By Assan Bah
Foroyaa’s inquiry has found out that over thirty (30) trucks loaded with cement are still stuck at the Farafenni border.
This came following an increment in duty by the Gambia Government, which the traders (importers) described as a means the government employed to strangle their businesses in order to usher in monopoly in the industry in favour of three (3) cement companies – Jah Oil, Salam and GACEM. The companies mentioned denied this allegation. The disagreement remains unresolved.
On Friday, 19 July, over thirty (30) trucks loaded with cement were found at the border. Their various apprentices guarded these trucks. Foroyaa is informed that some of the apprentices have left their trucks. One of the apprentices told Foroyaa that a good number of the apprentices have left their jobs and returned to their various villages.
“Some of my colleagues have returned because they were either sometimes not provided with feeding by their bosses (drivers) or were not paid because these trucks have been here for two months now without moving and no one knows when we will leave,” the young apprentice said.
“We have a lot of thieves here. They sometimes withdraw the fuel in the vehicles because they have ways to create leakage. The thieves sometimes steal our vehicle tires,” he added.
According to him, they only sleep when people start moving during morning [4am or 5am], because of the fear of thieves. He called on the Gambia Government to reconsider its decision.
“As we speak, many of the trucks parked here have experienced breakdowns, and our cement is getting spoiled,” he lamented.
However, soldiers were seen near some of the trucks and are believed to be guarding them.
This increment, according to the cement traders, is on import duty but the Ministry of Trade called it an excise tax.
The reporter reached out to custom officers at the Farafenni Customs Office. One of the custom officers said: “This is beyond me. Wait, I will refer you to my boss.” His boss declined to make comments, and referred the reporter to the GRA Headquarters in Banjul, saying he is not mandated to grant interviews.
Gibi Jobe, a cement trader, said he has five [5] trucks loaded with cement.
“Three [3] of my trucks have been at the border since Tobaski. We have tried all means to talk to the government to reconsider its decision, but we could not succeed. Before this policy came, we used to sell a bag of cement for D350 but as of today, we are selling a bag of cement at D400. We sell a bag of cement for D400 because we buy at D355 at the factory [Jah Oil], and pay D35 for transporting a bag and D5 for offloading a bag. Let the government reconsider its decision and let us do our business because we are citizens of the country and paying our taxes like any other citizen,” Jobe said.
On the claims that they [importers] are predominantly Senegalese or working as agents for Senegalese businesses, Gibi denied the claim describing it as unfounded.
“We are Gambians. I am from Niani. There was a time when the industry was dominated by the Senegalese, but as we speak, I can say we are all Gambians. If you check our vehicles number plates, you will see that they are all registered in The Gambia,” he said.
He decried that thieves have stolen some of their vehicle parts.
“You cannot keep people here without paying them and it would be very difficult for us to pay them when they are not working,” Gibi said.
Abdul Wahab Bah, a resident of Fafafenni, said he has been in the business for over a decade, but has shifted to selling rice because he could not continue with the cement business.
“I have stopped selling cement and I now sell rice because all my trucks are at the border and I have lot of employees. I have my own trucks. I have to feed the staff and pay them at the end of every month and feed them. This is unsustainable,” said Bah.
He called on the Gambia Government to reconsider its decision because the current situation is not only affecting them, but it would also affect customers because they will end up buying cement at exorbitant prices.
