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Momodou
Denmark
11828 Posts |
 Posted - 04 May 2006 : 12:58:52
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Editorial
YANKUBA AND THE GROUNDNUT TRADE
A Radio Gambia Programme, Weekend News update, conducted by Malick Jones, at which the Secretary of State for Agriculture, Mr. Yankuba Touray, was a guest, gave rise to a controversy, which deserves comment. Reacting to a proposal that Government should be engaged in the purchase of the groundnuts so that Farmers will be paid for their nuts on time and proper arrangements made for the timely evacuation of nuts.
In response SOS Touray noted that this arrangement is welcome but it cannot be implemented because the Government does not have the means. He pointed out that the purchasing of groundnuts involves a lot and requires a lot of investment, possibly from D300 million to D600 million. For this reason the Government should only act as facilitators and allow the private sector to do it. SOS Touray has forgotten or does not know that Social Security had spent D45 million in purchasing Ocean Bay Hotel and more than D300 million in refurnishing it. He has ignored the fact that Government had facilitate a loan for Premier Agro to purchase nuts which they did not pay fully after the end of the trade season. Furthermore, during last year’s trade season the Government arranged for Social Security to serve as a guarantor for a loan of D120 million dalasis to GAMCO. Up till recently this loan had not yet been fully repaid. Still further this year the Government facilitated the provision of credit facilities for The Gambia Groundnut Cooperation amounting to D35 million for the purchase of Groundnuts. In short, the State cannot purchase nuts and the private sector is yet to come up with adequate finance to purchase the groundnuts. This is why, in spite of renewed promises year after year, credit buying always prevails in the groundnut trade. As it stands, many farmers are yet to be paid for groundnuts, which they supplied in some cases since December 2005. The SOS, according to reports by a local newspaper, had made a firm promise that by the end of April 2006 all farmers would have been paid. Today is the 4th May 2006 and a good proportion of farmers are yet to be paid. They continue to languish in poverty, misery and degradation as the Executive continue to mismanage the economy.
SOS Touray’s statement is a clear testimony that the regime is not in a position to solve the problems of the masses.
Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 34/2006, 4-7 May, 2006
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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