TOMBONG:

What are you trying to insinuate here? Are you trying to campaign on the
basis that since the Senegalese Farmers prefer the DALASI instead of CFA
means that PRESIDENT JAMMEH'S ECONOMIC STRATEGY has thus far tremendously
enhanced the value of the DALASI? If that is your point of contention, then
I am a bit disappointed in you as a shrewd Economist. Economics has been
your area of interest since High School days, I was told . I do not think
that that School of Thought does hold water. The fact is, since
independence, all those Senegalese Farmers at the borders have always
preferred using the DALASI than the CFA for numerous reasons, some of which
could be advanced as follows: First, Economic Reason:- In gaining
independence, most Francophone countries including Senegal gained
independence based on what was called ASSIMILATION(that is, all Francophone
gained independence and still maintain ties with the Colonial Master,
France. This means that ALL GOODS and SERVICES coming to these countries
MUST pass through France first before reaching their final destinations. And
this means that an ADDITIONAL DUTY is levied on shipments passing via
France, and this as a result, increases COSTS of IMPORTS into these
countries; and since ECONOMIC 101 teaches us, an INCREASE in COST of
SUPPLIES or PRODUCTION has the resultant effect of increasing the PRICE of
GOODS and SERVICES. This is what always make goods and services in Senegal
absolutely dearer than goods and services in The Gambia. That is what
motivates Senegalese consumers to prefer buying goods and services from The
Gambia. This has continued to be the trend up till now.

Second, Accessibility to goods and services is another major factor that
greatly determines the rationale behind consumer behavior. That is to say,
the more accessible goods and services are to ultimate consumers, the more
convenient and cheaper for them. Therefore,  ACCESSIBILITY, CONVENIENCE and
AFFORDABILITY are the primary determinants of consumer rationale. To state
this point more vividly, since development in most African Countries are
centralized(ie only main capital cities and key towns have goods and
services available, and not in the border towns and villages), the chief
reason why Senegalese Farmers tend to prefer Gambian DALASI instead of the
CFA is because of the fact that these border farmers find goods and services
more accessible, convenient and affordable in The Gambia than in
Senegal(because they have easy access to Gambian main cities and key towns
where goods and services then to be a little bit cheaper there than in the
distant main cities and key towns in their own country). This is CONDITION
of supply of these goods and services, which tend to impinge on COSTS of
supplies.

TOMBONG, in conclusion, the Senegalese Farmers tend to prefer The Gambian
DALASI instead of the CFA because of a major economic factor other than
JAMMEH'S shrewd ECONOMIC STRATEGY; and this major economic factor is
CONDITION of supply of goods and services into Senegal which profoundly
influence the rationale behind the Senegalese Farmers' decision to prefer
the DALASI instead of the CFA. Therefore, you should not have used the
Independence's report as a major economic victory for President Jammeh.

Ansumana Kujabi
concerned Citizen



>From: TOMBONG SAIDY <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: The Gambian Dalasi
>Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 06:12:48 -0500
>

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