Folks, this is yet another opportunity for Gambians to demand answers from Yaya regarding the over $500 million of oil products diverted into his pocket. Gambians know about this theft, right? Then, why the hell are we not going out in the streets with pots and spoons and create noise until we get answers? The Gambian people have been ripped off twice. First, he pocketed the sale of both crude oil I and II, then he turn around and have the nerve to increase the price of gas, and we go on with our complaints in our kitchens and bedrooms and soon to end up in our bathrooms with water running to drown our whisper. We ain't seen nothing yet. There are a lot of fees to be jacked up and don't worry about beating this scheme, they are either in effect as I write or your early efforts will be willfully ignored just to be hit with the big one. You by now know the skim about salary increases for 2004. The average worker may get an increase of say, D2,000 a year only to be hit by an D8,000 levy in the form of higher fees for no service provided and continuous price increases of various forms. Sounds like standing still and taking three steps backwards. They are going to hit the wholesaler who in turn pass it to the retailer who in turn pass the burden on you the consumer. That is, if the wholesaler even bothers to order goods. Folks, this is grand theft and unacceptable. Please read on. Petrol Price Increases Again! The Independent (Banjul) PRESS RELEASE December 22, 2003 Posted to the web December 22, 2003 Banjul The Gambia Government has decided with immediate effect to increase the price of petrol from D19 to D22 per litre. We reproduce hereunder a press release from the Department of State for Finance and Economic Affairs, which points out that despite the increase in pump prices in February this year, "The Gambia has received no respite". "The public is hereby informed that Government has been subsidizing certain petroleum products, despite the pump price adjustment of PMS, AGO and KERO undertaken in February this year. Despite the increase in pump prices, The Gambia has received no respite. Indeed since that adjustment almost eight months ago, developments have adversely affected revenue collections, which in turn has affected the resources available to the government for poverty alleviation and other vital expenditure of the sectors. There is also the prospect that given the continued volatile situation in the Middle East and the sub-region, and likely tightening of the supplies, and since the exchange rate has still not reached the level prevailing at the beginning of the year, the government will have to continue to subsidise petroleum products in the foreseeable future. The government has however, not been unmindful of the impact of a rise in the pump price of AGO and KERO on trade, transport and the cost of living of the less fortunate, and vulnerable sections of the community. Accordingly, the government has decided to adjust with immediate effect, only the pump price for PMS from D19 to D22 per litre, while leaving the pump prices of AGO and KERO unchanged. Relevant Links West Africa Gambia Petroleum While not eliminating subsidies on petroleum products completely, this price adjustment will go some way towards improving the resource availability of government. The government of The Gambia will continue to monitor closely price exchange rate movements." Signed MOD A. K. SECKA For Permanent Secretary _________________________________________________________________ Have fun customizing MSN Messenger — learn how here! http://www.msnmessenger-download.com/tracking/reach_customize ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~