By: Momodou Justice Darboe
The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Trade, Mod A.K Secka, said he expected the cement scarcity that hit parts of the Greater Banjul Area to come to an end soon.
However, there appeared to be no end in sight to the shortage that has now entered its second week.
The Voice contacted PS Secka on Monday to inquire as to whether the shortage was precipitated by the government’s tariff on a bag of imported cement, which effectively sent some cement dealers out of business.
PS Secka said he could not comment on the new tariff and its implications on businesses as well as consumers because he was new in the job. He, however, told this medium that the cement scarcity in the GBA could come to an end soon.
He stated that the shortage was precipitated by delays in discharge of materials at the port.
“It has to do with delays in discharge at the port. So, some of the materials are already here. I think they will be discharging very soon,” he explained.
The Gambia government increased tariff on a bag of imported cement from D30 to D180, ostensibly to protect local cement producers. This development engendered scarcities and job losses along the cement supply chain as local producers such as Gacem and Salaam struggled to meet the country’s growing demand for cement while Jah Oil’s re-bagging of imported pulverized cement could not as well plug the gap.
Many cement dealers, who spoke to this reporter, have called on government to revisit its tariff policy to salvage livelihoods and ensure availability of cement at all times.
