Who Am I?

Hello world I am the Gambian economy. I am neither stupid nor retarded. I am in need of a jolt/shock of good macroeconomic dose and  some political confidence to get my wheels in motion. My consumer and investor expectations are waiting for that policy signal/direction from the exchequer and the Gambian in Chief.

I have been prostituted and decimated to tatters and I am in an urgent need of CPR for my resurrection and revitalization of my life line. My engine has been on full throttle since January 2017 but my wheels are locked and in need of good lubrication to get me in motion.

High ticket items on my bucket list to kick start the economy are Tax reform, fiscal consolidation, deeper monetary management and intermediation, Tourism, Agriculture and infrastructural reforms. These reforms need a face to articulate and champion their rationale. Who better to drive this process than our citizen in Chief. I am issuing a distress call on behalf of the sectors and the beloved people of the Gambia who rely on me for their daily bread. The energy deficiency also needs urgent attention on both the generation and transmission aspect of the business if my performance has to be stellar. All of these goodies once addressed will not  take Gambia far without a cultural reorientation and a resolute governance mechanism that promotes accountability and probity. Mr Gambian in Chief, our country is still at the crossroads of making history or returning to the dark days of stale growth and retardation. The choice of our trajectory is a collective endeavour  but it requires decisive leadership who treats me as a commonwealth not a fiefdom for wheeling and dealing. Nepotism and corruption have no place in our quest to start a fresh. Better late than never and a great good morning from the smiling coast that frowned for over 22 years. My love for you to excell must override the  narrowly defined personal interest and ambitions of my market participants and policy architects.

For the Gambia, I remain ever true as her diverse people's are yearning for better and brighter days to curb the malaise of the back way, Tribalism, Nepotism and above all Civic Apathy. My Gambia will prosper cos no obstacle will be a permanent fixture on my path as I strive to build a prosperous nation.  

What Next After A Great Speech at the UNITED General Assembly?

The dust has settled after a resounding acceptance of President Barrow's debut address at the Unites Nation General Assembly by Gambians the world over.

President Barrow made pledges, pronouncements and declarations that are noble and worthy of execution. How ever, they still remain mere words until they are transformed into concrete actions. The transformative process will only come to fruition when the president constitute an adhoc Monitoring and Evaluation outfit to ensure that his pronouncements come to light. I do believe that he brings forth glad tidings and genuine intent to do good but by virtue of his limited bureaucratic and administrative exposure, he is at the mercy of ministers who are too occupied jet setting rather than fulfilling the policy aspirations of the president. The speech had a multi sectoral dimension and that warrants a focal body to ensure its execution. The primary role of Government Ministers are to diligently execute and champion government policy. The delegation of responsibilities will reduce the incidence of the frequent travelling of our Senior Government officials. Yes they do have international obligations but their primary obligation is to effectively serve the people of the Gambia in situ. Take for instance the Ministry of Trade with the most sensitive portfolio in the country (unemployment). The custodian of that Ministry is yet to have a summit or a forum to chart a way forward as it relates to the malaise of unemployment. Governance is interactive and to date most of the custodians of our vital sectors are yet to engage the polity. I also expect the Minister of Education to engage the polity on how to over turn the appalling failing grades of our school going children. Gambia is in a crisis as it relates to education, health, the economy and unemployment and the respective custodians of these sectors are yet to communicate with the polity. The new approach to public management is participatory and bottom up. Mr. President with all due respect and humility, I implore in your good office to activate a participatory approach to governance by decentralising your scheduled cabinet meetings to the administrative regions of the country thereby feeling the pulse of the Gambian. We have devised a #BarrowMeter and don't be shocked when we start giving you the readings. Finally, the role of the Ambassadors at Large must be clearly defined in order to avert the duplication of efforts and redundancy of our permanent secretaries. Ambassador at Large are mere salesmen and once they make a successful pitch it is the role of the relevant sector specialist to consolidate and finalise the transaction. The presence of this new nomenclature in our bureaucratic dispensation has created a blurred line that breeds encroachment. Time for a serious rethink as Gambia is not a pie to shared but a going concern for the benefit of the greater good.

For the Gambia, I remain ever true.

Nyang Njie

Have Gambian Civil Servants ceased being servants of the State?

To date, I am yet to make an utterance about the ongoing commission of inquiry looking into Jammeh. I will not delve into the substance of the inquiry but I will discuss the frivolous nature of public servants as per their relationship with the former president. Two things could have been responsible for the malfeasance perpetrated by senior government officials against the state's interest;
1. Lack of proper induction into the civil service and a good comprehension of the General Orders of the civil service  (G.O.)

2. The naked ambition of many Gambians To prosper and flourish at all cost.

There is a stark difference between the presidency and office of the president. The president is not at liberty to order or command any civil servant direct as all civil servants work on the Secretary General who is the head of the civil service. All orders directly from the president without the consent of the Secretary General to any civil servant are ultra vires and contravenes the spirit of the General Orders. Therefore for any Civil Servant to hide behind the notion that I was powerless shows their incompetence or lack thereof professionalism.

As per the Central Bank, the Governor being the chief executive of the Bank backed by an act of parliament by way of legislation has independence and autonomy from the interference of any public official. Therefore any decision taken by the Governor must solely and wholly be his responsibility as he was legally insulated from encroachment but chose to otherwise collude with the banditory of a rogue president. Ignorance is not an excuse in law and culpability must be measured and apportioned appropriately. Justice is always blind and therefore the whimps and caprices of a rogue president MUST NOT STOP anyone from executing his/ her duties diligently. Most senior officials have taken an oath of office and their actions contravenes that oath. The General Orders also States that public officials who are under investigation must be placed on administrative leave and paid half salary pending the outcome of such an investigation/commission. I am baffled by protracted employment without suspension of some government officials at the epicentre of this commission. A government must have systems and systems are rule based. Just my take on the ongoing commission without delving into the substantive issues of the inquiry.

For the Gambia, I remain ever true.

Nyang Njie

United Nation General Assembly Speech of the President of the Republic of the Gambia

President Barrow made a monumental and historic delivery at the Chambers of the General Assembly in Manhattan today. His speech was historic as it marks the first democratic representation in over two decades despite the sleezy elections we hosted in the past.

The coming of age of the man we come to know as president Barrow is imminent and irreversible. His delivery underscored critical national, regional, continental and global issues of concerns with a moral appeal to humanity to take care of the meek and pay due consideration to the environment. The age old Palestinian conflict was highlighted with a dignified position of a two state solution and right of self determination of the Palestinian people.

On the home front, the  president highlighted the issue of fiscal consolidation, security sector reforms, public institutional reforms and legal reforms to back the transitional justice that is ongoing. He made an emphatic and explicit statement about the Senegalo-Gambia relationship as it relates to the geopolitics of our neck of the woods. He elaborated on the National Development Plan and the upcoming Donor Round Table Conference for resource mobilisation. The issue of climate change, youth unemployment and Back way journey of Gambian youths were brought to the epicentre of his exposé. Access to portable water and the financing of public infrastructural projects such as roads were hitherto mentioned by President Barrow.

President Barrow supported the African Union position on the institutional reforms of the United Nation with specific emphasis on the reorganisation of the Security Counsel to further consolidate democracy and better global governance of the August body.

I endorse the speech in its entirety and now urge our distinguished president to not only jealously spearhead the requisite reforms needed in the realisation of his plans but the appointment of first class Gambians to bear fruition to his illustrious plans. Great job Mr. President and your leadership skills will now be put to test as you tacitly execute and rollout the plans associated with your speech. #NewGambia can transcend from mere rhetoric to substantive proposition if all hands are on deck with a systemic approach to the transformative process of rebuild a modern nation state backed by justice and equity for all.  God bless the Republic of the Gambia and her diverse people's. For the Gambia,  I remain ever true.

Nyang Njie

Letter to His Excellency President Adama Barrow

Dear Government of the Gambia under the stewardship of His Excellency Alhaji Adama Barrow,

We the concerned people of the Republic of the Gambia have keenly watched the birth of the #NewGambia. Kindly note that our observations are are neither criticisms of your administration nor intended to harangue you. Gambians have excercised patience with your administration hoping that the ball will be set in motion for the transformation needed to build the new Gambia. Civil Service Reform is a sine qua non in the rebuilding of our dear nation. The Jammeh administration assisted in the degradation of our civil service and  I  will opine without prejudice that the current Secretary General lack the knowithall to spearhead the requisite change needed to usher in a functional public administration machinery. I therefore implore in your good office to revisit his employment as SG for the interest of the nation we all love. Gambia is not a social experiment that rely on trial and error for its progress. The civil service is marked by incompetence, apathy and lack of direction. These malaise need to be urgently addressed. The security sector needs re-education/reorientation and this excercise must be commissioned immediately.
Gambians expect a lot from this administration and rightly so. The legal and institutional reforms can't be underscored. Investments especially foreign direct investments are the cornerstone of any meaningful development plan and to date we haven't seen any serious investment advocate/champion in the forefront of our development strides. Mr President, I want to remind you without ill will that the toolkit that ushered in freedom will not surely be the same that will usher in economic prosperity. Therefore, your government must be cognizant of the skill set that will usher prosperity and employ people with that skill set to bring about meaningful change to the people of this great country. I am sure you are not aware of the fact that your cabinet is not equipped with an economist. This in my view is a great misnomer as Gambia is classified as a third world nation with great ambitions to transform the livelihood of the citizenry. This cannot happen without great economic plans, modelling and execution of programmes. I therefore urge your good office to reconsider having an economic mind at the nerve centre of the economy (Ministry of Finance). Equally, trade and employment are key drivers of our economy and these sectors need specialists at the driver's seat not freedom fighters. Gambia is yearning for real change and real change is blind to tribal affiliation, patronage, cronyism and politics. On the issue of the appointment of a vice president, I am of the view that it is your prerogative to choose as you see fit but you have to be decisive in action. Gambia can't afford to wait whilst you cosy up with your decision. Urgent action is required. The cars that were donated to our MPs was not in line with what our budding democracy expects from your leadership. We want to and we have a right to know where those vehicles came from. Secondly it is not prudent to have such a fleet injected in our fiscal dispensation with sound financial planning. Government needs visibility in resource mobilisation and disbursement. I fault you for keeping us in the dark. As per the ravaging floods that plagued the town of Kuntaur, I do hope that the government has learned and comprehend the definition of #RAPID_RESPONSE. In disaster management, time is neither a luxury nor a cushion.

Your Excellency, in consideration of the aforementioned mentioned issues, I do hope you will act and act expeditiously in the best interest of the state as duty and honour to country are sacrosanct virtues of patriotism. Gambia is not a cake that should be shared amongst power players and pushers of yester years. Gambia is sober but thirsty for much needed impetus for reform and prosperity. You emerging as the winner of the last December polls was not accidental but a deliberate will of the people to effect change. Most didnt vote for you but rather voted for change. Gambians want home grown solutions for home grown problems. The more your administration shun the Gambian intelligentsia, the more you will be on a collusion course with chance and exploitation of the novice and neophytes. Finally, I want to remind you of two names that are becoming synonymous with the sideling of our intelligentsia. #Richard_Uku and #Moubarack_Lô. The former is your communication strategist and the latter  visited your office and even conducted  training on how to manage the Gambian Economy. Mr. President, once again, I want to register my dissatisfaction with such decisions as it is an affront to our national pride and dignity. Our country prides itself with world class professionals who can be the impetus for the much needed change we all want. It is UnGambian not to prioritise our nationals especially if they have the requisite tool kit to effect change. Lets have a rethink about our strategic objectives and put Gambia first.

Please accept my concerns with my highest consideration and esteem albeit that I am part of "we the people" and we the people are the underwriters of the change that brough about your presidency.  Gambians deserve a lot from our political class because we bank our hopes and dreams on your promises. Please we don't want to walk in the halls of development to cash in our cheque only to be told that we have insufficient funds. That will be a travesty and the likes of #SoloSandeng will roll in their graves saying thats not what I sacrificed for. We the people bargained for a brighter future backed by an equitable system with a just social contract.

For the Gambia, I remain ever true.

Prepared & written by;
Nyang Njie
Knowledge Bank Consortium GM 

www.nyangnjie.blogspot.com

HOME GROWN SOLUTIONS FOR HOME GROWN PROBLEMS. IS GAMBIAN INTELLIGENTSIA ENDANGERED?

For honour, for country, for pride. That's how great patriots honour and work for their country. A country cannot thrive without its intelligentsia and it is the intellectual class of this great nation called the Gambia who will propel the new ideas and ideology that will usher in the dawn of a new day of our beloved country, the Gambia.

I am disheartened and saddened by the fact that our government, your government prefers to work with non Gambians to profer solutions to Gambian ailments. I have great respect and admiration for Mr. Moubarack Lô a renowned and eminent Senegalese economist of great standing but as intelligent as he is, he doesn't have the solutions to our economic woes. Where is the dignity? Where is the pride that we the people must have in developing our country? Gambia will be developed by Gambians and Gambians alone. Our development can't be outsourced to outsiders to come and fix this nation of ours. This great nation of ours boast of credible sons and daughters who can be flag bearers, pacesetters and becons of hope to usher in the dispensation we called the #NewGambia. If the drivers of the New Gambia don't have hope and confidence in the intellectual class of Gambians then this society is doomed to fail.

Once again my fellow compatriots I wish and do hope that our government will have a revisit on such a stance of not promoting our intelligentsia. Yes people do make mistakes, yes people often take decisions that are haphazard and I do hope this was one of those few mistakes taken by this administration. To err is human therefore reflecting and changing such a decision should be of utmost importance to this administration if they feel like Gambian intelligentsia are worth their grain of salt. What I am seeing and what is being manifested in terms of down grading Gambian intelligentsia shows utter disregard for our aptitude, our knowhow and our determination to build a new Gambia collectively with the political class. We the intelligentsia cannot direct or shape policy without the endorsement and collaboration of our politicians.

Our national mantra should be "Gambian solutions to Gambian ailments". Has thou forsaken us to the point that we hardly see good in ourselves? Gambians are celebrated the world over both in the international development arena and in foras yet still we can't see the lustre and value in our own kin and kindred. Our case is one of pity and I do hope we wake up from our slumber and complex we suffer from. We are good enough to be rated as global development practitioners. Why can't our government see that in US. Yes familiarity often times breeds contempt but this is becoming excessive. 

New Gambia Transactional Or Transformational?

December 1st ushered in a new lease on life for Gambia and Gambians. Gambians registered their dissatisfaction with the former administration and severely punished them at the polls. Furthermore, Gambians displayed a sense of urgency paving the way for the new Gambia by having a zero tolerance attitude towards Jammeh and his incessant antics during the self styled political impasse. Now that the dust has settled and our euphoria has waned off, we have lofty expectations in rebuilding the country we all claimed to love. Gambians are yearning for transformative change whereby we do away from the culture of business as usual (transactional) to the business of transforming from what was to what ought to be.

I have been keenly following developments in the new Gambia particular that of public policy with a bias on economic management. I do hope that this administration leverage on the expertise of well meaning Gambians with requisite competence in revitalizing this economy because a poor showing of the economy will undoubtedly punish them in subsequent election cycles. In order for this economy to thrive, the government must be mindful of 3 economic fundamentals
i. Fiscal Consolidation (Scaling down the budget especially recurrent expenditure and rationalizing government operations and fleet management)
ii. Debt Resolution (Debt Rescheduling, Creation of longer term debt instruments etc.)
iii. Growth (Boosting growth leaders such as agriculture, Tourism and Fisheries)
Having said that, I am very disturbed with the economic rationale of the Ministry of Trade regarding their facilitation of flour imports to the Gambia and I therefore want to seek answers to their haphazard yet troubling economic pronouncements that will not only affect their sector but all other sectors of the economy. I hereby opined without hesitation and with a high degree of certainty that an importation strategy will not help develop the economic base of our country. Economies need growth drivers and key amongst these drivers are local production/ manufacturing. The policy employed by the Ministry of Trade, Employment and Industrialization is not only adverse to the macro economy but goes against the set objectives of the ministry. The Ministry is task with spurring growth hence creating employment and their promotion of imports goes counter to job creation. Secondly, the Ministry is tasked with the promotion and development of an industrial environment and the promotion of imports over local production deter our march to industrialization. Public policy must have a medium to long term view and that being the case, the Trade Ministry must not focus on immediate price reduction and that is nothing but a gimmick. I saw a trouble yet patronizing advert on the Point publication of July 24, 2017 praising the President and Minister for a job well done in allowing importation thereby reducing prices. First of,  prices are generally sticky and it takes a lag effect for prices to filter down the distribution channel before reaching the consumers. The only factor that may be responsible for a sudden drop in price is a price war orchestrated to assert market dominance. This implies that importers are willing to sell below cost to discourage local production thereby rendering the sector sterile. I want to respectfully inform the Honorable Minister and her Technical entourage that importation has its flaws starting with under invoicing which adversely affects custom valuation, curtailing of value transformation and job creation in the economy and the eventual degradation of our industrial ambitions. Most of the flour imported into the Gambia come from Western Europe and Turkey and they are highly laden with farm subsidies and this creates a distortion in pricing.

I therefore want to ask the honourable minister of Trade to clearly spell out the intended policy gains her Ministry wants to achieve in promoting importation over local production. Honourable Minister, your policy decisions generally have far reaching implications and am sure you were not cognizant of the fact that the major by product of a flour mill is the creation of animal feed meal precisely chicken feed. For your information, the Government of the Gambia aspires to have a vertically integrated poultry sector whereby we create our poultry from the hatchery to the food chain by generating all the inputs and production factors but your initiative is not only frustrating those efforts but it is scrapping the possibility of making Gambia poultry self sufficient. For this and other reasons, I urge you to have broader consultations before making such pronouncements in the future as mixed policy signals tend to put off investors because investment requires visibility and confidence. This new concern we trying to nurture called the #NewGambia begs for transformative processes not transactional intermediation. We do not want business as usual so let us look at the bigger picture and promote sustainable solutions that will underpin and bankroll our march towards economic independence. We do have merchant houses that have operated in Gambia for over a century and kindly show me one value creation they have added to our economy. I do hope my input is taken in good faith and in the interest of the greater good as Jeremy Bantham would have alluded to.



Nyang Njie

Management Consultant
Economist
Blogger

Mr Governor Of The Central Bank Is The Economy Stupid?

Good day Mr Governor! I have been keenly following the developments in the economy especially in the monetary space and the developments are a caused for concern. It is a noble feat to sanitize the economic space and institute prudent monetary management decisions but equally, the Central Bank's primary mandate is to foster price stability in the macro environment. I have noticed that the Minister of Finance has in effect declared a Statement Of Intent that the fiscal authorities will curb their appetite for borrowing. This Statement has been made good by the revision of the 2017 Government Appropriation Bill's deficit financing from approximately 4.8 Billion Dalasis to 1.7 Billion Dalasis. This is a commendable initiative worthy of mention but the manner in which the Policy Rate tumbled in a short spate of time is quite worrisome and in the medium term it can trigger undesirable consequences that are not in line with our monetary objectives.

The Policy Rate basically serves as a signaling tool and having it tumble from 20% to 15% by way of an announcement from the last Monetary Policy Committee Meeting of February 2017 represents a 500 basis points downward spiral. This signaling tool basically frame expectations of Bankers and other Economic Operators who have a nexus with the policy rate. Therefore the sharp drop has rendered the policy rate ineffective as a signaling tool. Equally, the governments prudent fiscal management has brought the T Bill rate for 1 year to 10.94% and 91 Day to 8.75%. My primary concern Mr. Governor is the sudden drop in the policy rate. This will have an adverse effect in the economy particularly in the Banking Sector. My fear is that the Central bank is attempting to align the policy rate with the current Tbill curve. Most Gambians view Treasury Bill as a store of Wealth and having the rates tumble so fast without prior warning makes TBills an unattractive investment proposition. This will make investors look into alternatives such as Foreign Currency (Euro, Dollar & Pounds). This in my view will cause significant misalignment in the economy as most people buying these currencies will not use it for transactional purposes but as a commodity and store of wealth. Consequently, this will put undue pressure on the dalasi as there will be too many dalasis chasing few hard currency thereby creating an economic anomaly that will distort price stability and subsequently inflation. Mr. Governor, I proposed that subsequent MPC meetings MUST review the policy rate with a view of an incremental change or easing of the rate over a period of time rather than a quick fix. Monetary Management albeit a Science comes with a finesse that caresses the economic variables that can trigger undue duress to the macro environment.

Mr. Governor, I consider the TBill rate as an operational rate and the pricing of this instrument baffles me as I can't identify a measurable matrix to ascertain the price associated with the Tbill pricing. Discretion is an enemy to policy formulation and monetary policy management is by no means an exception to this. Your recent position on the MPC is sending the a signal to the banking fraternity that they have to spur lending. Whilst this may be a well intentioned proposition, it can yield adverse effects that may affect the banking sector. A lesson not learned in the past will surely be repeated in the future. I therefore hope that your understanding of Central Bank Independence doesn't negate the fact that you can periodically, consult private practitioners for our opinion on prudent monetary management alternatives.

Telecommunication Liberalization- A Must In The New Gambia

Gambians have been anxiously waiting to see the liberalization of the telecommunication sector since the advent of the third republic. Telecommunication is a vital component of our economy as it not only facilitates trade but also link service providers and markets thereby reducing the information asymmetries that were prevalent before the introduction of mass communication platforms like GSM networks. The people of the Gambia have been short changed and overpriced due to prohibitive government policies that breeds inefficient service delivery mechanisms, corruption and the inaccessibility of destination Gambia from the rest of the world. The current Gateway arrangement with MGI needs an immediate cessation and should be replaced by the introduction of a viable liberal market that ensures Gambian telecom subscribers with an equitable service, priced at a reasonable tariff and of good quality. Liberalization of the telecom sector must be process driven to ensure that all stakeholder needs (Government, operators, subscribers and Public regulator) are all addressed adequately to foster an environment of high standards of service delivery and efficient pricing. The government must facilitate a transitional arrangement whereby the incumbent operator in this case GAMTEL assume the responsibility of managing the gateway on a temporal basis until the operators sort out their state of preparedness to handle their own carrier relationships internationally. This transitional period must not EXCEED 6 MONTHS. The following prerequisites must be adopted before the liberalization of the sector in order to avoid market chaos and unfair market positioning or the abuse of dominant market power.

1. Telecom Operators (GSM Companies) must first and foremost approach the sector in a holistic manner and not focus on the competitive nature of the business.
a. They need to work closely to usher guidelines and rules of engagement that will enhance the value proposition of the market and also promote price stability in order not to destroy value through tariff wars. Tariff wars will only give an edge to the subscribers in the short term but the loss in margin will make reinvestment of capital expenditure in the sector difficult thereby compromising service delivery mechanisms in the medium term difficult.
b. The Operators must have a preexisting arrangement with the Public Regulator (PURA) for the issuance of their licenses once the transitional period with Gamtel expires. This will allow a seamless transition from the interim arrange to a full fledge liberalized market. The licensing regime must not be an undue burden to the operators and ideally, the regulator can augment the existing GSM license to a unified license thereby covering all aspects of the telecommunication business process.
c. The sector must agree on the imposition of a price floor for all outbound and inbound international calls. This will reduce the incidence of price wars and heavy handed market positioning by operators.
d. The operators must individually calculate the economic loss incurred by the operators by way of the MGI contract with government. A demand note must be presented to government to recover all losses associated with the MGI contract
2. The Government of the Gambia must be committed to the liberalization track by supporting the process in good faith. It is the responsibility of the state to protect the interest of the greater good at all times and this includes the termination of the MGI contract because it goes against the grain of our strategic national interest. The government of the Gambia being the custodian/party to the MGI contract must endeavor to do the following;
a. Terminate the arrangement with MGI forthwith
b. Facilitate the recoveries of all financial losses due to the operators
c. Task Gamtel to operate and manage a national gateway for a period of six months
d. Work with PURA and Operators to institute a competitive tariff for destination Gambia including a price floor to avert price war amongst operators
e. Pursue legal action against MGI and government officials who are found culpable in the MGI arrangement
f. Establish a gatekeeper arrangement through a clearinghouse model to ensure revenue assurance for government and illegal sim box connections and by passes
3. The Regulator PURA is vital in the transition and final liberalization process of the telecommunication sector. The erosion of confidence by the operators and the general public on the efficacy of PURA as an effective regulator must be rebuild. Therefore, the following actions must be undertaken by the regulator to not only sanitize the sector but protect the esteem Gambian subscribers from poor service quality and excessive pricing models.
a Facilitate the acquisition of gateway licenses to all operators without undue bureaucratic hurdles
b Enforce a price floor mechanism for international call tariffs
c Monitor and ensure quality of service delivery and promote fair play and competition amongst operators
It is to the national interest to not only sanitize the sector but accord Gambians with international best practices for services delivered to the general public. I do hope that the vested parties adhere to these stringent guidelines in furtherance of a buoyant telecommunication sector.

The Mighty Has Fallen. Death Of The Daily Observer

Arthur Vanderbilt once said that "taxes are the lifeblood of government and no taxpayer should be permitted to escape the payment of his just share of the burden of contributing thereto." A lot of people are weighing in the closure of #DailyObserver. This newspaper has been in existence for over 20 yrs. I understand press freedom and the protection of dissenting views and voices. However, the closure of the paper was neither political nor journalistic. Gambia is a country of laws and the responsibility and onus of paying taxes lies with the tax payer not the enforcer. Observer operated outside the confines of the law by disregarding  a statutory obligation of paying taxes. The arrogance and bravado of this paper stopped them from negotiating a payment plan to offset their staggering liability. Therefore the closure is not only justified but legally prescribed by law. For the infomation of our readership, the GRA will not abruptly halt the operations of the newspaper without due notice. Secondly, the paper is not by no means in a position to offset its tax liabilities in the medium term considering the fact that their future revenue streams can't sustain the paying out their outstanding liabilities. A business has a right to live and a right to die and unfortunately, the Daily Observer chose death. May theybrest in peace. Legal compliance supersedes the press freedom rights of the observer or any other company. Ignorance has never been an excuse of breaking the law.

Ignorance of the law is not an excuse. It is folly for the Managing Director of the Defunct Daily Observer to blame the enforcer (GRA) for non payment of taxes by a corporate body (Daily Observer). Such a statement borders between corporate irresponsibility and wilful deceit. The only thing that's constant are death and taxes. OBSERVER chose not to pay their taxes and now they are dead. #RIP defunct newspaper once called Daily Observer. Oh by the way, DR Owl said that 100 days for the thief, 1 day for the Master yard.

GAMBIA' S INTERNATIONAL GATEWAY HURDLE

The word MGI in the Gambia is synonymous to broad day robbery and mystery.  This company's  existence was somehow virtual and indifferent to the Gambian way of life during Jammeh's regime.  A company that has been parasitic in terms of looting the public coffers and short changing Gambians in terms of pricing Gambia out of range as it relates to call termination rates inbound to destination #GM220. Driving past the bustling roundabout of Brusubi on my way home and coming across a tent with MGI Paraphernalia displaying their benevolence to poor Gambians during the holy month of Ramadan makes me feel irate for it reminds me of the sucker Gambia has chose to be in front of a despicable parasite who cares less about our wellbeing or prosperity. Am sure by now, my readership are curious as per who MGI are. Well MGI is a TELECOMMUNICATION voice gateway provider who terminates inbound international traffic on behalf of the Gambia. This company's existence has for long been shrouded in mystery as the stakeholders in the market ( Qcell, Africell, Comium and the general public) were not privy with the terms and conditions of their contractual obligations with the contracting party (Gamtel). After the fall of Jammeh, the cat has been let off the bag and the general public and telecom operators were made abreast of the plunderous arrangement entered by the state with MGI. 

We have all been patient hoping that the government will draw down the curtains on this exploitative relationship with MGI. This arrange has placed the operators, government of the Gambia and the general public in a disadvantaged position that called for immediate remedial action for the following reasons;
1. The government of the Gambia has a fiduciary responsibility to assure that revenue accrued to government ends in government coffers inorder to finance government fiscal operations.
2. The operators invested heavily in the telecommunication sector with explicit guarantees from government to operate in the country unfettered. Well this promissory accord by government have been violated thereby causing financial harm to operators and to a point it affects capital reinvestment in the sector by operators.
3. The Gambians telecommunication service users have been taken to the cleaners by MGI for charging a prohibitive termination rate that puts the subscribers at a disadvantaged economically and in terms of quality of service delivered. Callers into destination Gambia were either blocked from accessing Gambia due to high termination rates or their calls were high jacked by illegal terminators who saw a lucrative opportunity to steal inbound calls to the Gambia.
Based on the above, the stakeholders of the telecommunication sector wanted government to sever commercial ties with MGI for the interest of the greater good. The general public patiently waited for 6 months for a definitive resolution of this broad day robbery by MGI. To date, the government of the day is either pussy footing or dragging the termination of the MGI contract for reasons best known to them. We the general public are hereby reminding government of their responsibility to protect the public's interest by terminating this atrocious arrangement with MGI. Failure to do so within a reason time frame will lead to dire  consequences that may pitch government against the very people they vowed to serve. I am of the view that the operators are now at liberty to arrange for their own termination links in order to deliver an efficient service to their esteem subscribers. They unlike government are duty bound to serve their subscribers effectively and the laws governing our telecommunication sector permit them to operate gateways in furtherance of their business operations. This arrangement is guaranteed by the MOU signed by the ACE Consortium and the government. Something has to give in and it should be the riddance of MGI in our telecommunication sector. The million dollar question that begs for an answer is whose interest is this government serving by prolonging the robbery orchestrated by a vile and heartless company like MGI? You be the judge but #DeesTake on the issue is simple and resolute. We must have #ZeroTolerance for economic exploiters. We welcome bona fide investors in Gambia not parasitic corporates who prey on our vulnerabilities to milk us dry.

DATA WAR IN GAMBIAN TELECOMMUNICATION- WHO IS THE KING OF DATA?

The old adage cash is king is getting very synonymous with the prevailing trend in the Gambian telecommunication sphere. Data is now poised to be the next thing in telecommunications and Gambia is not left out in the fray. Subscribers of telecommunications services are constantly  increasing their demand for data services for their pressing wants and needs of accessing 0TC applications such as IMO, WhatsApp, Viber and other Social media applications. Consequently the network operators are positioning themselves to cater for the growing demands of the sector. The data business is currently shared by Africell, Qcell and Gamcel. There is quite a lot of noise as per who the data market leader is. Well the jury is out and statistics can’t be massaged nor twisted to tell a story that is otherwise not the case. The Public Regulator, PURA has published a Report for Q1 2017 KPI’s that can ascertain trends in terms of service delivery, technical roll out and updated network topology on both the 2G and 3G networks. This report is independent as it automatically collect data from live transactions executed on the various networks. For all intent and purpose, my emphasis will be on the 3G networks as all data transmission is channelled through that medium. The map below clearly depicts the current status of the 3G national topology as at end April 2017.

3G networks are prevalent all over the country but based on the PURA report of April 2017, Africel by far have more cells deployed than any other operator. This move by Africel is a deliberate tactical decision towards consolidation of its market dominant position. Africel has 736 cells, Qcell has 592 cells and Gamcel has 152 cells. The data war is for real. Pricing and marketing gimmicks alone will not ensure dominant position in the market. The relevant Capital expenditure is whats going to bankroll the data supremacy of the competition and Africel has over the past 12 months put in considerable capital expenditure to boost both transmission and data capacity of their network. Based on the foregoing, the jury is out and the data provided by PURA indicates that the data war for the time being belongs to Africel albeit that they are yet to launch a 4G neteork unlike Qcell. Based on the data provided by PURA, the Qcell LTE network is yet to make a dent on Africel’s data pie This can be explained by a possible lag effect on the introduction of a new technology by Qcell which is yet to filter down to its subscribers or the current rollout of LTE sites are so insignificant to the overall size of their network. For example if the current LTE coverage is less than 6% of their overall network the benefits of the new technology will not be felt. For the period under review, Qcell registered a negative growth -.72% in its data business whilst both Gamcel and Africel registered positive growth of 19.81% and 22.35% respectively.

As an analyst of the sector, I am baffled by the data returns from PURA as I was of the view that Qcell enjoyed a comfortable data lead in the market considering their marketing efforts. I can safely say that the jury is out unless this growth trend is tamed. Africel is undoubtedly the king of data in this war of megabytes and data bundles. Curiousity begs to inquire why is Africel a market leader? This will be addressed in subsequent posts after satisfying myself with more industry data but I can safely say that the reason for Africel having a dominant market position has more to do with its commercial strategy than its technological position. Data bundling and packaging reasonable voice tariffs sets the competition apart. Data is forming a significant portion of the subscriber's ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) and it will soon constitute 60% of overall revenue. In conclusion, our perception can often distort the reality on the ground

Reality Slowly Setting In As Cooler Heads Prevailed

Hindsight and after thought are always 20/20. The aftermath of the Kanilai protest cum riots has taught the nation an expensive lesson of national security and cohesiveness. The Gambia though diverse enjoy a social fabric woven with an intricate yarn. Tribalism, religious intolerance have never been a Gambian problem. These ills have been amplified over the past two decades by an ill intentioned social despot whose personal interest of political survival collided with our interest of national unity. Jammeh is a product of a tolerant Gambia who helped raised a child from the fringes of our social mix to the most powerful person in this country. His ungratefulness polarised the views of some amongs his midst to alienate themselves from mainstream Gambia. The problem of Kanila is neither a Jola problem nor a Foni problem. It was an incident fanned and flame by the Butcher of Kanilai to destabilise the country. Therfore the people who subscribed to his philosophy are either reactionaries indoctrinated by Jammeh or short sighted Gambians who do not subscribe to our national ideals. I want to see the perpetrators of the Kanilai riots be brought before a court to face the consequences of their actions. No other group of Gambians understand first hand the ill effects of insurgency  and belligerent acts as the people of Foni for they reside under the nose of the MFDC. Therefore, I expect them to be the first to denounce such attrocities.

The role of government is to effectively communicate with its citizens and manage their expectations. Listening to  the video tapes coming out of Kanilai, I noticed a glaring disconnect between some elements in Foni and the Gambian reality. The  only way to bridge this divide is to effectively communicate with the people of Foni and it starts with a presidential visit and dialogue. All citizens of our beautiful nation are equally important and relevant in our developmental aspirations. Therefore no Jola is insignificant nor trivial in our national life. Our common enemy is their disgraced kleptocratic son Yahya Jammeh. Jammeh has brought disrepute to a noble group of people. We should remind those elements fermenting discord that their loyalty lies to country not individuals. The ECOMIG CONTINGENT  is here to stay and we all need to find a mutually beneficial arrangement to coexist with them. Jammeh's wish of exposing the security vulnerability of this country to his scornful wishes will never be realised. The time has come for all Gambians to march to the promise land of prosperity ensemble. No one will be left behind. I am that Jola lady as my sisters name sake was Fatou Woula Badjie, I am that Mandinka as my cousin Numu Darboe hails from Niani. I am that Manjago as my aunt Jainaba Fourmose Gomez was one. I am that Fula as my grandmother Fatou Bah was one. I am Gambia because my diversity is my strenght. My interest is to usher a new dawn. A dawn premised on social equity, justice and  opportunity for all. God bless the land of Maba Jahou and  Kunta Kinteh. We can thrive if we see ourselves as Gambians. The wollofs of old would have said   " Ganaaw aiyee di jamaa". My condolences to the family of #HarunaJatta and his death deserves an inquest because all lives matter. For the Gambia I remain ever true

NOTICE TO VACATE THE POST OF MAYOR OF BANJUL

This post is specifically and intentionally targetted to the current Mayor of Banjul Mr. Abdoulie Bah. I personally do not harbour grudges or ill will against you but you have surely outlived your usefulness if there was any for the people of Banjul. 

Your election and subsequent elevation to the position of the post of Mayor of Banjul was very deliberate and personal to the people of Banjul. We rebelled against the dreadful and terrible Butcher of Kanilai for the treatment meted out against the inhabitants of the capital and their noble son #Pa_Sallah_Jeng. You ran on an independent ticket and we gladly voted for you without hesitation. To whom much is given, much is expected. We expected a lot from you and prominent amongst those expectations were sincerity and good faith. Your decision to jump ship and join the Jammeh band wagon was not only disheartening but an utter disregard to the very people who installed you. The time has come for us the bonafide citizens of Banjul to render our verdict on your performance and integrity. Well for your infomation, the verdict is out and we will vigourously render your future candidacy futile and redundant just like you treated the dignifief people of the city that the Butcher marginalised thanks to your help and many like your ilk. I will leave you to patiently peruse through the picture attached herein and ask yourself if you deserve our vote or confidence going forward? 

Your decision to jump ship from the APRC speaks volume about your interest to preserve and nurture your personal interest over the greater good. I will wage a war against your candidacy in the upcoming mayoral elections and I will definitely put my money where my mouth is. Bottom line, I will write your political obituary and the epitaph will read. Here lies a man that was given all by a victimised populace who had hope and confidence in him for their salvation from a brutal tyrant but he chose to entrench the very butcher that tormented the people of Banjul. Adieu mayor and do enjoy what is left of your term as the struggle is for real and rest be assured the days of political opportunism are over in the island city from whence I came. You Mr man can't solve our problems as you lack the nowithall to usher prosperity and transformation in Banjul. Hope to see you in the political turf I affectionately called my home. Banjul dekki nyetti marché yi.

Economic Nationalism A Sine Qua Non For A Prosperous Gambia

My Gambia, my way! This has been my motto and credo since I touched down in the Gambia some 16 odd years ago. Sadly, my way only existed in my worldview and how I choose to live, express my views and construct my reality. My reality is not far fetched, nor is it utopian just that my reality is not mainstream. I am an unapologetic thoroughbred capitalist who believes in excellence, merit and market driven processes. However, if we Gambians want to have Giants of Industries, we must first nurture captains of Industry. The Gambian entrepreneurial class MUST be propped up so that wealth creation and generation will be a precursor to our dream of a developed Gambia.

This brings me to my contentious yet noble idea about Economic Nationalism. This ideology promotes and foster local participation in all spheres of our economy so long as it doesn’t impede on the quality of service being delivered. Economic Nationalism is practiced in most economies but in a very subtle way. Recently, the United States Government in a show of support for American Telecommunications Equipment manufacturers, frustrated the entry of Huaweii Technologies in the US market citing suspicion as a pretext for their actions. http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-20141207-column.html This move by the USA is a clear sign of Economic Nationalism by putting US commercial interest first. I am cognizant of the fact that Gambia is an open economy that should promote foreign direct invest to spur the much needed impetus for economic growth but however, this endeavor must be cautiously approached to implement a balance that will serve two interests simultaneously (the strengthening of our entrepreneurial class and opening up to FDI). The two are not mutually exclusive and with the right policy mix the two objectives can be achieved harmoniously. This administration as a matter of urgent public policy pronouncement MUST initiate immediate local content rules in the awarding of international contracts to foreign companies. Local content rules implore on foreign contractors to engage local suppliers and entrepreneurs in sourcing the inputs for their deliverables. This will enhance the entrepreneurial base and also foster the idea of skills and technological transfer that is needed to move our economy.

I will also take this opportunity to register my concerns and reservations about the purported negotiations with a Belgian outfit called SEMLEX as it relates to issuance of National documents Passport etc). I am of the view that this is not a precision or rocket science that needs ultra-sophisticated competence to produce. Therefore, our government must consider local outfits with the requisite competence to deliver such services and in the absence of such within the local business community, the government can encourage local outfits to partner with international firms to deliver such services. This accords the local outfits the opportunity to boost their skill levels and competence after a while. That is what I consider economic empowerment. New Gambia MUST promote such ideals as it helps in building a strong entrepreneurial class. Economic Nationalism must not be equated to #PROTECTIONISM as it is more of a preferred provider of services rather than the only providers. If this country must develop, the government must nurture the emergence of an entrepreneurial class. A lesson not learned in the past will always be repeated and that’s why we had many false starts with the Likes of Alice Carr, Daddy Jack, Cham & Secka, Musu Kebba Drammeh. This is a shameful past that can be addressed if we put Gambia and Gambians first. The text book definition of an open economy is ideal as it is devoid of the very human trait of self-interest. Therefore, my philosophy of My Gambia, My Way MUST be made a reality by promoting Gambian ideals and interest at all times. If we don’t promote our interest who will promote our interest for us? This blog post is by no means a support for any interest but a mere observation of an anomaly deficient in the Gambian psyche especially our public officials. I remain a humble servant of the land I grew loving and I will promote the espoused ideals that will usher in prosperity to our dearly beloved Gambia

#Gambia

#EconomicNationalism

#PublicPolicy

#GambiaFirst

The Chicken and Egg! Growth or Economic Stability

The chicken and the egg scenario has always intriqued man in his quest for rational thinking. Equally, the economist has for centuries toyed with the idea of the "other hand" yet proudly create a static environment "ceteris peribus" where all things are equal. In real life no two things are equal. #NewGAMBIA is at a demarche heading to a confluence that will put her on a collusion course with growth or doom. The path taken by Gambia at this confluence depends on the economic/development tool kit employed. A fiscal conservative economist would prescribe stability over growth and a neo liberal fiscalist would advocate growth over stability with the view that the calm has to come after the storm.

Either way, New Gambia wants prosperity propelled by economic growth and sustainable macro policies. If wishes were horses all beggars be riding to town. Our generation owe it to subsequent generations of Gambians to tidy up the fiscal mess we created through excessive public borrowing and decadent national lifestyle choices (public celebrations) that left us in the brink. This government must take a critical look at our situation and understand that our domestic debt is an existential threat to the long term macro stability of the state. The way out of our festering debt ailment is for Gambians to collective take responsibility of our predicament and it starts by buying into the sacrifice of bringing the debt down as Gambians. If we all pledge a token sum per person it will give us a stake in the process. Then the monetary authorities in consultation with the fiscal authorities develop  medium term debt instruments to help restructure our debt profile. Then and only then our economic growth will make sense to me. Let us not just think about our generation. It is our responsibility to pass on a Gambia with a clean bill of health to subsequent generations. A sovereign wealth management fund can address such issues. Hello Gambia, lets develop our nation with a medium to long-term strategic vision. For the Gambia I remain ever

The Need For Transformative Leadership In The Gambia

Getting rid of the dreadful and terrible Butcher of Kanilai was a laudable feat and Gambians from all works of life need commendation for tackling our beast of burden head on. Gambians are now faced with the daunting task of building a nation as the political season has given way to serious work. The leadership quotient in the Gambia is deficient both in and out of the public space. The end of Jammeh should have been the beginning of sprawling of democratic incubators to save guard our democratic gains and consolidate the culture of participatory politics and governance. For this to take root, Gambia needs transformative leaders with foresight and vision to be futuristic yet grounded on core national values that cement our social bonds. Gambia need leaders that will not only conceive well thought out strategic blueprints but also package and market them to the polity. This new house called #NewGAMBIA needs master craftsmen and architects who dare to dream and for once, think outside the box with alternative development toolkits. I dare opine equivocally without hesitation with a high degree of certainty that the architects needed to design this new house called the new Gambia are yet to  employ their creative prowess on the development drafting board. Every game has a half time and this administration though early can engage in a quarterly review to ascertain the efficacy of their plan of action. All hands must be on deck to build the marvel we all yearned for. Lets boost the leadership quotient by reshaping the civil service. After 21 years of management by auto pilot, most senior government employees have lost the trait to be self driven and initiators of ideas and programs. Secondly, I will opine without prejudice that what was left in the civil services during the last 8 years of the butcher's rule was not first rated calibre as the best and the brightest have either left for greener pastures or professionally liquidated by the butcher. This imply that the stock of human capital currently available to Barrow is not of high standard for the issues stated above and the fast track to the pinnacle of public service has also excercirbated the standards and quality of public officials. A lot need to done but it can only be done with transformative change driven leaders and champions who will advocate for the process of transformation. Good luck to the bonafide players in team Gambia in and out of the public sector. For the Gambia I remain ever true