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A commendable move

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:01:07 GMT

Friday, October 24, 2008

Editor,

The government’s move to reduce the price of meat is highly commendable. Many a family in the country, particularly in the Greater Banjul areas, depend almost entirely on fish for their daily supply of animal protein. Therefore to reduce the price of meat to making it affordable to all, especially for the middle and low income family, is a move in the right direction. This move therefore needs the support of every individual in the country and beyond.

For this reason, concerted efforts must be made to ensure that this is sustainable.

As everybody would admit that the move is very gratifying and is therefore hailed by all and sundry as a positive one. But there is a snag; meat has since become scarce. I suggest that government seeks the cooperation and collaboration of neighbouring countries within the sub region to make it a sub regional policy. This sub regional policy would fix the price of a live animal bearing in mind the final consumer. The producer price should be fixed by the sub region, the tendency for animal owners to move across the borders to seek more lucrative markets would therefore be stemmed.

With the collaboration and cooperation of neighbouring states (Senegal, Mali and Mauritania) the producer price of the meat, beef, mutton and chevron could, following consultations, be fixed to make life easier for the general public – low and middle-income families.

For example, if the price of beef was fixed at D35.00 per/ kg , a bull weighing approximately 200kg would be sold by the producer at D7000. After slaughter, the weight may be reduced to approximately. 135 kg. This sold at D60/kg gives + D75 = average 135/2 = D67/kg. Meat and bone is sold at D60/kg, (beef steak) steak meat is sold at D75/kg on average a kg is sold at D67/kg. Then the butcher would or should get D67 x 135kg = D9045.

The butcher would realise some profit however little. If the producer price of meat is not fixed and animal owners are left to sell their animals at estimate values, each time an animal is sold, one would lost and another gained. If the losses are greater on the butcher’s side, they would go out of business. To provide weighing scales at various buying centres would regain a lot of capital and logistics, repair and maintenance of the scales would be costly. Weighing of individual animals would be time consuming and risky.

Therefore, the use of weight bands is indicated and should be considered. Weigh band can easily be carried by any one; butchers and animal dealers to any location. Initially livestock assistants would step in to show animal owners and butchers how the weight band works. In a few months the animal dealers and butchers would learn the trade and pickup the idea. This way, dealers in livestock and butchers could easily estimate their profits in advance.

In conclusion, I believe the people who the government is serving, should help the government to realise our dreams of making our motherland a worthy place to live in. The first step is to make food available and also affordable.

Ebrahima M.Gaye
Dept. Extension Services
Basse

Author: DO

Nianija Chief commends Jammeh

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:08:12 GMT

Friday, October 10, 2008

DoSH slams a ban on infant formula milk

Alasan David Cham, the Chief of Nianija District in the Central River Region, has commended President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh for providing rice for sale at a reasonable price in his district, and for the goodwill gesture in the form of bags of sugar for the people of Nianija.

In an interview with the Daily Observer’s Janjangbureh correspondent, last Monday, Chief David Cham said the rice had been provided at the right time, as the crops cultivated are yet to be harvested.

Chief Cham called on his people to rally behind President Jammeh, whom he described as a dynamic and visionary leader. He further pointed out that the gesture of providing the rice for his people was clearly an indication of the interest he has for Gambians. He asserted his continued support of President Jammeh, calling on his people to support the Gambian leader. Alhagie Sankung Sillah, the Alkalo of Bakadagie Jailand, hailed President Jammeh’s for providing rice to the local communities.

Author: by Lamin SM Jawo in Janjangbureh

Equator Initiative selects winners for global biodiversity conservation Prize

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:34:51 GMT

Friday, October 03, 2008

The Equator Initiative, a United Nations-led partnership that supports grassroots efforts in biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation, has selected 25 winners of the Equator Prize 2008.

Chosen from 310 nominations, the winners embody innovation in astonishing variety, from mariculture to apiculture, eco-tourism to ethno-tourism, afforestation to mangrove restoration, oyster farming to cotton farming, seed banks to micro-credit lending, and elephant to hippo protection.

"The recipients of the Equator Prize 2008 are role models for communities across the globe," said Ms. Veerle Vandeweerd, Director of the Environment and Energy Group of UNDP, in advance of the ceremony. "Local groups are on the front lines of conservation and poverty reduction and it is critical that we recognize their sustainable practices and use their successes as a compass for policy formation. The Equator Initiative does just this, awarding outstanding leadership that reduces poverty through conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity."

Each Equator Prize 2008 winner is testament to the linkages between ecosystem health and human well-being, to the indivisibility of conservation and poverty reduction as policy objectives, and to the significant contributions that local and indigenous communities are making to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

All 25 winners will be recognized at a high-level award ceremony on Monday, October 6, 2008 at the World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, Spain where they will receive a prize of US $5,000. The ceremony will feature speeches by Ted Turner (Chair of the United Nations Foundation), Mark Tercek (CEO of The Nature Conservancy), and Veerle Vandeweerd (UNDP Director of Environment and Energy).
In addition, five communities will receive “special recognition” and a total award of US $20,000. Special recognition will be awarded in three geographical regions (Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia and the Pacific), to the initiative that best exemplifies community approaches in adaptation to climate change, and to the initiative that best exemplifies the conservation of agricultural biodiversity.

Members of the press are invited to attend the award ceremony but, due to limited seating, we request that they RSVP (dinner@equatorinitiative.org).

Equator Prize 2008 winners:

Africa

1. Centre d'Appui au Développement Intégral/Mbankana (CADIM) – Democratic Republic of the Congo
2. Wechiau Community Hippo Sanctuary – Ghana
3. Kijabe Environment Volunteers (KENVO) – Kenya
4. Ketu Training Centre for Sustainable Development – Kenya
5. N≠ a Jaqna Conservancy - Namibia
6. Fédération Régionale des Groupements de Promotion Féminine Ziguinchor – Senegal
7. Ujamaa Community Resource Trust – Tanzania
8. Community Markets for Conservation - Zambia

Asia & the Pacific

9. Tmatboey Community Protected Area Committee – Cambodia
10.The Indonesian Community-based Marine Management Foundation - Indonesia
11.Conservation Society of Pohnpei - Federated States of Micronesia
12.Camalandaan Agroforest Farmers Association – Philippines
13.Arnavon Community Marine Conservation Area Management Committee -Solomon Islands
14. Community Development Centre - Sri Lanka
15. Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society - Sri Lanka
16. Nguna-Pele Marine Protected Area - Vanuatu

Latin America & the Caribbean

17. Cooperativa Agro-extrativista Yawanawa - COOPYAWA – Brazil
18. Polo de Proteção da Biodiversidade e Uso Sustentável dos Recursos Naturais – Brazil
19. Asociación de Apicultores de la Reserva de Tariquía AART – Bolivia
20. Chalalan Albergue Ecológico – Bolivia
21. Asociación de Productores Indígenas y Campesinos de Riosucio Caldas Asproinca – Colombia
22. Corporación Serraniagua – Colombia
23. Unión de Organizaciones Campesinas e Indígenas de Cotacachi - Ecuador
24. Asociación de Artesnas de Arbolsol y Huaca de Barro del Distrito de Mórrope – Perú
25. Asociación de Pobladores por el Progreso y Desarrollo de Campo Amor Zarumilla – Perú

About the Equator Prize 2008

The winners, established by a technical advisory committee, were determined based on demonstrated environmental and socio-economic impacts, creative partnerships, innovation and transferability, sustainability, local leadership, community empowerment, social inclusion, and gender equality. Whether through the reintroduction of traditional knowledge, the application of new technology, or a fusion of both, in each instance community initiative was the engine for addressing biodiversity loss in a way that improved local livelihoods. The five special recognition communities will be selected by an eminent jury of distinguished professionals from the environment and development world and announced the evening of October 6, 2008.

About the Equator Initiative

Launched on 30 January 2002, the Equator Initiative is a partnership that brings together the United Nations, civil society, business, governments and communities to help build the capacity and raise the profile of grassroots efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. The world's greatest concentrations of biological wealth are found in the equatorial region, in countries that also have some of the highest levels of poverty. The Equator Initiative champions and supports community efforts to link economic development and income generation with the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Partners: The Government of Canada, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Conservation International, Ecoagriculture Partners, Fordham University, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, International Development Research Centre, International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), The Nature Conservancy, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, RARE, United Nations Foundation.

UNDP

Butcher Pleads Guilty for Overcharging Price of Steak

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 08:24:40 GMT

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Abdoulie Njorr, a Senegalese national was on the 29thSeptember, 2008, arraigned before Senior Magistrate Abdoulie Mbackeh of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court for selling a kilo of steak for D120 instead of D80, a charge he accepted.

According to the facts as narrated by prosecutor 358 Sarr, on the 25thSeptember, 2008 between 2pm to 3pm at Serrekunda Market, a customer called Ousman Saidy went to the accused’s place to buy steak and asked the accused person the price.

The accused person, said prosecutor Sarr, told the customer that the price of a steak was D120. He revealed that at that juncture, there was a man called Bakary Sarjo who is working for the Voice of the Nation, who witnessed the transaction.

Prosecutor Sarr continued to say that the accused was intercepted by Bakary Sarjo inorder not to sell the meat at D120 per kilo. He further narrated that Bakary Sarjo arrested the accused and handed him to the police in Serrekunda Station where he was cautioned and charged accordingly.

However, because the Magistrate was very busy with other cases, he asked the accused to step down from the dock to wait to know his fate on the 30thSeptember 2008.

In another development, four other butchers namely Barra Jah, Sheikh Nyang, Modou Yaya Bah and Modou Bah were also arraigned for cheating.

According to the particulars of offence, the four accused persons on or about the 26thSeptember, 2008 at Serrekunda market jointly with intent to defraud by selling meat more than the price ordered by the President. All the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.

Subsequently, the accused were granted bail in the sum of D7000 or in the provision of a Gambian surety with a title deed to be deposited with the Assistant Registrar.

Author: Dawda Faye & Soury Camara

Re-the price of gari

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 03:48:42 GMT

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

This is in response to the letter sent in by the "concerned foreigner" as published in your Monday edition, lamenting over the high price of gari.

He has raised some good points about the increased demand of the product but I beg to differ on his assertion that gari does not have nutritional values. The "concerned foreigner" also has to understand that market forces of demand and supply have a great impact on the price of any product.

I believe if Gambians are beginning to venture into a new kind of foodstuff, it is incumbent on our agricultural sector to zoom into gari production. The agricultural sector must venture into encouraging Gambians to grow more cassava and seek the expertise of countries like Sierra Leone to teach us how to produce gari. My favourite is "Bo Gari".

My suggestion is in line with President Jammeh's back-to-the-land philosophy which encourages us to produce local foods for our consumption and gradually desist from depending on imported foodstuff. Ramadan Mubarak!

Saul Jobe
A concerned Gambian in the diaspora.

Author: DO

Price of gari is too expensive!

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 03:23:08 GMT

Monday, September 29, 2008

Editor,

Please, permit me space in your medium, the Daily Observer, to express my deepest concern over the price of gari in this country.

Some time back, gari was something meant for only foreigners, like Nigerians, Ghanaians and other foreign nationals. Now the case is different as it is even popular among the indigenes of this country.

It is an indisputable fact that no adopted habit is easy to drop. What am I saying? Now that the indigenes have dominated in the consumption of gari, its importers seem to have found a game to play. The importers are aware that consumers are now on the increase, and have therefore taken advantage, doubling the price.

The truth is that gari in itself is not food that is rich for the body, to deserve such huge and unreasonable prices.

However, to cut a long story short, I am pleading with the president of the Republic to take immediate action against those involved. The price of gari is too expensive at the moment. Before, gari was selling between one thousand four hundred (D1400) and one thousand five hundred (D1500). Now the price has doubled from one thousand four hundred (1400) to two thousand eight hundred (2,800).

This is incredible!
Iam therefore appealing to His Excellency, the President, to ban all those that are in the gari business from importing. If they want to continue with the business, then the price must be reduced to one thousand four hundred (1400) and one thousand five hundred (1500), as before. If not, Your Excellency, Mr President, stop this business completely. This malpractice is creating high inflation in the market. Thank you.

JBillson
Aconcerned foreigner

Author: DO

Bag of Rice will reach D1, 250- ActionAid The Gambia Director

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 06:35:58 GMT

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

The Country Director of ActionAid The Gambia, Dr. Kujejatou Manneh-Jallow, has said that an expert report has indicated that by September/October the price of a bag of rice, a staple food in The Gambia, will reach D1, 250. Dr. Manneh-Jallow made this revelation at a one-day consultative forum on National Food Security Situation and Response Strategies held at the Paradise Suites Hotel recently.

According to her, the issue has implication for majority of the citizens, especially for those receiving a minimum monthly income of D650 which, according to her, could hardly earn a bag of rice. She added that this is not taking into account the large number of non-wage earners.

Dr. Manneh-Jallow recollected that in the 1960s developing countries had an overall agricultural surplus of about US$ 7 billion but by the 1970s the surplus shrunk to $1 billion. By the end of the 1980s, she added, the surplus disappeared altogether, culminating in increased food imports from the 1990s to date.

She further observed that the capacity of most developing countries to produce their own food has been severely constrained by unfavourable policies both at national and international levels.

According to her, the liberalisation of agriculture through Structural Adjustment Programmes, free trade agreements and the World Trade Organisation eroded border protection through import tariff which, she noted, is needed to develop local agriculture.

As a result, she said, opening of borders together with huge subsidies in rich countries paved the way for cheap imports, thus undermining local agriculture and related sectors.

Author: By Abdou Rahman Sallah

Price of basic commodities should be scrutinised

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 03:58:50 GMT

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Editor

Please, allow me space in your widely read newspaper to express my views on the state of affairs surrounding the prices of basic food stuff. The price of basic commodities is on the increase on a daily basis.

Individuals unilaterally inflate prices at their own convenience, without considering the negative impact it would have on the less fortunate in society. As we all know, 90% of Gambians are the farming poor.

Presently a bundle of maize costs D10, while a tin of groundnut initially costing D25 has been increased to D75. What a rapid increment! The Gambia belongs to us, and we must all join hands together in fighting these extra charges levied on us by these criminally minded people; charges that only make life unconfortable for all.

Buba Jeng

Brikama

Author: DO

Tickets slashed for Algeria game

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 04:08:38 GMT

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

After the success of last Sunday’s trial, the Gambia Football Association will start selling tickets for the Gambia’s fixture against Algeria next Saturday on the day of the match.

“Tickets for the Gambia-Algeria game will go on sale at the Independence Stadium and a few designated outlets in Banjul and Brikama from 9am on Saturday,” GFA officials announced on West Coast Radio on Monday night.

The football authorities also announced a 50% cut in the price tag for the upcoming game.

“We are selling tickets for the uncovered stands at D50 and D100 for the covered pavilion. VIP tickets will cost D500.”

The GFA team explained that the reason for bringing down the cost is to ensure a full capacity crowd to boost the morale of the Gambian players.

“We realize that it will be in the middle of the month when most people would have spent a large chunk of their salary and may not have enough left to afford a match ticket if we maintain the price structure used in the Senegal game,” explained Terema Dahaba, GFA officer in charge of international matches.

“We don’t want to see any gaps in the stands on Saturday because this is a must-win game for the Gambia and if the Scorpions are to make it they have to see from the attendance that Gambians are fully behind them,” Dahaba reasoned.

Despite the security measures taken, including the release of tickets on the very day of the Gambia-v-Senegal derby match, GFA officials announced that several people were caught selling fake tickets and would be prosecuted.

Author: by Nanama Keita

Source: Gambiasports.gm

Price hikes and the dalasi update

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 04:51:00 GMT

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Why are business men and women poor at mathematics?

We have been monitoring the Dalasis’ stable performances against major international currencies, the US Dollar, Euro and the Pound Sterling to mention but a few for over a quarter.

There has not been any significant gains and losses as far as the Dalasi is concern and we expected by now that the consuming and spending public will be equally rewarded for their patience and understanding. However, that has not been the case yet still the spending public meaning me and you and all our families are day in day out, subjected to astronomical prices we were paying when the Dalasi was doing very poorly against international currencies notably the US Dollar and British Pound Sterling.

The reason(s) behind this lack of economic normalisation in prices of at least the basic commodities is still the crux of the matter to me. More importantly where is the symthaty, where has the love gone for one other as far as our Gambian-ness and oneness as a nation and a people is taken into consideration, I do not know?

As consumers, we bear the brunt and any expenses be it capital or sundry that emerges as a result of accumulated top-up/increases in the cost of goods and services. I would like to say and I hope you are in agreement with me that we would have anticipated some price drop in the cost of goods and services but nay it is still prices of doom we are being subjected to. Realistically and mathematically we expect to pay more if the Dalasi looses strength against international currencies but the reverse should also apply.

I therefore draw the conclusion that business men and women in this country are very poor at mathematics or are they just toying with our sovereignty carefully calculating our reactions taking our simplicity for a weakness. Even science acknowledges the truth that everything that goes up must come down at a certain portion or time but in the Gambian pricing of basic commodities had even science on wrong as our business men and women Gambians and non-Gambians alike choose to ignore the plight of the common man on the street to their selfish individualistic profiteering.

Why is this not happening in the Gambia, meaning dropping the prices of goods and services if the local currency appreciates and increasing the prices when the local currency performs badly or depreciates? The later has been experienced in the Gambia and the consequences fully met by all and sundry so why then, if the former happens to be the case now don’t we get the fair treatment we deserve. That has not been the case and by the looks of things it may be due to these among other factors, thus: That the business community I mean the bigwigs may all be foreigners and that translate to the fact that the welfare of the average Gambian is not their prime consideration. They are profit driven and anything that can lead them to that profit is what they will respect and maximise.

Secondly, they may be working hand in gloves with some unscrupulous indigenous Gambians to just play brave and fleece the masses of their hard earn monies by price hikes. A stranger in town does not know the dos and don’ts of that particular terrain and any thing he does must be on the advice and guidance of a native. So these enslaving investors are backed by your brother and my sister in their dealings.

The gambia today- price control or no price control

I am an exponent of the fact that government should not interfere with the pricing of goods and services as they have more pressing agendas to deal with. Look at the agriculture and the lack of microfinance to help the farming communities; look at the school with the deteriorating standards, look at the sea and illegal fishing taking place on it with the Japanese, Korean and Chinese fleets fishing on our shores with no permits and their only defence being we are on International Waters. Can you imagine the madness created by western powers to trouble, bully, exploit and spy small countries by defining and create a menace like what is referred to as International Waters.

Trust me there are no International Waters in their rivers and seas so why create International Waters in seas in Africa and the rest of the third world. This is imperialism of another colour and approach. Watch them come and take our lands and mineral resources and still government sits there idle and by that I mean all of us as we the government. Next time you catch some illegal fishing trawlers please appoint me a Judge so that I can deliver a historical judgement such as Dennings and pave a way be setting a precedent and the rest of the Third World will follow Gambia’s lead in this angle.

Secondly, the market are better left to regularise themselves rather than having government intervention creating more problems and escalating issues which were not worth the hype and drama ensuing. Thirdly, government intervention will scare away potential investors and we are all losers in that event. Politicians are not businessmen so let them leave the business to the business people.

In saying all that, I will also urge government to be vigilant and keep on monitoring the wheeling and dealings of the big players in the arena of business. They could also come up with a committee to talk, map out strategies, so on and so forth geared towards helping to keep prices under control and having these big players such as TAJCO, LAJCO, MOCOS and the rest of the house within the committees. No government intervene in pricing of goods but please create a corridor of dialogue with the big boys so that prices of basic commodities do not spiral out of control and out of reach of the common man. As at the time of speaking some Ceesay Kunda inhabitants are selling their wives for a bag of rice (Laughs).

Capitalistic nature of man

That is where capitalism got it all wrong, when a people and a nation are bent on only profiteering thereby paying little attention to the Essence of man and what humanity is all about. They are legally (Business people) in the right as exchange of goods and services for cash is no robbery. However, where matters sway from reality is the lack of fair play and justice in the manner they price these goods and services notably the basic commodities.

That is my point of contention and I hope they breathe a sigh of relief and reason with the average slaving masses in this country of the Gambia. Capitalism is what man is, capitalism is what works for man and that is why capitalism is here to stay to the detriment of the rest of us who cannot get onboard the modern man train to fleet street central.

This train is made-up of entrepreneurs, graduates, politicians and rich persons. Capitalism survive the onslaughts of all those theory namely, socialism, maxims, welfare state, communal farming because it appeals to the self-centred-ness of the human being. However, as a nation and a people our business community must try to be as reasonable as the average Gambian and look at the rising prices and revisit their projected profit earnings for some leniency in the prices of basic food stuff, after all it is a time factor and we are all on transit and we are one people.

Author: by Momodou Camara