By: Nyima Sillah
Lawmaker for Serrekunda West, Madi Ceesay has rejected the government’s suggestion on privatizing Gamcel, describing it as the worst thing the Gambia can afford as a nation.
“Gamcel was the first GSM Company in the country and it is owned by the government. At the time SIM card was D500 if Gamcel over the years was excelling and is now on its knees, that is a very sad situation for the country and it is a clear manifestation of the government’s failure to manage its resources,” NAM Cessay told this medium following the recent budget speech made by the finance minister.
He opines that Gamcel is the government’s own company so it is supposed to be the government’s resource, adding if they cannot manage the company and want to privatize it, then it is a shame on the government, arguing that the government should feel ashamed to do that.
“In the honorable minister’s speech page 84, the Minister spoke of privatizing Gamcel but if the government does that, that will be the worst thing we can afford as a nation. What the government should have done is to put Gamcel back on its feet as it used to be in the early 90s,” he stated.
NAM Cessay pointed out that Comium, Qcell, and Africell are recent GSM companies that came and found Gamcel rolling but it is rather unfortunate for the government to be thinking of privatizing Gamcel. “If private companies can excel, why not government owned companies?” he asked.
The Serrekunda NAM tasks the government to take all necessary steps and manifest efficiency in government businesses, stressing that the failure of Gamcel is nothing but mere corruption.
“This is the first GSM and we expect it to excel so the question is what must have gone wrong and where has it gone wrong to the point that the government is thinking of nothing but privatizing it,” Ceesay remarked.
