Mr. Nordam,
Many thanks for your comments. Oh yes, I remember the very fine
presentations of your observations and analysis of the electoral campaign.
True, Gambia has become increasingly indebted under the Jammeh regime but
the onus is on the government to reverse this trend. It betrayed its mission
statement from July/August 1994, and shelved attempts to genuinely devolve
power to local governments and so initiatives towards building collective
and /or cooperative ventures could not be experimented upon as a national
political agenda. (A meeting of all political parties to launch this process
in Mansakonko was disrupted by July 22 Movement hooligans who agitated
violently against the presence of Lamin Waa Juwaraa - the current rabble
rouser inside the UDP). This government must have to look that way not only
for the sake of popular participation and economic self-reliance, but to
expand the productive base of the economy. There is no reason whatsoever to
wait on foreign investment!
IMHO, Gambia is fertile ground for a mixed economy - allowing some degree of
private enterprise but otherwise the state must intervene in the economy. I
have no problems with the construction of a five star hotel when this offers
school-leaving youth employment opportunites and especially if their is
genuine political will to plough back tax revenue from such schemes into the
public sector.
True Denmark borrowed heavily to build its infrastructure during the
post-war period. But the Marshall plan helped Denmark not only stabilise the
Danish Crona, but it provided funds used to facilitate the import of
machinery and raw materials and thereby helping to modernise Danish
agriculture and industry. This is what laid the foundations of Denmark's
welfare system.
Of course taxes are high in Denmark but except for extremists like Mogens
Glistrup few Danes prefer doing time in prison as an alternative to paying
tax; and as Peter Hoeg maintained, the entire population of Denmark is
middle class - an exageration yes, but not an extraordinary one.
The current government in Gambia has the responsibilty to inculcate a
culture of self reliance. It has to invest in the population and summon the
courage to experiment with social advancement programs by creating local
democratic structures where ordinary people define their own problems and
design creative local solutions to them. We have every reason to learn both
from Cuba and Kerala, as well as from Scandinavia.
Sidibeh, Stockholm/Kaatong
----- Original Message -----
From: "Asbjørn Nordam" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, August 19, 2002 7:58 PM
Subject: Re: The Fisherman's Tale - 2
Momodou S. Sidibeh,
thank you for a very fine analyse and comment on the ordinary gambians daily
life, a historic view, and putting things into perspective. As always a
pleasure to read your comments.
December last year after I spend a month in the Gambia around the
presidential election, I tried to balance a comment based on what I saw,
heard and felt.
Like all gambians I am glad to see the infrastructure developments and all
the other things that happens. But I´m afraid that the gambian people will
have to pay for all this in the coming 100 years or more.
How can I say so ?
The danish development into a modern european standard of infrastructure,
industry and with a social welfare was made in a tempo like in the
infrastructure-building of todays gambia. Made over a very short period in
the 50´ties and beginning of the 60´ties. But since those days the tax -
pressure in Denmark has increased every year, and I think that we are one
of the nations, where the working people pay most in income tax. And we are
still trying to get rid of the loans we took those days 40-45 years ago,
because we wanted to change our standard so fast. From a old-fashion farming
country, to a modern industrial one. We build so many roads, airports,
bridges, schools, apartments-buildings, small houses in new planned suburbs.
And families should have cars etc., etc. The standard was build on foreign
loans.
This is my perspective when I look at the very many progress in The Gambia.
I´m happy about them, but I know what they will cost the ordinary gambian in
many generations from now on. It´s paid with the decline of the dalasis, the
daily costs for food, lack of school materials, lack of medicine. And this
got me to say in december after my return, that I should like the people to
understand how a state budget was like a family budget. And a wish that the
political parties would try and inform the people, the supporters how the
different parties has different solutions to all this, different directions,
and why.
Keep on, when I read your Fishermans´s tale my thoughts went back to "small"
Makumbaya, "big" Kartong, the friends and families.
Comment and regards from
Asbjørn Nordam
>
>
> The Fisherman's Tale - 2
>
>
>
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