The Cement Importers and Agents Association of The Gambia has written to the permanent secretary at the ministry of trade, seeking clarifications and demanding fair play in the cement import business among others.
Below is the text of the association’s letter to PS Mod Secka:
The Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Trade,
The Gambia
Dear Permanent Secretary,
I am writing to formally raise a matter of concern regarding the current restrictions placed on the importation of bagged and powdered cement from Senegal. As the Ministry of Trade is responsible for ensuring fairness and equal opportunity across all levels of business including small enterprises such as ours we kindly appeal for your attention to this issue.
It has now been one year and four months since businesses like ours were prohibited from importing cement products from Senegal. During this period, we have endured significant hardship, including the closure of our shops, loss of livelihoods for our staff, and the eventual collapse of our operations.
Meanwhile, we have observed that some of our competitors, who previously imported cement from Asia, are now sourcing powdered cement from the very same suppliers in Senegal, only to bag it locally here in The Gambia. This practice is identical to the operations we were engaged in before the restrictions were imposed. We respectfully ask: are these competitors also subject to the payment of D180 per bag when transporting cement across the border? If not, we believe this creates an uneven playing field and places us at a severe disadvantage.
It is worth noting that some of these competitors previously argued that Senegalese cement was of poor quality and discouraged Gambians from purchasing it. Yet, they are now importing powdered cement from Senegal themselves, benefitting from the same trade routes and suppliers that we once relied upon.
We therefore appeal to the Ministry to ensure a fair and balanced system by granting us the same opportunity to import cement from Senegal under the same conditions and costs as our competitors. Our request is not only for the survival of our businesses but also for the many Gambians who depended on us for employment and affordable building materials.
We trust that the Ministry will give this matter its due consideration in the spirit of fairness, transparency, and equal opportunity.
Thank you for your time and understanding.
