By Kebba AF Touray
The Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment (MOTIE) has said the proposed increase in the price of bread is not supported by the authorities.
This comes following their investigation into the proposed increment on the price of bread by the Gambia Bakers’ Union (GBU).
MOTIE, in a press release, informed the general public that the Government of The Gambia, through the Ministry, continues to monitor the production, distribution and sale of bread to ensure that bread, an essential food commodity for most Gambians, is easily available and accessible to the population.
MOTIE explained that following the announcement by the GBU in March 2025 on the possible increase of the price of bread from D10 to D15 per loaf, “the Ministry engaged the Union to understand the reasons for the increment which was later said to be linked to an increase in the input cost to produce bread.”
The Ministry said through constructive discussions and dialogue with members of the GBU and the Gambia Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (GCCPC) and a consortium of consumers, “the decision on the bread price increment was put on hold pending a collective and thorough analysis on the cost of producing bread.”
Subsequently, a task force comprising MOTIE, GCCPC and GBU was constituted to collect data on the bread production cost structure.
“Input cost data from 48 “Senfur” and “Tapala” bakeries across the country were collected to guide the Government’s position on the price of bread in the country,” MOTIE said in the release.
After the collection and analysis of the data, it added, the Taskforce presented the results to MOTIE’s Senior Management and the Executive of the Bakers’ Union on Wednesday, 7 May 2025.
“The presented data clearly revealed that the proposed increase in the price of bread by the
Bakers’ Union cannot be imperially supported,” MOTIE said, stressing that as such, ‘‘the general public is informed that out of the negotiations, the price of bread for both ‘Senfur’ and ‘Tapalapa’ remains at ten Dalasi (D10) per loaf across the country”.
The Ministry assured that it will continue to engage stakeholders in the value chain for an amicable and lasting solution, considering the wider interest of the public, adding that “any future outcome of the engagements shall meet the national quality standards developed by the Gambia Standards Bureau.”
For the information of the readership, the GBU gave a signal last March this year of their proposal to increase the price of a loaf of bread from D10 to D15, by citing rising input costs as the factor behind their proposed increment. However, MOTIE has since then rejected the proposal because it could not be justified and thus has decided to maintain the price of a loaf of bread at D10.
