Joe & Jabou,
I have never denied that we have problems. I have on a number of occasions
admitted that we are a poor nation and that some of us live in abject
poverty. On the same vein, I have also said here on most occasions that
government is in the right track. To defend that possition, I have on a
number of occasions highlighted some of the things, mainly in the areas of
infrastructural development, education, agriculture, health, clean drinking
water etc, that are being developed. Unlike you people, I do not beleive
that because people are hungry these are useless investments. To that I
have always disagreed with you people vehemently! I am of the opinion that
whatever is to be done to adress our poverty and current hardships, the
means to create wealth must not be negated. Poor roads mean more accidents,
more repairs to our cars and more demand on foreign exchange. Less access
to education means a more illiterate society to be taken for a ride some
more. Less access to good health facilities again results to a very sick
population without any menas to produce. Need I go on? I don't think so.
Now coming to the depreciation of the Dalasi, as bad as it may sound, the
Dalasi only dpreciated by about 29.65 % between today last year and now.
Today, the US Dollar is changing for D23.26, last month it was changing for
D23.31, September it was D20.99 and last year this time it was D17.94. I do
not know what led to the incomprehensible decline of the Dalasi between
September and October resulting in escalating prices of commodities.
However, even though the Dalasi has appreciated albeit marginally, this has
not necessarily resulted in falling price of commodities nor its
stabilization. Instead prices are skyrocketing. Please don't ask me why for
I don't know.
On the other hand let's take a look at the South African Rand. Today it may
be changing for 9.62 as opposed to 9.58 last year, but last month it was
10.35 and 10.62 in September. Even though the South African Rand has
rallied to almost the same value as last year, last month it actually
depreciated by about 8 % and by about 10.86 % in September! Gambia being no
South Africa, can only do so much.
Have a good day, Gassa.
--
There is a time in the life of every problem when it is big enough to see,
yet small enough to solve (Mike Leavitt)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
