By MUHAMMED S. BAH
In a press release from State house, it is confirmed that the Government of the Gambia at a cabinet meeting, resolved to restructure the country’s position in the telecom market. The proposal is said to have been made through a joint paper presented by Mamburay Njie, Finance Minister and Ebrima Sillah, the Minister of Information, during the second special cabinet meeting held on the 22nd of February 2019.
According to the release, cabinet deliberated on the outcome of an options study for restructuring Government’s supply-side participation, in the country’s telecoms market.
The release further stated that after a thorough deliberation on the options in the study, Cabinet agreed on several actions recommended by the Ministers during their deliberations; that Cabinet’s position on the recommendations on Gamcel, is to reposition and restructure the national GSM Company, and then divest its shares; that the restructuring will ensure Gamcel operates under an independent management, free from Gamtel’s control and influence.
The release further states Cabinet endorsement on the recommendation that Gamtel be restructured and repositioned, to make it more effective and efficient.
Finally, the release disclosed that Cabinet agreed that the liberalization of the International Gateway, be expedited with a full-blown monitoring system to be managed by the Public Utility Authority (PURA).
