Page 28 - Economic transformation

Figure 14: Surface temperature rise (Africa and The Gambia)

Conclusion

The chapter started with a review of the definition of economic transformation

within the SDG 2030 context emphasizing the need for economic transformation to be

understood and analysed broadly and consistent with the 2030 agenda. It then looked at

the criticality of economic growth in economic transformation, positing that economic

transformation cannot happen without economic growth.

It then proceeds to look at the economic growth trends in The Gambia over the 19

years between 2000 and 2018. An encouraging characteristic of this trend is that the

economy is showing signs that it is ready to transform structurally with the construction

industry increasingly gaining prominence at the cost of the cropping industry. That noted,

the chapter analyses the robustness of economic growth by comparing it with inflation,

balance of payments position (approximated by PPP values), population growth rates and

productivity growth. So far, the overall message in The Gambia stark. While the country

28