By: Kebba AF Touray and Aisha Jarjue
The National Assembly Member for Bakau, Hon. Assan Touray has called on the Minister for Digital Economy to seek advice and rescind the decision to privatize GAMTEL.
Touray made this call on Monday, 1 July 2024, at the National Assembly during the debate on the State of Nation Address 2024 (SoNA 2024) by President Adama Barrow.
Touray said based on the information provided by the President in his address, GAMTEL is on the verge of being privatized and given to a company unknown to the Gambian people.
“I want to advise the Hon Minister for Digital Economy to seek advice from genuine Gambians to see how best they can rescind their decision of privatization of GAMTEL and GAMCEL. This might be a dangerous decision taken by the government,” he cautioned.
On the health sector, Hon. Touray said that the inauguration of five state-of-the-art health facilities across the country, as stated by the President in his address, is a welcome development. However, he expressed concerns about whether there would be adequate drug supply in these facilities.
“We have experienced going to the health facilities where drugs are always problems due to shortage or lack of drugs. The scenario is wherein a patient would receive a prescription from a doctor and would be advised to go to the nearest pharmacy to buy those drugs,” he lamented, urging the government to make drugs available to those facilities.
On Security, he said though the former President, Yahya Jammeh has advised President Barrow not to joke with the security of the Gambia, but the Barrow-led administration is neglecting that advice.
He said: “This is because we are experiencing armed robbery, attacks on people on the streets daily, and with these awful security experiences, no citizen is safe in this country. Honorable Vice President, please take note of that”.
He said the Women (Amendment) Bill, is currently before the assembly and is yet to be finalized by the legislature, but for the President to clearly state their position on the bill, according to him is disappointing.
“I believe the President should have abstained from that issue till the finalization is done by the National Assembly,” he expressed his dismay.
The Member for SabachSanjal, Hon. Alhagie Babou Ceesay, commenting on the request for the President to provide information on the boats purchased using the Fisheries Development Fund, said the National Assembly Members have channels through Ministries and concerned entities, to get information on such issues.
He said, “The President in the address is expected to dilate on the policies of the government on administration”.
On Works Ministry, he said the Local Government Fund and the revenue that the government is realizing are the resources that the government uses to spend on roads, instead of taking loans which will be to the detriment of future generations.
“Transportation is key and for the government to subsidize fuel, means that the transportation of goods from Banjul to the rural area, the cost will be cheaper, and if transport cost on basic commodities is cheap, it would mean that basic food commodity price will be cheaper,” he said about the transport sector.
Member for Sami Constituency, Hon. Alfusainey Ceesay on his part, decried that though some areas have been dilated on by the President in the address, other critical areas have not been adequately deliberated on.
One such area, he said, is the education sector, which he said is of great significance to the country, and that despite the importance of the sector, some schools are still without adequate structures.
“In some schools, quarter is a problem, and those things have to be highlighted in the address so that government can act on them. What I have realized is that in this year’s address, they have joined issues of both the MoBSE and MoHERST and I think they should be separated and be dwelled on adequately in the address,” he said.
He said that according to the President’s address, the skill centers in Ndemban and Kanilai are in operation, but he was quick to say that there are no such centers in the whole of CRR, though they have laid the foundation in Wassu.
