From the latest Foryyaa Burning Issue!
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NO: 31/2002 3 - 5 June, 2002
Editorial
Let Ex-President Jawara Speak For Himself!!
On Saturday 1st June 2002 Ex-President Jawara with 13 members of his
family returned to the Gambia after eight years in exile. He did not speak to
the press. His personal body guard Tijan Touray spoke on his behalf.
His family members came quietly to the airport as if they were told not to
inform anyone else. The mode of arrival teaches FOROYAA that Ex-
President Jawara should be left alone to decide how he wishes to spend the
rest of his days in the Gambia. He is a Sovereign Gambia citizen who has
the sovereign right to decide what role he is to play in Gambian society.
It is very strange that while accusations and counter-accussations are being
made , President Jawara and his immediate family are quiet. This calls on
people to give Jawara the chance to break the ice.
The fundamental lesson that can be drawn is that while leaders come and go
the Gambia is here for every sovereign citizen to make a home. What is
important is to recognise the transient nature of leaders and the performance
of the sovereignty of the people.
Just look at the parties of the first Republic. Where are the presidential
candidates of the PPP, the NCP, the GPP,the PDP and PDOIS. These are
the parties which took part in the 1992 presidential elections. The answer
shows clearly that the only thing that is certain in politics is the inevitability of
change.
People should therefore move away from worshipping leaders and being
fanatical about their support. They must now look after their interest and
support those who appear to articulate their concerns. This is the way
forward.
Until Jawara speaks political figures should leave him alone to pave his own
sovereign path.
The President On Investment
The basis of production is investment in the productive base. This can be
done by the public, informal or private sector. The public sector has annual
investment potential of between 700 million and 1000 million dalasis. The
Assets Management and Recovery Corporation is supposed to have
accumulated hundreds of millions of dalasis in cash and assets. The public
sector has potential for investment.
On the other hand, the private sector has seven commercial banks. The high
interest rates and light lending policy has reduced the gross loans by 4.4
percent in 2001. The decline in the value of the dalasi is also discouraging
savings. The dollar is now D20. The pound sterling is D26. The eroding bank
deposits are encouraging the flight of foreign exchange instead of investment
in dalasi earning businesses. In fact, rents in commercial areas are being
paid in foreign exchange.
The privileged maintain that if Gambians had built companies contracts like
that of the airport could have been given to them.
It is important for the president to understand that Gambians who have
money either engage in commercial activities or deposit their monies abroad
and depend on interest. There are others who could have developed teams of
builders to establish companies but they would require loans to invest in
construction firms.
Now that the president has spoken such consultants should approach the
press to explain what they need to answer to the president's challenge. The
president will then be approached to find out what he is ready to do to assist
them.
FOROYAA will then be ready to interview anyone who is willing to take the
challenge but has difficulty in making investments.
Focus On The Gambia's Economic Situation
f late, we have witnessed a very serious economic down turn in the Gambia.
Our farmers' products could not be purchased. Groundnut which is the main
cash crop of our country could not bring the necessary cash it is intended to
bring.
Our country is experiencing trade deficits and budget shortfalls for the many
years. Our government which based all their hopes on foreign investment and
private sector led growth has not made any head way or in road into such an
economy.
Since our groundnut produce could not be purchased fully to provide the
necessary foreign exchange earnings for our country, then we are in deep
trouble.
We are in deep trouble precisely because all our banks, businesses,
government and individuals are competing fiercely for the meagre foreign
exchange available in the country.
The government would have to be part of the competition for foreign currency
because they will have to repay their loans that are maturing yearly and must
also import certain items such as transports, furniture, generators etc for
different institutions or departments.
This feverish fight over foreign currency only strengthens the foreign
currencies like the Dollar, the Euro, the CFA, the Swiss Franc etc and
naturally weakens the Dalasi.
When the Dalasi is weak against major International Currencies, the price of
commodities are bound to increase especially the import ones such as
sugar, flour, corrugated iron sheets, cement, rice, clothing, paper, printing
machine, fuel etc.
Since the debt of our country is also skyrocketing on an annual basis, this
means that every year, more loans would be mature for repayment and this is
bound to have negative repercussion on our annual budget.
For example, if our annual budget is 1300 million dalasis and the loans that
matured required us to repay D450million , that means that we would have
only 850million dalasis in our budget to finance all the necessary
developmental needs of our country. And if we have a government that is not
prudent in economic and financial management, meaning if they are
extravagant in spending or not controlling expenditure, then we would
encounter serious shortfalls in our budgetary allocations and this is what is
known as budget deficits.
If this happens, the government must have a way to fill the gap by way of
borrowing either through what is known as treasury bills or through outside
banks. If that happens, that is the time they would come up with what is
popularly known in our National Assembly as Supplementary Appropriation
Bill.
All these go all the way to increase our debt burden nationally and
internationally.
Our dear country is also undergoing trade deficits. What do we mean by
this? When we say trade deficit, we mean that if we compare the financial
gain from Gambia's exports to the amount disbursed for imports and see that
the imports are greater than the exports, then we know that we have what we
call trade deficits. But if we also see that the gains from exports is greater
than the amount disbursed for imports then we can smile and say we have
what is called trade surplus, so trade surplus is what is better for our country
than trade deficits.
But we can also experience a situation where exports almost equals our
imports. In that case, we can as well smile because we are able to balance
our imports and exports. If this is the case, then be sure that our Dalasi must
be strong for more people here and abroad would have a need to buy the
Gambian goods for export etc. This would make it a popular currency not
only in the sub-region but in the world in general.
We can also experience what we call "inflation" and this means that if the
Dalasi is loosing value systematically, then many people would not keep it
for long because they would feel that if they keep it, its value would
depreciate in their hands and that also means that the price of things would
increase whilst the purchasing power of the Dalasi would decrease. This
would make a lot of our businessmen to get rid of the Dalasi instead of
keeping it in their bank accounts, since the interest accrued from savings in
the banks is far lower than the rate of inflation or the rate at which prices
are hiking upwards
etc. This is why it is very important for a country's currency to be strong and
only the production of as many goods as possible, especially goods for
export can guarantee a currency to be strong.
This is why it should sound an alarm bell if our only main cash crop product
could not be properly purchased for exports to generate the necessary
foreign exchange needed for imports as well as the repayment of national and
international debts. The danger may even be aggravated if farmers become
disillusioned about farming, this will spiral the rural urban drift that we so
much want to avert since that too has serious repercussions which cannot be
treated fully in this article.
Now if we check the trade deficits in yester years we would see that they had
been going up steadily year by year..
For example; see table below ; in millions.
This above statistics has not been averted. The same trend of trade ddeficits
and budget deficits continued up to today. Anyone interested can make a
follow up of the budgets from 1995 to date.
Now, how is it that the Gambia earns some foreign currency in the absence
of fully exporting our main cash crop? This is so because not only exports
can bring foreign exchange into a country, tourism and Gambians in other
countries also do send outside currency to the country which we can use to
import things but as I said these are not the surest ways to provide foreign
exchange to a country. Production of goods is of course the surest way to do
that.
The production of goods especially exportable goods has comparative
advantages since they also can generate employment on a continuous basis
for a vast number of people in a country as well as income for those people.
This is why we should
think more towards that but the production of goods for exports can also be
consumed locally and that is also what can reduce the import bill of our
country. Are our economic planners thinking in that direction? If not, they
better soon do that. Our import bill will always go up as long as we are not
thinking in that direction, to produce for exports and sufficiently also for our
own consumption needs.
Now there are two ways to do this, one is by allowing a few rich people a free
hand to invest in the productive sector such as agriculture, horticulture,
animal husbandry etc and also in the industrial sector to refine the products
for consumption and exports. Now how can we do that? We can do that by
encouraging the banks to lend the individuals with collateral to do the
investment and also remove barriers so that foreign investment can be done.
This is one way. What we should do is to examine the situation since this is
what the First Republic had aimed to do. This has been the programmes of
the two governments but no tangible progress could be made in this
direction. Why is that the case? Our professional economist of a higher
calibre needs to answer this question scientifically if Gambia is to move
forward economically.
Many people are of the view that progress could not be made under this
theory not because it cannot be done but because there is too much
corruption, nepotism and greed, and if one gives loan to Gambians they
would squander it and disappear. Others are of the view that our
businessmen are not interested in our productive sector because it is faster
and safer for them to make money as importers than as exporters. Some
others also believe that foreigners would rather export to allow their nationals
to have work rather than depriving the people work only to provide
employment for the Gambia, yet still others are of the view that interest rates
at the banks is so high that before one makes gain to pay the banks the
loan, the interest on the loan would double and inflation would eat away your
profit. They say this is why many people are afraid of going to the productive
sector instead. All these need to be examined.
Speaking to many commercial entrepreneurs in the country, some say they
fear to have joint ventures to invest in the productive sector because they feel
such ventures are not likely to work in this country because each is
struggling to
become rich as quickly as possible. Some also feel that if you are a small
entrepreneur and invest your meagre funds in these ventures, one would not
be able to fight against the so called big fishes to get back one's money if
they should squander it.
Many fears have been expressed regarding the interest rates becoming too
high, and inflation sky rocketing, so they feel that small businessmen should
just concentrate on investing in compounds and becoming landlords and
landladies. They say this is the most guaranteed way to avoid becoming
bankrupt over night.
Some even believe that, keeping one's money in a bank is the fastest road to
bankruptcy. Investing in the land in the urban areas appeared to be one of the
surest ways of keeping one's money because of the fact that the price of land
is always going up and not downwards.
Now why is it that, foreign direct investment is not forthcoming? We know
also that many people from Nigeria and Senegal are engaged in services
such as providing computer training and sawmill etc but hardly any one goes
into farming or horticulture. Few Indians are engaged in horticulture such as
the Radville Farms etc. what is clear is that not many people are adventuring,
should I say into that area of production, which is so vitally crucial for our
survival as a nation. So how do we solve that dilemma?
Inauguration Of Mayor Conteh And Councillors
The residence of Kanifing Municipality and the nation had witnessed
againanother colourful ceremony of the swearing in of Mayor Abdoulie Conteh
and 17 Councillors. At the ground at Thursday 29th of May 2002 there were
also four nominated councilors which also had no legal base in both
constitution.
The oath of office was administered by the municipal clerk of KMC Mustapha
Njie. The councilors elected who are in the names of Yusupha Jarju of Abuko
ward,
Mbemba Gassama of Faji Kunda ward, Ousman Fatty of Latrikunda Sabiji
ward, Yankuba Colley of tallinding ward, Katim Touray of Bundung Six
junction and maurittani, Lamin Manneh of Bundung Borehole, Pa David
Mendy of Serrekunda, Momodou Lamin Badjie of New jeshwang and ebo
Town, Muatapha Sosseh of Kanifing ward, Michel Tamba of Old Jeshwang
ward, Musa Mendy of Dippa Kunda, Yusupha Sanyang of ....ward, Momodou
Sidibeh of Manjai Kunda ward, Bakary B. Darboe of Bakau New Town and
Fajara, Mustapha Njie of Latrikunda Yiri Nganya ward, Momodou Faal of Old
Bakau and Cape Point ward.
The four nominated councilors were in the person of Francis Gomez, Aji
Mamie Ceesay, Alkalo Momodou Jatta and Momodou Jammeh (Duks) a son
of F.R.I. Jammeh.
Finally the Mayor elect Abdoulie Conteh were called one by one. When they
come forward the following was read and repeated by the Mayor and
councilor with the Qur'an or Bible in their right hands. He would say...I having
been elected as councilor of Kanifing municipality do hereby swear that I will
execute the functions of councilor without fear or favour according to the
constitution and the Local Government Act. Help me God.
This was followed by the award of certificates of merit to the out going
members of the management committee for a period of seven years from
July 1994 military takeover to 28thMay 2002. The awardees were in the
person of the Deputy Mayor
Buba Senghore, Alieu Sonko, Kemo Konteh.
Among those who awarded certificates of merits were Balla Musa Daffeh
Mayor of Sejour in Casamance, SoS for Tourism Yankuba Touray, Sos for
Interior Ousman Badjie, SoS for Youths and Sports Samba Faal and the SoS
for Local Government
Manlafi Jarju.
The followoing Mayors also participated:
Pa Sallah Jeng Mayor of Banjul and Dr. Jassey of Brikama.
This was followed by the inaugural speech of Mayor Abdoulie Conteh who
spoke in Wollof. According to him the speech is meant for the people of the
municipality, majority of whom he said cannot speak English. In his speech
Mayor elect Conteh
after the normal greeting to SoS, Permanent Secretaries, Senior civil
servants, out going and elected councilors and the gathering.
He thanked the people of KMC for electing him. He called on the people of
the municipality to be prepared to work; that the development of the
municipality needs the cooperation of all the people of KMC Mayor Conteh
further called on the members of KMC to face change of habit. He said more
so the change of habit largely required by the members of APRC ruling party;
that the change of attitude should be preparedness for hard work in the
interest of the public and not personal interest, According to Mayor Conteh
there are those members of APRC who take their personal interest over
public interest, this he warned has to change if there is to be any progress in
line with the aspiration of the party.
To the newly sworn in councilors, Mayor elect warned that they must be
prepared to work in the interest of their communities that elected them and
not personal interest.
On the past of the KMC before the 1994 military take over, Mr. Conteh
intimated; that when they took over the affairs of the KMC, that at the time
there were only one electronic type writer with the rest manual; that today
every office is with a computer; that at the time the revenue base of the
municipality stood at D6 million; that today through the efforts of the out
going management committee; that revenue base stood at D25 million. That
the new council has come with a mission and vision on better environment,
good roads and to promote the economic and social well being of the people
in general. This he said would complement the efforts of the central
government. He called for cooperation among the people of KMC. He finally
called on elder to help in the maintenance of our good cultures.
For his part the SoS for Local Government and Lands Manlafi Gassama
advice the elected councilors and the communities to be united and work
with Mayor Conteh for the benefit of the municipality. Mr. Jarju further
assured the council and the gathering that his unflinching support at all times.
As part of the ceremony there were so many cultural drumming groups who
were called before the gathering to perform according to wards. Praises were
made on Mayor Conteh and wife Khaddy Sallah by griots. The ceremony was
marked by a heavy dishing out of money to griots by Mayor elect Abdoulie
Conteh, his wife Khaddy Sallah and friends, relatives and cross section of
the public. There were Alkalos, Imams, senior military officers e.g. Army
Chief of Staff and assistant, Police officers, senior civil servants and large
crowd.
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