By: Momodou Justice Darboe
The Cement Importers and Traders’ Association (CITA) has filed a lawsuit against the government of The Gambia a few months after the government exponentially increased the levy on a bag of imported cement.
Dependable sources have informed this medium that the association, through the Dandimayo Chambers, last week filed the lawsuit against the government to challenge the legality of its decision.
The Gambia government, it could be recalled, increased the levy on a bag of imported cement by D150 and according to the government, this policy decision was borne out of the need to protect local cement “manufacturers” from cement importers.
CITA, however, said this decision has engendered job losses and devastations of livelihoods across its membership and the cement supply chain.
The association has since been complaining that the government’s move to increase the levy on a bag of cement from D30 to D180 was anti-competition and against ECOWAS trade treaty.
When contacted, lawyer Lamin S. Camara of Damdimayo Chamber referred this reporter to Kaddyjatou Jallow of the same law firm, who confirmed that a lawsuit had been instituted around the cement issue but declined to give details.
“I don’t discuss my clients’ issues with the people I don’t know,” she stated.
The government said its decision to significantly up the cement levy was necessitated by the need to protect Salam, Jah Oil and Gacem cement “producers” from imported cement but it has become apparent that only Salam cement factory produces cement locally.
