Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The 2025 performance of The Gambia’s State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) has offered clear lessons on governance, oversight, and reform, as President Adama Barrow outlined a firm orientation toward profitability and stronger accountability across public enterprises.
Receiving the annual performance report from the State-Owned Enterprises Commission, President Barrow was briefed on what the Commission described as notable progress, including a reduction in SOE losses exceeding one billion dalasis.
The report also detailed government investments of more than two billion dalasis to shore up food and energy security, particularly through support to the National Food Security, Processing and Marketing Corporation (NFSPMC), the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC), and other strategic enterprises.
The performance review underscored the impact of tighter supervision and reform-driven management.
Despite what President Barrow acknowledged as resistance to change within some institutions, he said the Commission’s interventions had begun to yield measurable results, demonstrating that sustained oversight and political backing can reverse long-standing inefficiencies in state enterprises.
From the President’s remarks, a central lesson of the 2025 performance is that SOEs can no longer be treated as perpetual fiscal burdens. He emphasized that government policy going forward is to transform SOEs from liabilities into commercially viable entities capable of delivering quality services while paying dividends to the state.
Strong oversight, he stressed, will remain non-negotiable, alongside continued engagement and open dialogue between the Commission and enterprise management.
President Barrow assured the Commission of the Government’s full support and disclosed that his Office has taken note of weaker-performing enterprises, with actions planned to strengthen them.
He linked improved SOE performance directly to broader national development outcomes, noting that reduced losses and increased returns enhance the government’s capacity to subsidize farmers, expand social protection programs, and invest in infrastructure.
Outlining his administration’s development orientation, the President said improved SOE governance complements an ambitious infrastructure drive. In addition to partner-supported projects, the Government plans to construct more than 800 kilometers of new roads nationwide, with a further 200 kilometers to be built under the Ministry of Agriculture to support the agricultural value chain.
SOEs Commission Chairperson Ousainou Ngum described the meeting as productive and reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to strengthening state enterprises as engines of service delivery, employment, and national development. He thanked President Barrow for what he called consistent leadership and political will in driving reform.
The delegation was accompanied by the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Hon. Seedy Keita, underscoring the central role of SOE performance in the Government’s fiscal and economic strategy.
