By Awa Touray
Momodou L.K Sanneh, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, raised concern for the Cellular Gateway to be returned to Gamtel, during the recent adjournment debate of the 2019 Legislative session. Deputy Speaker Sanneh Sanneh said his reason is that that Gateway should be handled by a Government institution and not a private Company.
Deputy Speaker Sanneh said Gamtel is the national GSM operator and has suffered over the past years; that Gamtel has been here before Africell and Qcell, but that the institution lacks enough funds; that Gamtel was able to pay dividend to Government on yearly basis in the past, but started encountering problems during the former regime of Yaya Jammeh. “We are in a new dispensation. I therefore appeal to the new Government to ensure that Gamtel’s Gateway is returned to them,” he told deputies.
The Deputy Speaker said returning the Gateway can enable the institution to have enough resources to pay dividend to Government; that giving Gamtel’s Gateway to other Companies for them to benefit while the country’s own Company suffers from lack of adequate funds to develop and improve, is indeed a sad situation and Government should urgently look into this. “I hope the Ministry concerned will look into this and of course the entire Government Gambians brought about change, so that Gamtel issues can be immediately address,” he concludes.
