By: Momodou Justice Darboe
Plans are in the pipeline to install a state-of-the-art digital weight scale at the Banjul Port, revealed the Commissioner General of the GRA.
According to CG Yankuba Darboe, the GRA and the management of the GPA have been collaboratively working towards installing the digital weight scale to ensure accuracy and precision in cargo measurement. CG Darboe explained: “We are coming up with a state-of-the-art digital weight scale that we are putting at the port. You must agree with me that most of the goods that come into the port here, port charges them based on their weight. Like the GRA, all the bulk cargo that we have namely cement, flour, sugar rice, etc… all these are charged by weight. If you don’t have a state-of-the-art digital weight scale, how would you be able to get the correct data?”
Currently, the GRA and GPA rely heavily on importers for establishing cargo weight but CG Darboe said it cannot be business as usual.
“I am not doubting the business community. I am not saying they[importers] are not giving the right measurement but we also have to countercheck because we cannot always have a situation where you only become a receiver. If you receive, you have to verify, and to do that verification is why we are introducing the state-of-the-art weight scale at the port. We are doing this in consultation with Mr. Jobarteh and his management,” the GRA boss told a port stakeholder consultative forum last week.
