HOW DO GAMBIANS SEE JAWARA'S OFFER TO FINISH ANOTHER TERM IN OFFICE?
The news dispatched by Dr Amadou Janneh on former President Jawara's visit
to Miami on Sunday, 14 November 1999 is quite interesting.
According to Dr janneh's report, 150 people attended a reception organised
for Jawara. Mr Abdou Sara Janha, former Secretary general and head of the
civil service+ADs- Mr Mbemba Jatta, former Minister of Trade, Industry and
Employment were said to be present. Mr Kebba Jallow, former Chairman of the
Kanifing Municipal Council is said to have chaired the meeting.
According to the report by Dr Janneh the format of the programme did not
provide a question and answer session.
According to Dr Janneh, ex-President Jawara underscored his regime's record
on human rights adding that only one execution was carried out during his
tenure despite crimes associated with the 1981 attempted coup+ADs- that the
current government is a military government in civilian clothes+ADs- that it has
become more repressive since its attempted civilianization.
On the question of development projects, Dr Janneh indicated that Jawara
claimed that many of the projects associated with the APRC as success
stories were actually initiated by his administration. He is said to have
commented on the construction of schools by the APRC by asserting that there
is more to educational development than simply putting up buildings
everywhere+ADs- that he claimed that the audience are quite informed of the
achievements of his government.
On corruption, Jawara is said to have denied categorically that his
administration has been corrupt+ADs- that the APRC has long forgotten the
concept of accountability, transparency and probity+ADs- that he is surprised
that journalists and academics believed in Jammeh's propaganda+ADs- that his
government stole millions of dalasi worth of the country's resources+ADs- that
he made counter claims of the siphoning of loans by the APRC and added that
after rewarding themselves for dangers faced to carry out the coup, the
leaders were able to find wives.
On the question of tribalism, Jawara is aid to have expressed dismay that
tribalism is on the rise+ADs- that this phenomenon was unheard of during his
tenure+ADs- that he blamed the APRC for the surge.
On establishing limits to the number of terms a President could serve in
office, Jawara is said to have criticised the APRC for failing to include
term limits in the constitution despite overwhelming popular support for the
inclusion of such a provision.
On the question of unity, Jawara is said to have praised those in attendance
at the Atlanta reception for exhibiting unity and added that unity was a key
to success in dealing with the country's many challenges including what he
termed as the struggle against the military regime in The Gambia.
On his attitude to the APRC. Dr Janneh indicated that according to Jawara if
Jammeh steps down he would be given some form of amnesty+ADs- that he ruled out
any negotiation with the APRC+ADs- that this would only be used by them to stay
in power+ADs- that he cautioned that the type of amnesty he would give would not
be as extensive as the one APRC gave themselves under what he referred to as
the so-called constitution.
On what should be the attitude of the people towards the APRC, Dr Janneh
said that Jawara called on the people especially civil servants to engage in
civil disobedience and show their opposition to the policies of the APRC+ADs-
that the Gambian community in Atlanta should engage in mass demonstrations
and lobby influential figures such as former U.S. President, Jimmy Carter
for support+ADs- that he said that if they do this they would be able to get the
spotlight in the media.
FOROYAA'S COMMENT
Gambians who spend their time comparing Jawara's regime with Jammeh's will
not be helping the nation to carve a new future.
In short, those who praise the past are simply giving Jammeh the impression
that Gambians are buffoons who will accept any ruler to live at their
expense and be welcomed for decades. Those who praise the present are simply
telling those who lived extravagantly at the expense of the people in the
past that they could have continued doing so for many more decades without
public disapproval.
If Gambians are to be faithful to common sense, maturity, truth and justice,
they should expose the rottenness of both the past and the present and show
that they are not anybody's sheep or donkey.
In this regard, FOROYAA will publish a special review on Thursday on
Jawara's legacy and Jammeh's foot path to the future.
We will compare the Auditor General's Report during Jawara's regime and the
one under Jammeh's regime. We will calculate the revenue accumulated over
the years, show how the people pay taxes, argue that it is the height of
deceit for any leader to claim to do anything for the people, examine the
human rights situation, the electoral system, the media and so on and so
forth.
Our object is to justify why Gambia should look towards a better future than
look towards the past or be content with the present. It would be the height
of naivety to take another posture.
In short, the fact that a President who was in power for decades and is
still interested in power rather than supporting a party of his choice in
The Gambia while arguing about limit in term of office of the President
clearly confirms that he sees the people to be very naive and ignorant.
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THE TAX BURDEN
52+ACU- Tax On Fuel
Scraping The Back Of The People Just Like Before
FOROYAA has long cautioned the APRC regime, as it did when its predecessor,
the PPP regime was in office, that without a productive base the state must
scrape the back of the people through taxation in order to meet the
disproportionate incomes of its political elites and provide diminishing
social services.
After three decades of managing the affairs of this country, the PPP regime
left a country without a viable private or public sector. After five years
of managing the affairs of this country, the APRC regime finds it impossible
to build a viable private and public sector.
For example, in 1991/1992 financial year, Company tax yielded only D50.7
million out of a total revenue of D638.8 million. In 1993/94, Company Tax
yielded just D73.4 million out of a total revenue amounting to D766.7
million.
This clearly shows a very insignificant growth of the private sector.
In 1994/95, Company Tax yielded D88.2 million as compared to a total revenue
of D728.3 million. In 1995/96, Company Tax contributed D65 million as
compared to a total income of D698.4 million. In 1996/97, Company Tax
contributed D93 million to the revenue as compared to a total revenue
amounting to D762.6 million. In 1997, Company Tax contributed D84.4 million
to the national revenue as compared to a total revenue amounting to D770.1
million. In 1998, Company tax contributed D90.7 million to the national
income as compared to a total income amounting to D786.3 million. In 1999,
it is estimated that Company tax will contribute D93 million to the national
income.
Hence, it is clear that this country cannot rely on its tiny private sector
to earn income to provide services. In fact, the private sector is
complaining of too much taxation already. Where then is the government to
get funds to provide services?
Well, it could do so by maintaining a productive base which could generate
income. However, nothing much has been done to build and maintain such a
productive base.
In fact, the PPP before and the APRC now are doing everything to dispose of
the productive base of the government. Readers would recall that Jawara
inherited a viable oil producing factory at Denton Bridge. Instead of
investing and modernising the facility out of its deposits which stood at
D101 million in 1978, it allowed the profitability of the company to
deteriorate to the point of being completely bankrupt.
In 1993, the Jawara regime sold GPMB for D20 million. It gave the impression
that the Cooperative Union was a shareholder and agreed for payment to be
done by Alimenta by instalment. D6 million was paid in 1993+ADs- D7 million was
to be paid in 1994 and another D7 million in 1995. Today, the GPMB oil mill
is gathering dust. This is the legacy of the PPP.
Needless to say, the Gambia Commercial and Development bank with a total
assets of D192 million in 1982 was driven to total bankruptcy and disposed
for D20 million.
The Cooperative Union was driven to total bankruptcy and the PPP regime
ended up by constituting a commission of enquiry after they found nothing
more than D40 in its account.
The PPP Government sold the NTC, Dockyard, Nyambai Forest Saw Mill and so on
and so forth.
The APRC regime started by giving the impression that it is going to restore
the health of the productive base of the economy. It claims that the Assets
Management and Recovery Corporation has collected over D133 million.
However, nothing is done to invest the sum in the productive base of the
economy.
Government could have developed partnership with local entrepreneurs to make
Pal Grove Hotel productive instead of disposing it of. They could have
bought shares in Air Dabia instead of selling the assets. Today, government
assets are being put up for sale. Cooperative Union has been liquidated
after incurring liability of D209 million.
Like its predecessor, the government, therefore, relies entirely on direct
and indirect taxes to pay its debts and maintain services.
This is why the Secretary of State for Finance and economic Affairs has
exercised his powers under Section 5, subsection (3) of the Customs Tariff
Act to prescribe the following rates for duty on petroleum products and
other items:
Petrol which costs D7.75 per litre incurs a tax amounting to D4.10 per
litre. Gas oil which costs D5.50 per litre incurs a duty amounting to D2.35
per litre.
New vehicles incur 20+ACU- duty. Used vehicles with values under D25,000 incur
duty of D10,000 flat which means that the duty cannot be less than 40+ACU-.
Soap, wheel barrows, sugar, confectioneries, nails incur 20+ACU- duty.
Import duty constitute the basis of the national income and this duty is
passed on to the consumers by importers. Tax on goods and services and tax
on international trade provides for 80+ACU- of the total government revenue.
The people need to consider whether this is the type of economy they wish to
have. If not, they should ask each political party for an alternative policy
to a tax based source of government revenue.
Those who have no answer to this issue can never stop scraping the backs of
the people to maintain salaries and services.
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HOW PREPARED IS THE GOVERNMENT FOR THE TRADE SEASON?
December is fast approaching. The groundnut price has been put at D2700 per
tonne. December 15 is declared to be the beginning of the trade season. Who
is going to purchase the groundnuts from the Cooperative Societies? Who will
finance the whole trade? These are yet to be clear.
The Secretary of State has stated that their negotiation with the Gambia
Ground Corporation is still on. It is not at all clear whether GGC will be a
purchaser of the nuts of the Cooperative Societies.
Readers would recall that many farmers sold their nuts to Senegal. Other
stored their nuts and started to sell them at the weekly markets or lumoos.
Our investigation revealed that lumoos were so saturated with nuts that the
price fell. Companies outside the country took advantage of this and started
to buy and transport nuts to Senegal.
We hope this will not happen in the next trade season. We need transparency
to avoid yesterday's crisis. There is need for diversification of buyers of
the nuts. The Secretary of State for Agriculture needs to coordinate with
the Secretary of State for Trade to seek marketing outlets for nuts. Even
Russia can be an outlet for marketing nuts. Ways and means should be sought
to find out the sources for marketing the crop.
It would be unpardonable for farmers to take their crops for sale to
Cooperative societies only to b given pieces of paper promising future
payment instead of receiving money for their nuts. The role of the
government is not to misrepresent the people.
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