By: Momodou Justice Darboe
The Gambia government has reportedly insisted that its tariff policy on imported cement will remain in place even after it signed a US$20M Murabaha financing agreement for the importation of essential items.
The agreement, signed in February of this year, is intended to support businesses to import rice, sugar, vegetable oil, cement and medicines with a view to making their prices affordable for the population.
At the time of signing the Murabaha agreement, the government imposed a 500% tariff on a bag of imported cement, increasing the levy from D30 to D180.
Local cement importers are currently in court with the Government as they challenge the legality of the new tariff. The surge in tariff continues to cause huge dislocations in the cement value chain and loss of livelihoods. It was also responsible for the many on-and-off cement scarcities across the land.
According to reliable sources, despite the far and wide-reaching ramifications of its tariff policy and the signing of the US$20M Murabaha agreement, the government said it will not make any downward revision to the cement tariff.
Efforts to reach the Gambia Government spokesman Ebrima Sankareh and the information minister Dr. Ismaila Ceesay proved futile.
