Barrow stresses government 10% reduction to reflect on rice price

EYEAFRICA TV: Banjul, THE GAMBIA: Gambia’s President Adama Barrow Monday emphasised to the country’s business community to comply with government effort to reduce price of basic commodities like rice, saying the 10% reduction (free duty) waiver must reflect in the price of the country’s must use basic commodity.
During a meeting with the business community Monday morning at State House in Banjul, Mr. Barrow appealed to members of the business community to reciprocate and translate the concessions offered by government to reduce market prices for the welfare of all Gambians.
In March, government announced that the price of cement which was costing D325 has now D280 and by first weeks of April, it will be costing D260. It also announced that price of a bag of rice will be significantly reduced starting from the first week of April and would cost less than a thousand dalasis, which could not still materialise.
President Barrow emphasised to the business community his government’s effort to support businesses, through the various tax breaks granted by his government.

In the 2018 budget presentation to the National Assembly, Finance Minister Amadou Sanneh said there would be significant reduction on the price of basic commodities since April but yet the price remains the same.
General complaints indicate that people are not seeing a correlation between reduction of customs and excise duties and reduction of prices and demand to know what is responsible for the price rises after a reduction in duties was announced.