FOROYAA NEWSPAPER


Issue No. 1/2004, (01-04 January, 2004)


Editorial


The New Year & The Security Situation


Nine years have passed since the AFPRC/APRC took over this country. Those
people without hindsight often claim that the time of the coup witnessed
more national unity, hardwork, accountability, transparency and stability
than today. It appears that some people have very short memories.

It is therefore necessary for a flashback as we enter the tenth year of
AFPRC/APRC rule.

It was on the 11th November 1994 that the nation woke up to sounds of heavy
gunfire. Before the end of the tragedy during which many soldiers lost their
lives, it was clear to Gambians that the army was not as united as it
appeared.

This was followed by many reminders that the revolution was under threat.
Enthusiastic young men and women were mobilized to become part of the July
22nd Movement in the name of defending the revolution. As in all new
developments it is the most committed who plunged into the heart of things.
Many young people embraced the call for a movement to defend what they
conceived as a revolution. Many left this country in secret to go to Libya
for training. Upon their return they expected to be in charge of villages,
districts, divisions and municipalities in order to defend their revolution.
They compelled the people to see the revolution as permanent. People who
resisted were subjected to intimidation.

It did not take long after 11th November for the AFPRC to split and for the
vice chairman and another council member to be arrested. One died in
detention. Change of ministers, arrests and internal strife created an
atmosphere of uncertainty. The history of Babanding Sisoho at State House No
2 and the absconding of a council member amidst allegations of fraud are
also fresh in our memory. It should therefore be abundantly clear that the
coup period was not at all a period of tranquility and growth.

It is of course an irony that the very people who were mobilized to defend
the revolution are now being arrested and seen as threats to national
security.

This has confirmed that revolutions are not made by few and defended by a
few. This era does not need saviours. What is needed is to defend the
sovereignty of the people. If each Gambian concedes that sovereignty resides
in the people, that power belongs to the people, each will be free from
having the mentality of a monarch. Each would concede that the power to
exercise leadership in the Gambia should be entrusted to the people on the
basis of their free consent.

There would be no hunger for power. Those who seek to serve the people will
seek their mandate on the basis of merit and leave their position when they
realise that even their best is not good enough for the people.

We hope it is now clear that a revolution which enables a few to centralize
wealth and power in the hands of a few who become patrons to the many is not
a revolution of the people but a revolution of the few. Such revolution must
lead to power struggles where the masses become the casualty. Hope is
however not lost. Those who lost confidence in such revolutions should turn
to the movement for the genuine empowerment of the people. This democratic
movement shall be based on tolerance and sovereign equality of the people in
determining who is to manage their affairs in order to guarantee their
freedom and prosperity. This is the genuine revolution of the people.

National Assembly Condemns


Attack On Lawyer Ousman Sillah


During the adjournment debate at the National Assembly, the Minority Leader
and Member for Serrekunda Central proposed for the following resolution to
be adopted by the National Assembly.

Bearing in mind that an Independent Judiciary is indispensable to the
maintenance of the rule of law and the proper administration of law and
dispensation of justice.

Being convinced that the violent attack on Lawyer Ousman Sillah is an
affront to the independence of the judiciary.

We therefore strongly condemn the action and call on the law enforcement
agencies to make a determined effort to bring the culprits to justice.



The Speaker indicated that since the member for Upper Saloum, and Sami had
all alluded to the same thing he believed that the spirit of the National
Assembly is in line with the call on the security forces to leave no stone
on turn in their investigation.

All lovers of peace and justice are anxiously waiting for a speedy
investigation of this heinous crime. Those who perpetrated it should first
be punished by their own consciences before submitting to the dictates of
law. If one is true to oneself one should be convinced that one is a
mischief maker on this earth. This is the worst life that a human being can
live.







Analysis of 2004 Budget


Part 2


The budget speech for the 2004 financial year is now history. The members of
the national assembly have subjected it to review. Foroyaa will be
publishing their contributions in due course. It is the aim of the paper to
present a comprehensive review of the budget speech for our readers.

First and foremost, one may ask: Why the need to deliver budget speeches on
an annual basis.


The Basis Of Budget Speeches


Every household needs income in order to meet the day to day needs of its
members. Every government needs revenue in order to provide services to the
public. Government now derives 89.25% of its revenue from taxation. For
example, the total revenue expected to be paid into the consolidated revenue
fund for 2004 is 2.2 billion dalasis. The sum that is to be derived from
taxation is approximately 1.9 billion dalasis.

The constitution states under section 149 that "No taxation shall be imposed
except by or under the authority of an Act of the National Assembly." This
lends legal authority to the slogan "No taxation without representation."

The constitution gives mandate to the National Assembly to authorize the
imposition of taxation. It further states in section 150: "There shall be a
consolidated fund into which shall be paid all revenues and monies raised or
recovered for the government. The Central Bank is the depository of such
revenue." Section 151 orders that no money shall be withdrawn from the
consolidated fund unless authorized by the national assembly.

This is why the secretary of state for finance is required to come to the
National Assembly on an annual basis to seek authorization for the
collection of government revenue and the programming of government
expenditure. This is stipulated in section 152 of the constitution which
states among other things that ‘The president shall cause the secretary of
state responsible for finance to prepare and lay before the National
Assembly at least thirty days before the end of the financial year,
estimates of the revenue and expenditure of The Gambia for the following
financial year."


The Role Of The National Assembly


The same provision asserts that "The National Assembly shall, within
fourteen days of the estimates being laid before it, give consideration to
and approve the estimates. In short, the National Assembly has the duty to
approve the annual estimates."


Once the estimates are approved, an Appropriation Bill is to be prepared and
introduced in the National Assembly to seek authorization for the issuing of
monies from the consolidated revenue fund to meet the expenditures of the
government. When this bill is passed by the National Assembly and assented
to by the president, it becomes the Act or law on the basis of which
government funds are allocated to meet government expenditure.


The Basis of the Budget Speech


Section 152 of the constitution further asserts that in presenting his or
her introductory remarks to convince the National Assembly to pass the
Appropriation Bill, the SoS for Finance and Economic Affairs may present the
plans and programmes of the government for economic and social development
covering a period exceeding one year. This is the essence of the budget
speech.

The Essence of the 2004 Budge Speech


It is important to point out that if any economy is to be characterized by
growth and sustainable development, investment, production and consumption
must grow on a sustainable basis to ensure a better quality of life to all
the people.

We shall review the budget speech by focusing on the three fundamental
factors of socio-economic development, that is, the state of institutions of
accumulation for investment, production and distribution in terms of income,
social services and general services.

On Production


According to the SoS "the government of the Gambia continues to accord the
highest priority to the agricultural sector for the realization of the
sector’s prime objective of increased agricultural output, national food
security and increased rural incomes with gainful employment." He added that
"government continues to work closely with the donor community, private
sector and NGO’s to ensure and enhance overall agricultural development."


This is a declaration of intention. As Halifa Sallah said to the SoS during
the debate, declaration of intention can amount to building castles in the
air. It can also be an architectural sketch for the building of castles on
the ground. In order to distinguish the two it is necessary to examine the
true state of agriculture in the country.

The True State of Agriculture


According to the SoS "during the 2002/2003 cropping season, the agricultural
sector’s performance considerably slowed down. Overall crop production
declined drastically from 349,147 metric tonnes in 2001 to 208,563 metric
tonnes in 2002, representing a 40.3% decrease. Over 50% of the decline came
from the production of late maturing cereals and groundnuts. Aggregate
coarse grain production declined from 167,378 metric tonnes in 2001 to
118,407 metric tonnes in 2002, representing 30% decline. Swamp rice recorded
the highest production decline of about 74%, when compared to the
corresponding figure of 2001.

"Groundnut production also registered a sharp decline, from 151,069 metric
tonnes produced in 2001 to 71,526 metric tonnes in 2002, a decline of about
53%. This unprecedented production decline is even worse if considered
within the context that the poor quality groundnut seeds could not be used
for planting in the preceding season."


The lesson is clear, 2002 was a devastating year for farming. However in
2003 a number of interventions were made by the state including the
establishment of an Agricultural Mechanization Unit under the Department of
Agricultural Services. According to the SoS "additional 49 new and 30 old
Tractors were deployed in the field to enhance primary land preparation."
The most amazing statement by the SoS is: " ….by the end of August 2003,
over 2500 hectares of arable land were ploughed countrywide. In short, 79
tractors were used to plough just about 2000 hectares of arable land. The
amount of arable land under cultivation in the Gambia is in the region of
280,000 hectares.

This confirms that the vast majority of farmers can either not afford the
charges imposed on the use of the tractors or prefer to use simpler
implements that do not compel them to increase their use of fertilizer,
which is being sold at prices that are far above the earning capacity of
farmers. In short, few farmers can afford four bags of fertilizer, which is
more than D1,200, taking into consideration that most farmers earn an annual
income of less than D2,400 per annum.

Furthermore, the President also made a tour to announce a ban on the playing
of football during the rainy season in the name of promoting a "back to the
land movement", what is the end result of all this?

There is general claim that the rainy season was good. However, the SoS did
not mention how the groundnuts would be purchased this season. When asked he
acknowledged that the companies which intended to buy groundnuts could not
get enough money from the commercial banks to purchase this season’s nuts.
Government was contemplating of getting money from the Central Bank to
enable the private buyers to purchase the nuts. This has confirmed beyond
any shadow of doubt that the government lacks the competence to promote the
development of the agriculture sector. The President as SoS for Agriculture
has been repeatedly asked by Sidia Jatta and Halifa Sallah at the National
Assembly to explain what plans were in place for the purchasing of nuts
without credit buying. The Vice President has constantly promised on behalf
of the President that arrangements were being made to purchase the nuts.
Now, it is clear that nothing was put in place. Infact, many farmers have
taken their nuts to few seccos and are still waiting for their money. Others
have no seccos or buying points to take their nuts. They are selling their
nuts across the border.

Misleading Policies


Facts have revealed with overwhelming thoroughness that, the claim by the
President that the problem of farming is the abandonment of the land, is a
mistaken notion. What we need is not a back to the land call but a call for
input and market access to the farmers. The reason for this is simple. In
2001, the farmers produced more than 151,000 toms of groundnuts but the
government did not have the marketing facilities in place to purchase the
nuts. Pests destroyed a large share of the crop while many farmers took
theirs to Senegal. The same reality is surfacing this year. The government
claimed that it is collaborating with the private sector to enhance
agricultural production but the banks are not even willing to invest in the
purchasing of groundnuts.

In our view, the policies of the government are not enhancing development in
the agricultural sector to enhance food production. It is infact undermining
such development. Let us offer proof.

To be Continued.

_________________________________________________________________
Rethink your business approach for the new year with the helpful tips here.
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