By Kemo Kanyi
Lamin Dampha, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Trade, Regional Integration and Employment, has emphasized that the government is prioritising support to local industries to enhance job creation for the unemployed citizens.
In an interview with Peter Gomez, West Coast Radio Coffee Time, he revealed that there’s still an ongoing negotiation between cement importers and the government of the Gambia over a high rate of tariff imposed on bagged imported cement into the country.
Mr Dampha said a tariff is imposed on already bagged cement entering the country. “So if anyone feels that you can trade in that commodity with that charge imposed, you can go ahead,” he told Coffee Time with Peter Gomez.
He signified that domestic producers must be provided support to curb unemployment problems in the country.
“We have to provide support to our domestic producers. This is in the interest of the government because we are experiencing a high rate of unemployment in this country. How do we deal with that if everything is imported,” he asked.
According to him, this internal measure is not only affecting the cement industry but other commodities, too.
He stated that this was the same measure put in place for products like flour, potatoes, and onions during the time of harvesting.
“The government institutes a system that seeks to restrict the importation of onion and potatoes into the country just to help farmers who are investing so much of their time, energy, and resources into that economic activity.
Citizens should not rise against this internal policy of the government, which is solely aimed at protecting the local industry and employment creation through that industry,” he pointed out.
Dampha dismissed the claim made by cement importers that they have created 3000 jobs as untrue.
He revealed that for the whole of last year, the cement importers contributed D26, 000,000.00 contrary to D340, 000,000.00 as they claimed to be contributing every three months.
“Our dialogue with them is that they should allow our local industries to re-bagged and manufacture for them to take charge of the distribution and retailing in the cement value chain. We are banning any cement coming into the country, not only Senegal, I think this needs to be cleared. This charge is imposed on cement from all over the world coming in,” he clarified.
He said the government has no intention to destroy any business, and neither is it discouraging any business expansion.
He further clarified that the government is not only protecting Jah Oil Company as cement importers always argue it. “We are protecting the whole industry, I don’t know why they are singling out Jah Oil. Protecting a firm is different from protecting an industry. If we protected Jah Oil Company, Salaam and Gacem would have closed.”
He said the government cannot continue to disadvantage its economy by allowing an uncontrolled influx of products from other countries, most of which don’t accept the entry of Gambian products into their markets.
