On Sunday 27 June 1971, the people and government of the Gambia decided to dump the Colonial "Pound, Shilling and pence" and go decimal with our own "Legal Tender" called the DALASI and Butut. In these 30 years, the Dalasi has depreciated by almost 500% of its original value. 

At the change-over one pound sterling was five dalasi and with two dalasi 25 you could get one U.S. dollar. In those day a loaf of bread cost 6 butut and a pack of 20 cigarettes was 40 butut. I remember paying less than "Taala"  for a bottle of Guinness Stout, well the last time I was in town I paid 17 dalasi and 50 butut (in a hotel) for the same brown stuff. 

One of the causes of the dissipation of the dalasi could be attributed to many factors but the most intelligible one was supplied to me,  by one of Ebrima Ceesay's sources forwarded by Ebrima today, when he wrote: 

"The entire Jammeh government and supporters are celebrating in Kanilai ...., while Gambians are trying to survive the most devastating economic hardship ever experienced in our history".  

Any government that spends over a 100 million dalasi to erect an edifice like "ARSE22" for private glorification and propaganda purposes, does not know the good and the bad of economics. 

May the Good Lord have Mercy on the wage-earners of the Gambia.

I wish the Dalasi a more prosperous generation.


Prince

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