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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
 Posted - 18 Jun 2007 : 17:06:34
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I have read in the online newspaper that the government has decided that small importers of fuel are becoming too powerful.Varous measures have been taken including removal of 29000 ltrs to be stored by the police, "until the importers get their licences" hmmmmmmm......I wonder who will issue the licenses and when !
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2007 : 17:17:47
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if this is the case other things will follow, i think gambia will be in for a shortage situation, i felt that things were off when i was there in may, something wasn't right, it seemed like a feeling you have when your know redundancies are in the air, if that makes sense. there is a double standard to gambia they encourage ou to do businesses and then when you do make it difficult.
i would like to know who "importers are" and "what the licence entitles them to" |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2007 : 19:21:38
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The economic engine is not propelled by police or armed force. There is a system, directed by policy, and operated by procedures. A president who thinks his inflated mucles will move the economy back and forth must get ready for greater surprises and the people must get used to shocks and devastating impacts. That is the sad case of little Gambia. |
Karamba |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2007 : 20:54:23
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[quote]Originally posted by Karamba
The economic engine is not propelled by police or armed force.
Yes of course but,what a saving for the country if you don't have to buy 29000 ltrs of petrol,after all petrol is a spirit and subject to evaporation! this could occour before any licences are granted !! |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2007 : 21:15:54
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The 29,000 litres is not meant to sit idle. It is simply reserved for the system just in case the shortage grows. |
Karamba |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2007 : 12:46:24
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quote:
Originally posted by Karamba
The 29,000 litres is not meant to sit idle. It is simply reserved for the system just in case the shortage grows.
Your comments have put a very different aspect on the interpritation I gave the piece I felt that it was implied that these stocks of fuel had been "confiscated" and the owners would never get any sort of licence to sell fuel,what you have written here makes very good sense, to keep buffer stock,which can be utilised in times of despirate shortage should that occour the ownership of the fuel will not change.An I wrong ? are you wrong? as usual I am confused,any other clarification would be helpful. |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Momodou
Denmark
11833 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2007 : 13:08:26
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Foroyaa Editorial
FUEL SHORTAGE
Economic Sabotage or Attempt To Frustrate
Small Scale Importers
SoS For Finance and SoS for Trade Should Explain
The queues near fuel stations are growing longer. Transportation is becoming a problem and the informal economy is being put under strain as small scale producers find it difficult to move their goods to markets or do so at increased transport cost. What then is the cause of the shortage? The SoS for Finance and Economic Affairs and SoS for Trade and should give an explanation.
Foroyaa would like to give them facts to investigate.
First and foremost, we would like to draw their attention to the attempt by the SoS for Agriculture to suppress the informal sector in the purchase of groundnuts in the 2004/2005 trade season in favour of monopoly by GAMCO. Foroyaa cautioned that the Gambian economy depends on the informal sector for its survival. Small scale enterprises run by people, generally considered illiterates, have proven to be resilient, irrespective of all the shocks the economy goes through including the border problem that had already been overcome.
We emphasized that any attempt to suppress the operation of small scale enterprises would lead to closure of market access to farmers, impoverishment of retail traders, shortages of commodities, rise in inflation and growth in poverty.
Apparently, a government whose economic foundation rests so much on the informal sector does not appear to have done a comprehensive study of this sector in order to determine the type of policies, institutions and procedures and regulations it need to adopt to protect and promote its development.
The present shortage in fuel and rise in the price of cement are clear testimonies to the absence of a coherent government economic policy regarding the informal sector.
If the SoS for Finance or SoS for Trade disagrees they should call a press conference to defend the position of the government.
One may now ask: How does the absence of a coherent government policy on the informal sector contribute to the present shortage in fuel and rise in the price of cement?
The answer is simple. Foroyaa was approached by a friend of some informal sector operators to indicate that some of them have been asked to stop selling fuel they imported because of the claim that they do not possess licence to sell fuel.
He claimed that they were advised to go to the Department of State for Trade to get the licence. There they were told to go to the commissioner of petroleum at the office of the President. There too it is claimed that they were asked to write a letter to the Secretary General to find out what should be done since that office was also not responsible for issuing the licence alluded to by police personnel. He indicated that they were advised to visit Foroyaa's office where they are likely to find people who can write the appropriate letter for them.
Reviewing the case, it became apparent that the people concerned were in possession of certificate of business registration stipulating the sale of fuel as their angle of trade, tax identification numbers (TIN), receipts indicating payment of income tax and taxes to area council, as well as customs receipts for paying duty for importing hundreds of thousands of litres of petrol which commenced since 2005. These young entrepreneurs, whom the government have been making appealing to rise up to take charge of the informal trade, have receipts totalling over 7 million dalasis that they have paid as importers of fuel and cement. We could not believe our eyes that the informal sector was contributing so much to government revenue. We have asked them to seek an appointment with the SoS for Finance who has established a quota for revenue collection by the National Revenue Authority. He would then determine whether such successful young entrepreneurs need incentive to enhance their business or sanctions to drive them out of business. Since the matter had gone all the way to the courts we asked the young people to hire legal counsels to maintain them on a permanent basis to protect their successful enterprises if they fail to get sympathetic hearing from the Secretary of State.
The next day after the advice we were informed that the security forces had been instructed to remove about 29,900 litres of fuel from the premises of the Gambian entrepreneur for storage at a place determined by a commissioner of police.
At the moment, while there is petrol shortage we have been reliably informed that that these young entrepreneurs have 70,000 litres of petrol up country which they are told not to bring into the Greater Banjul area; that some of them have stocks exceeding 49,000 litres in Senegal which they are afraid to bring for fear of conflict with the law. The people we met appeared shattered for having been put in cells. They claim that as people from religious backgrounds who grew up as Arabic students in informal koranic schools, they have no way to make it except through honest trade. They claim that they have been advised by their religious teachers and parents to respect and abide by the law; that before they started their activities they consulted with government institutions to get guidance, that up to this time they do not know where they have gone wrong.
In our view, while the court has power to play its part, the SoS for Finance and SoS for Trade have a duty to provide the conducive environment for young Gambian entrepreneurs to carry on legitimate trade.
In our view, investors should not be spending money to search for advice on how to invest. It is the duty of government to guide investors to invest.
In short, the Department of State for Trade should have a unit serving as an Indigenous Business advisory body that should have identified all the businesses functioning in the informal sector, prioritize their volume and prepare brochures on the regulatory environment for their smooth registration and operation. Such bureaucracy which pushes an investor from one office to another is tantamount to economic sabotage, since it frustrates the operators of small scale enterprises.
Immediate action is necessary to save the situation.
It is such vacuum in policy and administration which has compelled Foroyaa to restructure so that it can take the mantle of a fourth estate. We will have a section on economic and social development whose reporters will receive reports of all obstructions to the development of enterprises, all tendencies towards monopoly which increases inflation and throw light on the protective environment by interviewing lawyers and insurance brokers who can help to protect the interest of vulnerable enterprises. We will engage the policy makers and administrators and challenge them to provide the conducive environment necessary for economic and social development to take place or stand exposed. Emerging economies from underdevelopment need huge investment and democracy. Foroyaa will conduct studies on investment pattern and the requirements for democratic solutions of the country.
All these developments will take place after Foroyaa's anniversary in August 2007.
"See Halifa Sallah's Interview in the next issue on the restructuring drive."
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 70/2007, 18 - 19 June, 2007 |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11833 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2007 : 13:11:01
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FUEL SHORTAGE HITS AGAIN
By Fabakary B. Ceesay & Yaya Dampha
Since last Wednesday, private and commercial drivers have been experiencing difficulty in acquiring fuel for their vehicles to conduct their normal daily business due to scarcity of fuel in the country especially within the Greater Banjul areas.
On Sunday, Foroyaa reporters went around to various fuel stations within the Kanifing Municipality to assess the situation and the problems motorists are experiencing. At the Shell petrol station at Churchill Town, the whole station was virtually empty. At Castle Filling Station at West Field, there was a large queue of waiting vehicles and a group of disgruntled people holding empty gallons to get fuel. Sale at this filling station was intermittent rather than continuous. There was another large crowd of people at Elton Station along Sayerr Jobe Avenue with a long queue of vehicles. Pump attendants were seen supplying fuel only to customers that had coupons. Many people complained that they are also customers and should be considered. At the Shell Filling Station along the same road, no single person or vehicle was there to get fuel. A staff member told Foroyaa that there is no single barrel of fuel at their company. They said their consignment is on the way and they expect the vessel to dock at the ports at any moment from today. Some government drivers with coupons from Shell Company indicated that they cannot get their fuel due to scarcity at Shell.
A Lebanese businessman told Foroyaa that fuel companies should have measures in place to tackle such problems before they arise. He said his business had been at a standstill as he could not go to work since Friday.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 70/2007, 18 - 19 June, 2007 |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Santanfara
3460 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2007 : 13:16:36
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| kolly is under pressure .i expected him to do much better or as the system swallowed him . |
Surah- Ar-Rum 30-22
"And among His signs is the creation of heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge." Qu'ran
www.suntoumana.blogspot.com |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2007 : 15:32:20
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| The Country is grinding to a halt very serious,the administration will have no one to work in the offices,what about the Ferry service will that suffer as well? what has caused this problem? it isn't cost or the withdrawl of the small importers stocks,any ideas ? |
Edited by - toubab1020 on 19 Jun 2007 16:18:20 |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2007 : 17:29:18
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Touba1020,
About, the 29,000 litres, yes I mean that it is confiscated as reserve for the system (government) in anticipation of the inevitable prolonged shortages. Thanks Momodou for the details from FOROYAA. As clearly shown, the issue at hand points to a need to boost the informal sector enterprises. Fortunately for Gambia, a whole unit for the Informal Sector small and medium enterprises already existed under the Trade Ministry. The unfortunate part of it is that the unit has never grown in more than 20 years.
To cut the long story short, this is a regime of economic and armed bandits. When they came to rob political power, they only saw ENONOMIC BENEFITS of being president or minister. In 13 years they have exhausted all avenues taking away from every sector of the economy without giving back anything in turn. Now that they have practically drained the economy thin enough, both them and the wider society stand to face the cruel situation imposed by our bandits calling themselves rulers. It has been about such trends that those who disagree with what is going on posed to challenge. Others, for selfish reasons take it as just the usual politics. This is about livelihood. If people of Gambia (at home and abroad) want to let another day pass by without arresting this situation, we are here to suffer it more painful. Our tormentors have no skin to feel guilty. |
Karamba |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2007 : 17:36:48
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| Hmmmmmmmmmmm? |
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2007 : 18:14:40
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The present shortage in fuel and rise in the price of cement are clear testimonies to the absence of a coherent government economic policy regarding the informal sector.
watch the knock on effect of this, if people cannot get fuel, bus fares go up, goods cannot be transported, Gambia being a small country things like this do not take long to have an effect |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2007 : 18:56:51
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quote:
Originally posted by jambo
The present shortage in fuel and rise in the price of cement are clear testimonies to the absence of a coherent government economic policy regarding the informal sector.
watch the knock on effect of this, if people cannot get fuel, bus fares go up, goods cannot be transported, Gambia being a small country things like this do not take long to have an effect
What effect? |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2007 : 20:11:46
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quote:
Originally posted by kondorong
What effect?
KONS
More hardship for the average Gambian, thats what!the minibus drivers routing from Serrakunda and Banjul have for a long time either parked their vehicles in the rush hours or only gone half way for the authorised fare,how can you expect anything else whe the fare is D6 for such a journey,I doubt if it covers the cost of fuel!
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 19 Jun 2007 20:17:04 |
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shaka
996 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jun 2007 : 00:16:51
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| Just another grand scheme by Jammeh and his greedy cohorts to muscle out gambian investors and bring in his arab friends to rip off the masses while grabbing kickbacks form such ventures. Don't be surprise if Karafi or some arab with some phony "Global" energy companies based in switzerland enter the market, forcing gambian invstors already in the business to sell off or wait till eternity to get their license. They own almost every other multi-million dalasis businesses in the Gambia, don't they?. The goverment is also in a panic mode, security wise (in terms of senegambian relations) so anything to stop this reliance of fuel supply from senegal will be welcomed. How this came to be, beggars belief. The last time i checked, Senegal wasn't an oil producing country. Are we not a sovereign nation anymore? Maybe The Gambia is a region of Senegal after all. |
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