By: Momodou Justice Darboe
Gambians have been expressing their concerns and fears over Senegal’s plan to ban the exportation of basalt to The Gambia a few days after the news was broken by a senior Gambia government official.
The Senegalese government, according to the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Trade, Mr. Lamin Dampha, has notified the Gambia government of its decision to stop basalt export to other countries by October due to the infrastructure projects that it plans to implement.
However, this information has sent chills down the spines of many Gambians, who expressed fears and concerns that the cessation of basalt export to The Gambia could occasion an astronomical increase in basalt prices and widespread shortages of the black concrete.
“The next closest option for The Gambia would be Cape Verde if Senegal finally bans exports,” said a concerned Gambian.
“This could be unsustainable for many Gambians as basalt prices could put huge pressures on their budgets,” said a building contractor Mam Gorr Joof in an interview with this reporter.
“When prices of basalt shoot up exponentially, many people would be forced to abandon their building projects and the consequences could be wide-ranging and far-reaching,” concerned citizen Sainey Marong told The Voice when approached for his view on the black concrete issue.
“I foresee joblessness and devastations of livelihoods if Senegal goes ahead with its plan,” said building contractor Sarjo Ceesay.
However, PS Dampha hinted in a recent Coffee Time With Peter Gomez interview that The Gambia is a sovereign State and would find a way out of the conundrum once Senegal imposes the basalt export ban.
Meanwhile, the Sahel Cement Company, which started cement production in Senegal since the year 2002, owns the majority of basalt quarries in Senegal, competent sources informed this reporter.
The company produces 600,000 tons of cement per year, according to credible sources.
It was not clear whether Senegal’s plan would be in retaliation to the imposition of the monumental levy on bagged cement from Senegal and other countries though Mr. Dampha said this wasn’t the case.
Some concerned Gambians have been seeking answers from the Gambia government, regarding the recent importation of bagged cement by Salam Company. They wanted to know whether the company also paid D180 for each bag or more because the bagged cement that the company was transporting to its factory from the Banjul Port last week was more than 50kg.
The government continues to be inundated by accusations of destroying livelihoods and causing job losses in many parts of the country since it increased a levy on a bag of cement from D30 to D180 some months ago.
Many cement stores across the country were reportedly still closed due to supply issues.
Some of our interlocutors said the Gambia government could be criminally liable for violating competition laws and ECOWAS trade treaties.