By: Kemo Kanyi
The leader of the opposition People’s Alliance Party (PAP), Ebrima Tabora Manneh, has said Gambians are starving due to the failure of the country’s economic sectors in particular.
In his expressed opinion about the country’s economic sector, he stated that there has not any improved development in all government sectors, especially the economic sectors since 2021, saying that the living conditions of Gambians is becoming unbearable in various aspects.
“The livelihood is becoming much more difficult; school expenditure becomes more expensive, the health system is expensive and already on the verge of failing, people are starving because their purchasing power drastically reduced, poverty has also increased in the country,’’ Mr. Manneh mentioned during an interface with The Voice newspaper.
He pointed out that the increase debt burden on the country’s economy and the misappropriation of public funds by the government officials unbearably keep strangling the citizens without any positive outcome.
“The increased debt burden and economic mismanagement of public funds from the proceeds of loans and grants. About 80% of these do not reflect on the livelihood of the citizens. The debt of our country is more than double since 2016 and the country stands a point of not capable of settling her debt,” PAP leader stated.
Ebrima Tabora Manneh mentioned that critical areas like the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) is becoming a failure because most Gambians are using the port of Senegal to transit their goods to the Gambia, adding that the introduction of a new ferry services competing the services provided by the GPA, will render the country’s only port service provider inefficient.
“The National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) is indebted to SENELEC and Car Power electricity companies by already consuming the electricity supply from these companies, and they [NAWEC] risk inability to pay for the supply consumed from their suppliers. The Senegambia Bridge is also mortgage, meaning its benefits to Gambians are minimal for a period of 25 years. These few indicates a complete failure in our economic sectors,’’ the opposition leader further stated.
He added that the Gambian land situated in strategic locations are sold to foreign investors putting citizens at a funny situation of been strangers in their own country, stating that they [Gambians] will be working for those invertors without earning enough for a living.
“The 2025 budget has indicated a total failure of the government. Without loans and grants provided by international organizations, the government will find it very difficult to pay salaries or they will be forced to change their lifestyle towards spending,’’ he outlined.
