Mr. Sidi:

The central issue here is NOT about the rational decision making of the
Senegalese Farmers, but TOMBONG'S insinuation of that rational decision
making by farmers in a POLITICAL context, period. Economics is all about the
STUDY of HUMAN BEHAVIOR, and how that human behavior is influenced by the
rational choice-making in regards to scares means, which have alternative
uses. And in this situation, the Senegalese Farmers are rational consumers
who take into account the OPPORTUNITY COST in their rational decision
making.

Now, with respect to the Farmers' rational choice making, what concerns some
of us on L is to what extent does PRESIDENT JAMMEH'S ECONOMIC  STRATEGY
significantly enhanced that rational decision making of the Senegalese
Farmers? To put this point more strictly, what was the chief motive behind
TOMBONG'S decision to install that quotation onto the L? Was it just
INFORMATIVE or a SHEER POLITICAL STRATEGY just to alter topic of discussion
on the L. This was my point of argument, and nothing else. In either case,
we, L members are ready to discuss any topic.

Ansumana Kujabi


>From: Sidi Sanneh <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: The Gambian Dalasi(TOMBONG)
>Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 13:08:11 -0500
>
>Mr. Kujabi,
>
>The article posted by Tombong Saidy says two things: First, that the
>Senegalese and Gambian farmers are more rational in their economic
>behaviour
>than the Amani-clad international civil servants, or our local
>counter-parts
>for that matter, give them credit for. If the reverse economic conditions,
>as described in the article, were the case, the  same farmers would be
>demanding CFA francs and buying from the nearby Senegalese village instead.
>Development bureaucrats, like myself, should take note and acknowledge for
>once that farmers have as much economic sense as the rest of us, if not
>more. Second, the story further confirms that local
>businessmen/entrepreneurs given a free hand without the artificial trad
>e
>barriers erected by Governments, regional economic integration would have
>been a reality by now. Why did Tombong post the article? He can answer the
>question better but as far as I am concerned, I find the article as
>interesting as it is newsworthy.
>
>Sidi Sanneh
>
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