US restores Gambia's AGOA eligibility

28 Décembre 2017

Banjul, Gambia, December 28 (Infosplusgabon) -  The US has announced that The Gambia is once again eligible for preferential access to the US market through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), according to statement made available to Infosplusgabon on Thursday by the US Embassy in Banjul.

The Gambia lost its AGOA eligibility in 2015 due to human rights abuses and the deterioration of the rule of law.

Following democratic elections in December 2016 that saw the defeat of President Yahya Jammeh, The Gambia has made progress in strengthening the rule of law, improving human rights and supporting political pluralism, the statement said.

According to the statement, under AGOA, certain products can enter the United States duty-free if beneficiary countries meet the eligibility requirements established by Congress.

These criteria include making progress toward establishing political pluralism, the rule of law and a market-based economy, a system to combat corruption and bribery and economic policies to reduce poverty.

The statement further said that the US government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Board of Directors also selected The Gambia for a threshold programme – MCC’s smaller grant programe focused on policy and institutional reform.

MCC works to improve lives and transform communities around the world by focusing on one mission: reducing poverty through economic growth.

Using a country-led approach that reflects a country’s own priorities, MCC provides time-limited grants and assistance to developing countries that meet rigorous standards for good governance, from fighting corruption to respecting democratic rights.

According to the statement, a team of MCC staff will travel to The Gambia in early 2018 to begin the process of developing the threshold programme.

MCC and the Government of The Gambia will then conduct a rigorous economic evaluation to determine the most significant factors constraining economic growth in the country, the release added.

US Ambassador to The Gambia, Patricia Alsup, said: “Congratulations to the Government of The Gambia on these milestone achievements.

“These are significant achievements that recognise just how much progress The Gambia has made since the transition to the President Adama Barrow administration. I look forward to working with The Gambian government and the Gambian people to ensure that these programmes provide the intended boosts to The Gambia’s development.”

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/AAE/GABON 2017

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