By: Binta Jaiteh
Former press secretary of the Gambia Action Party (GAP) Sheikhna Faal and the youth president of the United Democratic Party (UDP) Hajie Suwaneh have urged President Adama Barrow to control food price inflation in the country.
The duo attributed the skyrocketing of food commodity prices to negligence on the part of the current dispensation.
UDP’s Suwaneh said anytime he hears President Barrow, pushing for a third term, he always asks if Gambians are aware of the current cost of living and the role of government to control inflation.
According to him, Gambians have been complaining about the high cost of living for the past years but that their complaints have so far fallen on deaf ears.
“The government has failed to strategize and address the situation. Due to Barrow’s failed promises, Gambians are seriously suffering in this country. Among Barrow’s major promises was to reduce the food commodity prices because he knew that it is the government’s responsibility to tackle commodity prices through reasonable tax policies together with practical and implementable macro-economic policies,” he explained.
Suwaneh said Barrow reneged on his promise of reducing food prices soon after the election, stating that commodity prices have increased drastically under the Barrow administration.
“This is because Barrow allowed businessmen to control our business sector without setting ground rules,” he added.
“ I can tell you that going by surveys, the poverty rate has drastically increased and 70% of the population are unable to survive daily.”
For his part, Sheikhna Faal opined that hike in prices of basic commodities is a complex situation and that it all boiled down to government’s failure in producing what the citizens need.
He also reiterated that the business sector is not controlled, hence the frequent food commodity price hikes, adding that business owners increase prices without consideration of the plight of masses.
“The few private business owners only care about maximizing profit and the government could not control the damage,” he contended.
