The Government of the Gambia has announced today that it will sell the 115,956 bags of rice donated to the country by Japan.
Proceeds from the sale will be used to support the government in its National Development Plan’s (NDP) priority areas.
The rice is being sold at a time when an estimated 136, 000 Gambians are at risk of severe food insecurity mainly due to the significant reduction in the 2019 production of groundnuts, the major cash crop, with consequent declines in households’ income and purchasing power.
But the Office of the President in consultation with the Ministries of Agriculture and Finance and Economic Affairs has decided to conduct the sale of the rice which is currently at the Banjul Ports.
The government said it will not allow a single buyer to purchase more than 5,000 bags or sell it outside the country’s borders.
It added that it has pegged the sale of a 30 kilogram bag at D450 while the price to the consumers should not be more than D550 per bag.
“Interested buyers are invited to contact the Accountant General’s office, where they will be given an invoice and an account number to make all payments before collecting the rice,” a statement of from the President’s Office said.
“It has been agreed with the Japanese Government that the proceeds will be deposited in a special account at the Central Bank of the Gambia to support the government in its NDP priority areas.”
