The proceeds from the sale of 136,000 bags of rice donated by Japan to The Gambia will form part of the budget of the National Development Plan, according to a state House Press Release issued on 5 December 2018.
The ship carrying the rice has already docked at the Banjul Port.
According to the release, the rice packed in 30 kg bags will be sold wholesale buyers in batches of 10,000 bags at a price of D525 and to the consumer at a price not exceeding D600. Interested wholesale buyers are invited to contact the Accountant General’s office where they will be invoiced before collecting the rice and no one is allowed to buy more than on batch of 10,000 bags.
Vendors are strictly warned not to sell the rice more than D600 per bag or beyond the borders of The Gambia. “Prospective buyers are hereby warned that it is strictly forbidden to re-export the rice outside the boundaries of The Gambia, and the consumer market price must not be more than GMD600 per bag,” the release emphasises.
According to the release, the Office of the President, in collaboration with the Ministries of Agriculture, and Finance and Economic Affairs, has decided to sell the rice to the public at an affordable price. Similarly, The Gambia government, in consultation with the government of Japan, has agreed that any proceeds generated from the venture shall be used to support the priority areas of the National Development Plan of the government.
