As prices of basic commodities continued to skyrocket in recent months, some members of the country’s legislative House couldn’t hide their feelings over the current state of affairs.
The concerned people’s representatives of Kiang Central Constituency, Old Yundum Constituency, and Central Baddibu Constituency, Hon. Bakary Camara, Hon. Abdouie Ceesay and Sulayman Saho, respectively had recently issued their respective statements on current matters of national importance.
Kiang Central’s Hon. Camara frowns at the current exorbitant increase of prices of basic commodities such as rice, sugar, cooking oil, and also cement in the market.
The lawmaker urged the Gambia Government to look into the circumstances leading to the hikes in the prices of aforesaid commodities, and come up with concrete visible steps to ensure that the practice is curbed. Hon. Camara stressed that the practice is not only unacceptable, but also unjustifiable.
In his statement, he held: “Improving the living standards of all citizens and non-citizens resident in the Gambia and creating a favourable environment for the private sector to thrive, is one of the reform policies of the government’s 2021 budget that we (legislature) approved”.
The Kiang Central NAM challenged the government of the day to do its utmost, to firmly stand against the hoarding of basic essential commodities by certain businessmen involved in the illegal practice.
He urged that, “The ministry of Trade must take practical steps to engage the business community and the relevant stakeholders in the business sector, with a view to identifying factors responsible for this unapologetic price increase that is causing much economic burden on the citizenry.”
Hon. Ceesay of Old Yundum, in his congratulatory statement to the recently victorious senior National Team-the Scorpions, recounted that the country first entered AFCON at 157th with the aim to reaching the 1976 finals in Ethiopia, and the county had, since then, waited for long, to qualify and play in the AFCON tournament.
But having now qualified for African Cup of Nations, for the first time, after the current team recently made history on the Gambian soil, with the Assan Ceesay-goal, the elated Old Yundum parliamentarian, noted The Gambia has finally achieved a “mission accomplished” in the 2022 AFCON qualifier. This qualification, Hon, Ceesay maintained, is unprecedented and historic for Gambian football and beyond.
“We need to prepare early, to prove to the world that we are ready to contest. This victory is also attributed to the facilitation of a chartered air flight, which is the first of its kind,” the lawmaker pointed out in his statement.
“It [the chartered flight] has allowed for the smooth travel of the team to and fro Gambia without delay, reduces risk of team fatigue as they will reach their playing destinations on time ahead of their matches,” were his words. Hon. Ceesay further said government’s support is key in ensuring that the team is adequately financed, adding that it would encourage and motivate the team to deliver standards. He also called for the Assembly’s Select Committee on Sports to ensure that a befitting budget is allocated to the country’s sports sector, to effectively execute its sporting activities.
Hon. Saho for Central Baddibu, who issued a statement on the effects of illicit drug use and trafficking, said from 2019 to date, 500kg of hard drugs and 49 blocks of cocaine were discovered in warehouses within the Greater Banjul Area.
The teacher-turned-politician however, claimed nothing has been done to those confiscated drugs and the accused [suspects] are freely roaming the streets.
He cautioned that the country should be proactive in the fight against hard drug, more so, cocaine and heroin, otherwise the future of the country’s youth would be compromised.
The Central Baddibu representative went on: “We must collectively put our hands together, both the executive and the legislature in the fight against drug trafficking, terrorism and money laundry. We must ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice as quickly as possible”.
The National Assembly Members (NAMs) who made interventions on the said statements, hailed the three Members for their statements, while expressing hope that they (statements) would help in the fight against drug abuse and drug trafficking; boost Gambia’s performance at both the continental and international footballing levels, and also ensure price control mechanisms to curb the hoarding of basic commodities.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment, has issued a press release informing the general public, especially the importers of essential commodities, that the essential commodity Act, enacted in 2015 is being brought into force.
The statement obtained by Mansa Banko Online, indicated inter alia, the Act requires importers of essential commodities to obtain an import license from the Ministry to be able to import these commodities.
The essential commodities in question are rice, sugar, Edible oil, Flour, chicken thighs, whole chicken, Onions and potatoes.
In that regards, the Ministry had said it’s “reintroducing the licensing system and hereby inform all importers of the above commodities to obtain an import license from the Ministry with immediate effect”.
The enforcement of the import license, it stated, would commence by 1st May 2021. “No importer would be allowed to import the above commodities without an import license,” according to the Trade Ministry.
