By Binta Jaiteh &
Awa k Sanneh
The Gambia Livestock Marketing Agency (GLMA) has submitted its year ended 31st December 2017, and 2018 reports on Agriculture and rural development to the National Assembly select public enterprise committee.
Douto Sainey Fofana, chairperson of GLMA gave background of the agency. He said it was created by an act of parliament in 2008, and it commenced business in January 2010 to promote commercialization and marketing in The Gambia.
He said, the objective of the agency is to facilitate the participation of Gambians in regulating livestock matters with the motto – fairness, participation and excellence.
‘’The vision statement is to be standard in livestock marketing body within the sub-region while the mission statement is to be committed to professionalism , excellence quality service delivery , fair trade and pricing , mutual understanding and development and orientation’’
He noted that, the main function of the agency is to establish and manage livestock matters, and meet sanitary standard for livestocks.
To organize livestock shows exhibiting and other relation activities in partnership with private sector and farmers, to take over existing livestock programs at Abuko, farafenni, and Basse with all the infrastructure he added
Further to that, is t establish price determination and marketing mechanism information, to disseminate weekly livestock and meat prices to the general public.
Fofana went on dilated on some of GLMA functions which include to take over the management of cattle collections by local government councils, to collect slaughter fees and processing fees at the level of abattoir and collect fees for the dealer permit in rents and butcher shops in chaos.
‘’Develop and implement training programs in partnership with contractual agreement with competent institutions, link Gambian livestock dealers and butchers with employment skills including projects financing institutions’.
However, he said the agency has a board of director consisting of a chairman, permanent secretary and ministry of agriculture, permanent secretary ministry of trade and ministry of health, local government councils,” he said.
“The agency has 57 members of staff headed by a director general who oversee the day to day of the agency and is assisted by two directors that is director of finance and admin, field and technical service. There are staff representing the agency both in regional and district level, major operational constrains are most stakeholders are reluctant to pay the registration, licensing fees unless the process is enforce by the police, Insufficient monthly subvention to pay staff,” he added.
Demba Jallow, director general notes that during the year under review the agency could not secure half of its approve budget which will be delivered by the finance manager, adding that during the period under review the regulation and revenue collection in 2017, license dealers’ registers are 206 nationals and non-national 608 compared to 2018 which is 213 national while non-nationals is 1011 are non-national.
He said “the total numbers of register in 2017 were 569 butchers and dealers while 2018 is 765 butchers and dealers. We have provided a booklet to be distributed to alkalos 1, 650 books to be used all over the country, for the purpose of when a trader buys cattle from the village the alkalo will use that booklet to attest that this animal is not stolen is owned by someone with stamp of the alkalo.”
Honorable Momodou Ceesay chairperson to the committee considered and scheduled their next meeting for today.
