By Assan Bah
A recent cement shortage that sent prices soaring and disrupted construction projects in parts of the Greater Banjul Area and the West Coast Region was caused not by production shortfalls, but by delays at the country’s main port, according to Omar Badjie, the director of industry at the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration, and Employment.
The disruption, he said, stemmed from a backlog at the Banjul seaport that left a key shipment from Jah Oil, the country’s largest cement supplier, waiting offshore. The Gambia Ports Authority, which assigns docking rights on a first-come, first-served basis, was unable to accommodate Jah Oil’s vessel on time, creating a supply gap that local manufacturers struggled to fill.
“The issue wasn’t production capacity,” Badjie said. “The port was congested, and Jah Oil’s vessel had trouble berthing. That put pressure on the two other cement factories, Salam and Gacem, which couldn’t meet the market’s demand on their own.”
The government intervened to expedite a berth for Jah Oil’s ship, which docked last week with 38,000 tons of cement. But while Badjie said the situation has improved, vendors and construction workers report that supply constraints persist.
“The demand is high, and prices have gone up,” said Sulayman Trawally, a site manager in Kanifing, where he has been waiting two weeks for cement. “Now the middlemen are inflating prices.”
In Serekunda, Deje Faye, a contractor, said projects have stalled due to the shortage.
“We ran out of cement five days ago,” he said. “The local factories need to step up and meet demand consistently.”
Factory prices for cement remain at 355 dalasi per bag, but vendors—citing the limited supply—have raised retail prices from 400 to as high as 415 dalasi, a 3.75 percent increase.
Despite the recent shortages, Badjie insisted that Gambia’s cement industry is robust.
“Our local capacity is more than enough to meet national demand,” he said, pointing to Jah Oil’s recent exports to Cape Verde as evidence of the sector’s strength.
But even as supply issues ease, a legal battle over cement taxation is unfolding in the courts.
On November 26, 2024, the Cement Importers and Traders Association (CITA) filed a lawsuit challenging a government decision to raise the levy on imported cement from 30 dalasi to 180 dalasi per bag. The association argues that the tax hike—imposed by the trade minister—was unconstitutional, as only the National Assembly has the authority to approve such levies.
CITA contends that the increase unfairly favours domestic producers at the expense of importers. The group is seeking a court order nullifying the tax and requiring equal treatment of all industry players.
The government, named as the defendant in the case, has defended the tax increase, arguing that it was necessary to protect local manufacturers and ensure self-sufficiency in cement production. Officials maintain that similar policies exist in neighboring countries like Senegal and Mali, where local industries receive government support.
The case is ongoing, with a ruling expected in the coming months.
