Singhatey: Reduce Prices or Gov't Will Import Goods
by Madi Njie - Daily Observer

Barely a week after taking over the portfolio of Trade, Industry and Employment, SoS Edward Singhatey, convened a meeting with the country's top businesspersons and told them to reduce the prices of basic commodities, otherwise government would take the responsibility of importing commodities and sell them at affordable prices.

Addressing representatives of the GCCI, Lebanese, Mauritanian and Fula business community at his office last Friday, Mr Singhatey called on importers to engage in ethical trading by selling their commodities at prices affordable to Gambians.  In default he said the government will intervene to ensure that prices are reasonable by importing goods and selling them as was done after the 1994 coup, when price of rice became unaffordable for Gambians.

According to Mr Singhatey, the rate of exchange for the dollar is depreciating, dropping from D38 to D33 within a week.  "This shows significant improvement in the Dalasi, while prices of goods still remain high. That is not possible, because if the Dalasi improves against the major foreign currencies, then prices of commodities should also be reduced," he challenged.

He said President Jammeh seized power 9 years ago to liberate the masses and make The Gambia an example in Africa.  That aspiration, he said, is being thwarted as Gambians are now suffering.  "President Jammeh will not allow that.  Those responsible for causing the suffering will be taken out of this country. The Dalasi is presently having a problem, but even though it regains its value, prices of commodities may not go down because of some negative attitudes attributed to the skyrocketing of price," he observed. 

He cited that last year, a bag of rice used to cost about D250 and now sells at D450.  The people, he said, cannot afford that.  He said the government is greatly concerned about the unbearable situation noting that President Jammeh and his government will stand resolutely firm to rectify the anomalous state of affairs.

On the issue of foreign exchange, he called on businesspersons to sell their goods in Dalasi, not in any other currency, because the Dalasi is the only legal tender in the country. He said the banks and the foreign exchange bureaux are the only places now allowed for the change of money and therefore no businessperson should take any other currency other than the Dalasi for buying or selling goods in the country. 

"Anyone who comes to buy goods from you in CFA, direct him or her to the forex bureau to change his money into the legal tender which is the Dalasi.  The business transaction that we want is the Dalasi to flow in our market and not to allow any foreign currency to be used for goods," he warned.

D300M Coastal Protection Project Kicks Off
by Lamin Dibba - Daily Observer

Edward Singhatey, Secretary of State for Trade, Industry and Employment, last Wednesday officially launched the D300 million coastal protection project.

In his launching statement, Mr Singhatey said during the days of the military interregnum, a lot of concerns were raised about the aggravating coastal erosion.  "We cannot afford to lose the lot of our multi-million dollar projects in and around our capital city, Banjul.  In 1996, we got some funding from Nigeria Trust Fund, window of the ADB, OPEC and Gambia government. With the availability of funds, we finally signed the contract with the contractor, D. Blankevort in 2002."

Jelle Mens, project manager, said they have fully mobilised all the equipment and materials needed for the work. He expressed his hope that the project would be completed in 8 months, 4 months earlier that the one year official contract period.

Dirk Heijboer, project manager of Royal Haskoning, said coastal erosion was a result of the persistent illegal sand-mining and natural erosion due to waves. "Besides, when temporary protection fails, progressive erosion occurs. This is exacerbated by human interference, with wrong measures, as well as limited coordination and enforcement due to lack of effective coastal erosion in The Gambia," he said. 

Mustapha Leigh, director of technical services at the Department of State for Works, said the guarantee period of the project is 100 years and that it can even go beyond that.  "We will put up strict measures to ensure that our coastal areas are saved," he vowed.

The launching ceremony was attended by the vice-president and other secretaries of state.

Touray: 200,000 Tourists Expected
Daily Observer

Yankuba Touray, the state secretary for Tourism, has disclosed that 200,000 tourists are expected to visit The Gambia in the current season with United Kingdom, Germany and Scandinavia as the biggest source markets.

Speaking in a Daily Observer exclusive yesterday, he said: "We are optimistic that we will have a successful winter and summer season. We have something to sell in addition to the sun and the sand; we are on of the most stable and hospital countries."

Mr Touray said the upsurge in arrival numbers is as a result of the recent infrastructural developments in the Tourist Development Area and the creation of a broad-based private sector institution, the Gambia Tourism Authority, whose main responsibility is to market The Gambia as a world-class tourist destination offering world-class services. 

He stressed that tourism generates a lot of employment and is the main source of foreign exchange earning for the country.

Our reporter, Malick Mboob, however, failed to find out from Mr Touray the percentage in the increment of arrivals compared to last season.

Economy

Speaking on Jammeh's recent ultimatum to foreign exchange hoarders, Mr Touray said the President's statements have made a lot of differences in terms of people complying with the instructions.  "We have seen people now using the banks and forex bureaux for money changing."

He said this will be further enforced by introducing additional laws through the review of the amendment of the Financial Institutions Act.

"This will define all forex bureaux and money transfer transactions as part of financial institutions and this will give the Central Bank a strong legal backing to supervise the forex bureaux and money transfer institutions," he said.

Asked what enforceable measures Government will have to take to reduce prices since the Dalasi is making a marginal appreciation in value, Mr Touray said: "The reduction of prices of basic commodities will take a little bit of time because Government is now on a confidence-building drive.  If the private sector builds the necessary confidence in the Dalasi, resulting in a stable exchange rate, then prices will eventually drop."

Two URD Villages Evacuated
by Lamin Dibba - Daily Observer

The commissioner of Upper River Division, Daba Marena, on Tuesday disclosed to Daily Observer that two villages in his division, Fatatenda in Wuli and Pasonto in Sandu have been flooded due to persistent rains.

Commissioner Marena explained: The whole of Fatatenda was flooded and its inhabitants had been moved to Bajikunda. Can you imagine a village of 500 inhabitants! The people of the other flooded village, Pasonto, have been moved to Kosemar in Jimara. The flood is getting out of hand daily and there is nothing we can do.  Even the Basse car park was washed away and we are using the youth centre as a car park.  People use canoes to go to their farms. People are reporting to my house and office both day and night. Families affected are in limbo. No one is safe in URD. The flood is threatening the lives of the people in URD," the desperate commissioner narrated. 

He said a disaster relief committee was formed to look into ways to help the affected families. "Thousands of families have had to be evacuated due to the flood and they are finding it very difficult to settle in other villages abandoning their farms."

Commissioner Marena appealed to Government and donor agencies for emergency relief.

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