08/12/2025
Cement crisis! đ
This whole cement crisis just shows that the government really doesnât care about ordinary Gambians.
Letâs be honest: we donât have cement factories in this country. What we have are packaging companies. They import cement in bulk from places like Turkey, put it in bags, and sell it. Thatâs it.
Last year, out of nowhere, the government decided to âprotectâ these packaging companies. They raised the tax on Senegalese cement from D30 to D180 per bag, forcing the Senegalese cement importers out of business. At that time, cement was going for around D350 to D380 per bag,
Right after the ban, the price jumped to over D400, and the market fell into constant shortage. In some cases, people queued for hours just to buy cement from these packaging companies.
Recently, things got even worse, and many Gambians demanded that Senegalese cement be allowed in again. The government responded with a press release saying the ban was meant to support âdomestic industrial development.â
But what industrial development are they talking about? The cement is imported. The bags are imported. The machines are imported. How is that an industry? An industry should rely on at least 75% locally sourced raw materials.
Now cement is going for D650 per bag. Yes, D650!
And hereâs the funny part: Jah Oil in Farafenni is reportedly importing cement from Senegal and re-selling it. So what exactly is the governmentâs policy? K!ll small businesses?
