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By Sheriff Saidykhan Gambians have reacted to the 2024 draft budget submitted by the Finance Minister and Economic Affairs, Seedy Keita few weeks ago at the National Assembly.  Speaking to West Coast Radio popular Coffee Time show with Peters Gomez on Tuesday, Alagie Saidy Barrow, former TRRC investigator said the country's dependence on foreign support has hindered the economy of the country.  The continued dependence on aid he said, will always put a setback for the development of the country.  “How can this country get to its potential when it is relying on corrosive institutions like the IMF and World Bank to survive.  As long as Gambians continue to rely on the World Bank and the IMF. And as long as Gambians insists on borrowing or begging from others we will always remain behind those that run these institutions and countries we begged and borrow from.  You do not need an economic degree to know that begging and borrowing is not a development model,” he sa...

  By Sheriff Saidykhan The Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Hon. Seedy Keita  has called for fiscal discipline through economic management across various ministries in the country.  He made these remarks on Thursday in an interview with Peter Gomez on Coffee Time show. “You do not have to entertain an expenditure push simply for the sheer objective of saying yes, I am given in what the agencies required.  But you have to make sure you do it in a financial sustainable way. So, this calls for fiscal discipline. And that fiscal discipline is the anchor of budget execution.  Even in the course of implementing the budget, you look at every month how much you can within the approve budget- and how much budget has come by that you can actually spend without bloating the expenditure,” he said. A week after presenting his estimates of revenue for 2024 at the National Assembly, Minster Keita added that the objective of any fiscal budget is to ensure that you do no...

A RECOMMENDATION TO  EVERY CITIZENS, PARTICULARLY RELEVANT AUTHORITIES ON HOW TO ADDRESS THIS ENDEMIC MENACE By Alhagie Sillah  When are we going to hold a serious conversation surrounding this endemic road traffic crashes (RTC) formally called Road Traffic Accident (RTA)? The rate at which Road traffic crashes is claiming lives of our people is seriously worrisome and alarming, if drastic measures are not fully effected or implemented to address this menace would further continue to result to a catastrophic and tragic loss of valuable lives. Are we going to sit, fold our hands and see Innocent citizens continue to loss their lives unbearably on a daily basis due to avoidable accidents? It has now reached to a point, whereby people feel scared to on-board a vehicle whenever traveling, because you will be thinking if you are not going to be the next victim of Road traffic crashes before reaching your final destination.  The relevant authorities have to seriously look into ...

  Team Outpost The Coalition of Progressive Gambians (COPG) have critiqued MPs for failure to passed reform bills, chief among which is the draft constitution, the Anti Corruption bill and the security reforms. “Their failure to tabled the draft constitution bill which is the will of the citizenry, the Anti Corruption Bill and the Security reforms are issues more pertinent than the urgency to sit and pass the former President's bill and salary with clothing allowances for National Assembly Members,” the report said. COPG further added that MPs did not made consultations with their various constituencies regarding policies and implementations, saying they have failed to serve as actors of checks and balances for a better democratic governance. “The NAMs have never made decisions in consultation with their constituents which is totally authoritarian. This might be because of their ignorance and incompetence of their defined roles and responsibilities to serve as checks and balances f...

  The Gambia Press Union (GPU) is calling on the Gambia Police Force (GPF) to drop all charges against Madi Jobarteh, one of the country’s leading human rights activists. Madi is charged with “seditious intention”, “false publication and broadcasting”, and “incitement to violence” following his arrest, detention and subsequent release on police bail last month. The charges are believed to have stemmed from unspecified social media comments he made last month in reaction to the arbitrary arrests and detention of an online media talk show host whose rights were violated by the police, and a series of comments by President Adama Barrow directed at media houses, activists and the opposition that were seen to threaten press freedom, freedom of expression, and Gambia’s fledgling democracy. He has yet to appear in court, and his bail has been extended to 23rd November, 2023. The police are also holding onto his mobile phone since his arrest on 9th October following reports of surveillance...

By Modou Lamin Conteh Non-communicable Disease  (NCDs) on a country's health and socioeconomic development is significant. NCDs, which include chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and respiratory diseases, have a direct impact on the health of individuals and the overall healthcare system of a country. One of the primary impacts of NCDs is the burden they place on healthcare systems. Treatment and management of NCDs require significant resources, including medication, hospitalization, and long-term care. This strain on healthcare resources can lead to increased healthcare costs and decreased availability of resources for other health needs. Additionally, NCDs can have a significant impact on the workforce and productivity of a country. Individuals affected by NCDs may require time off from work for treatment and recovery, leading to decreased productivity and economic output. Furthermore, NCDs can lead to disability and premature death, further impacting the la...

   | Author Shares His Views On The Legality Of Jammeh’s Right To Benefits And Entitlements | By Almamy Fanding Taal The quick answer to the above question  is NO and the long answer is it's debatable!  The law of the land must be drafted clearly without ambiguity in all cases particularly in respect to former President Jammeh. A law made by our sovereign legislature in the context of a transition away from dictatorship must clearly define the  rights, benefits, entitlements, terms and conditions of former leaders in unequivocal terms.  Clarity and brevity are the twin objectives of legislative drafting. Thus, it  is misleading to engage in hypothetical scenarios where the law is crystal clear as in both enactments ! Therefore, the NAMs and the AG must not engage in what-if speculations and plotting future scenarios. The TRRC indictment is a legal basis to disqualify JAMMEH from benefiting under the new Act. Cleary no reference is made to either the TR...

By Amadou Manneh The Gambia Police Force (GPF) in collaboration with sister police units have continue to demolish stalls and shops that are illegal building along the country’s highways. During the second week of the Nationwide road cleaning exercise, the police have today arrested over a dozen individuals for non-compliance. “The public is reminded that anyone found in or returning to areas already cleared will be arrested and prosecuted,” the police said. The nationwide road cleaning exercise has so far demolished hundreds of stalls and corners in the Greater Banjul Area. The demolition have cause  great economic hardship to people who are earning their living from the stalls. The victims lamented that their only source of income has been cut short and they have no means to earn money. “This is the only place I use to work and earn my living but now it is gone and I am left with nothing,” Penda Sarr said. Penda’s stalls was demolished because it is erected on the curbs of the hi...