidization,” He Said.
He further acknowledged the government’s distribution of 8,697 metric tons of fertilizer, over 1,000 metric tons of certified rice seeds, 300 metric tons of certified maize seeds, and 140,000 liters of herbicide—all provided free of charge to farmers. He also commended the provision of over 180 tractors, though he urged the government to make the equipment more affordable for small-scale farmers.
“If the government can bring the price of fertilizers down to D900 or D800, we would definitely appreciate that. If you go to YBK today, you can see over 10,000 sheep and over 5,000 goats. This shows you how committed our government is,” he said.
Hon. Kora also expressed confidence in the President’s promise to provide electricity to 90% of Gambian communities by the end of 2025. “I have 135 communities, only six have electricity. As we speak, rural electrification is going on. Poles have been distributed all over,” he explained.
Turning to education, he applauded the construction of 424 new schools and 6,400 classrooms, which he said have contributed to rising enrollment rates.
“If you go to Faraba Banta, where the university is, we all know that Faraba Banta has created conducive learning for our students. And how many students are on scholarship? Over 3,000 students are on scholarship, government scholarship. So this shows you that the government of the Gambia they are very committed as far as education is concerned,” he noted.
In the health sector, Hon. Kora highlighted significant improvements, including the expansion of health facilities nationwide and efforts to remove financial barriers to healthcare access.
“And then, just as the President said, public health facilities nationwide including financial barriers to health care. Also, the construction of the national emergency treatment, blood transfusion, diagnostic, and emergency centers, as well as the food and drug quality control laboratory around the Brusby roundabout, is nearing completion. So we all know before, in this country, we don’t have that lab where we can test our food,” He Said.