The following is culled from FRROYAA BURNING NO: 87/2002 26 - 29 December,
2002
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Adjournment Debate
Economy In Crisis - Halifa Sallah
On Monday the National Assembly adjourned its meeting at the end of the
adjournment debate. We now publish a summary of some of the significant
points raised during the debate. In subsequent issue we shall publish
detailed report under the column At The National Assembly. Contributing to
the adjournment debate Mr. Halifa Sallah member for Serrekunda Central
indicated that development has parameters and scope; that each
aministration sets the limit and possibilities of developing the country.
He indicated that their role as National Assembly members is to facilitate
development and it is left to the government of the day to accept or
ignore what is being said. Halifa indicated that the type of country that
they envisage is one where whoever governs, will try to move it forward and
those who wish to take their place would try to prove that they can do
better. Halifa indicated that those who can stand at the National Assembly
and praise the present administration for the present state of our economy,
would be very right to say that they are not on the same side with him. He
stressed that as far as he is concerned, the country is in a crisis
situation. He recalled that 69% of the population are living in abject
poverty and some people are closing their eyes to this.
Halifa indicated that life is even tough for those who are considered to be
top public servants not to talk about the poor people. He pointed that a
kilo of meat is D50 and for 30 days this amounts to D1500. For a person
earning D2000 what is that person left with. A bag of rice is D275, what
about the person earning D700, D500 or D400, how is that person living with
a family?
Halifa stated that they must accept that the people are suffering and are
finding it more and more difficult to make ends meet. He stressed that
this is not a propaganda. It is the reality. He argued that so far the
government has not proven that it can build up the productive base of this
economy because the public corporations are not yielding dividends and the
private sector is not generating investment. He said we are left without a
viable a viable public nor private sector. Halifa stressed that they must
acknowledge this and examine what is wrong and see how to make them viable.
He argued that if they do that, then they are moving forward and if they
don't then they are moving backward. He stressed that the facts have shown
very clearly that the government is finding it difficult to earn the
revenue that it needs to provide us with the services that we need. He
emphasised that the example National Assembly members are giving that
people should follow the Kanilai example is not applicable to the general
public. He argued that only few people have that type of money to make
such investment.; that the people have shown that they are ready to work by
going to Kanilai to assist him farming. He argued that if such men and women
were given land and similar facilities to own as corperatives they would
produce and share without any difficulty. That is the way forward for our
hardworking men and women farmers. He also questioned why an investment
like Citizen FM is suppressed if Gambians are really being encouraged to
invest. He called for a good society where all can participate freely in
development.
F.J.C.
On her part nominated member, Fatoumata Jahumpa Ceesay indicated that the
economic problem facing the Gambia is not only limited to the Gambia but
global. She argued that if global economic difficulty knocks the world
Gambia as a third world country will not be spared. She indicated that
fiscal discipline does not only stop at those handling the finances of this
country but goes as far as civil servants going to work on time and staying
in their offices up to closing time 4pm. She said at closing time, they
should switch off their lights and appliances, and control the misuse of
government vehicles. She stressed that all these are part of fiscal
discipline. She called on NAMs to organise the youths in their
constituencies cooperatives to make use of the opportunity that the
president has provided as SoS for Agriculture.
She concluded by calling on National Assembly members to make use of NEPAD.
Sidia Jatta
On his part, Sidia Jatta member for Wuli West indicated that he is not
opposed to farmers inoculating their cattle, what he is opposed to is
cattle tax being paid to area councils' coffers at all. He indicated that
cattle owners paid money to the area councils and again dip their hands
into their pocket to buy drugs and pay somebody to do the inoculation for
them. This is ridiculous, he stressed.
Baba Jobe
On his part, Baba Jobe indicated that the National Assembly members of the
ruling party should not be complaining about SoS failing to attend Assembly
sittings nor should they be raising their concerns in the Assembly. Instead
they should go to offices of the SoS to explain what their people need and
they failed, then when they come to the Assembly you can say I told you
that, this is what I told you." He indicated that they cannot say yes sir
to them and when they come to the Assembly they talk something about them
that is hypocritical.
He said that this should be done by the opposition because they have no
access to the SoS. He indicated that the building of roads is developing
the productive sector because if the roads are bad before the products
reach the market they are spoilt.
Hamat Bah
At this juncture, Hamat Bah, member for Upper Saloum marched out. According
to him, there are more issues more important to the state and the country
at large to be discussed than than what was being diuscussed now issues
that can be discussed outside the assembly at a better forum.
Deputy Speaker
This happened at a time when the Deputy Speaker was pointing the vacancies
in the National Assembly staff and asked where that money is going since
the number of vacancies is nine. She also questioned the allocation of
D50,000 on the estimate under the National Assembly for official
entertainment when that never took. She asked where that money is going to.
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Source: FOROYAA (Freedom) NO: 87/2002 26 - 29 December, 2002 ISSN: 0796-
08573
Address: FOROYAA, P.O.Box 2306, Serrekunda, The Gambia, West Africa
Telephone: (220) 393177 Fax: (220) 393177
Email address: [log in to unmask]
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