The incessant shortage of fuel and the disruption of daily economic activity can only be attributed to poor planning and management of our energy supply chain. Most of the OMCs (oil marketing companies) lack the financial muscle to singlehandedly procure an economic size parcel into the country due to the size of their market share. Currently, there are only two companies that can order economic size parcels on a monthly basis. The liberalisation of the sector created many OMCs who are not in the position to import thereby redistributing the national volumes to a wider market. The government must create a strategic national stock which can be tapped into to smoothen any supply disruption. Alternatively, they can create an environment where mergers and acquisition can hold.
The press release from government attributing the disruption to bad weather is laughable to say the least. Equally, the mitigating arrangement of trucking product from Senegal is not sustainable due to the current dalasi/CFA franc exchange rate. The import price from Senegal including duties is more than the pump price in the Gambia. This implies that a fiscal disruption by way of foregoing part of the duty will have an adverse effect on our revenue collection which in turn feeds the budget. Any shortfall in the revenues collected will trigger a deficit financing. Gambia is in no way capable of borrowing as we are faced with a debt distress condition.
The sector, including the pricing mechanism must be reorganised.
Nyang Njie
What is, that is not!
My work brings me to the same tea table with naked Gambia. The one without all those facades. The prayer beads-wielding man. The Quran-wielding ‘sheikh’ wearing ‘kaftans’. Say, jungler Bora Colley in a video with a prayer bead with echoes of ‘hasi bi ya Allahu, wa nai-mal wakil (Allah is sufficient for me) in the background.
Even better, a sheikh accompanying an alleged thief to the court with beads. The over-the-top pretense that somehow Allah will defend the thief so that the one immense in strength will descend seven heavens on HIS orders to save him. Or how about the sudden change in dress and style of anyone taken to court. Sudden kaftan. Quran. Prayer beads.
Such is “god” for the Gambian, a tool for deception.
Super religious. Perfect culture. Smiling coast. Quran. Beads. Then what? Rape. Theft. Beating wives. Poor governance. Poverty. Oh, that reminds me. There has been this guy, a major subject of our recent inquiry into a recently published corruption case. If I want a daily dose of Haddith or Quran, it is his status I visit. How does one live with that contradiction?
The Gambian religiosity and culturalism!!!
Malagen has done a number of investigations into corruption (exposing public thieves) but nothing compares to rights abuse in this society. Whether it is abusing children (boys but particularly girls) or women. To a point I wondered how one raises a girl in this country without possessing an unlicensed M16.
This country needs major silence. Then everyone turns to see in a mirror. Then, a new beginning. This façade is not working! Oh, may be a ban on public show of fake… ah faith.
Mustapha Darboe
