By Adama Makasuba
Mai Ahmed Fatty, former Minister of Interior and leader of Gambia Moral Congress, has blasted price hiking during the Tobaski festive period in the country to people’s lack of empathy, while he called on them to take collective responsibilities as far as the social obligation is concerned.
Fatty said :“Times are hard. We all know that. Then why must we make it harder for each other? In times like these, we should help make conditions tolerable for each other as citizens.
Rather this is the time when we ourselves, Gambians, try to fleece each other. All of a sudden prices have gone up exponentially at the markets, from vegetables to fish to meat to all manner of things, prices are going up by the hour.”
“This sudden Tobaski price gouge is not due to Ukraine or inflation, but lack of empathy. Unrestrained desire to make more during the Tobaski period. Make more against struggling families. It is not right. Everything is not about politics, and it’s wrong to politicize everything, including our own societal contributory negligence,” he added.
“There’s nothing wrong in making money through legitimate business means, but wrong to take undue advantage of people’s poor financial vulnerabilities, especially during their weakest moments. It’s clear many families wouldn’t be able to afford the sacrificial lamb this year due to exorbitant prices. Government intervention may be helpful. This is a season of mercy and blessings. We have limited control over what happened in Ukraine or global disruptions, but unreasonable artificial price hikes tamid! Let us take collective responsibility,” he continued.
“The ability of the government to undertake the financing of capital-intensive development projects such as the Hakalang road construction with internally generated revenue should be the preferred policy option. Such a model should be expanded in other areas,” Fatty said.