Africa-Press – Gambia. The Minister of Environment, Climate Change, and Natural Resources, Rohey John Manjang, said on Monday that responsibility for waste collection and disposal rests with local councils, not the central government, as she warned that the growing waste management crisis—particularly in the Greater Banjul Area—has reached an alarming level.
Speaking to the media, Ms. Manjang said councils have consistently failed to meet public demand for waste services despite collecting taxes specifically intended for that purpose.
“Waste collection and disposal is not the responsibility of the central government but the councils to whom we pay our taxes,” she said.
The minister noted that rapid population growth, especially in urban areas, has compounded the problem, turning waste management into a broader national concern. She said that since independence, local councils have struggled to keep pace with rising demand, a situation she described as unsustainable.
“Unfortunately, since independence, the councils have been unable to meet the demand, particularly with the increasing population in the Greater Banjul Area,” she said. “It’s becoming a crisis that no serious government should ignore.”
Ms. Manjang also questioned the effectiveness of informal community clean-up exercises, commonly known as set-settal, when they are conducted without proper legal procedures. She said existing environmental laws do not support the closure of businesses or mandatory shutdowns for such activities.
“We thought the usual set-settal that was happening here without following the due process is not the way to think because we have the anti-litter law that doesn’t give us the right to close shops and stop businesses on Saturdays to do a set-settal,” she said.
Instead, she said, the government is pursuing long-term and sustainable solutions aligned with development goals and environmental standards. “We want a system that will be sustainable, that will at least pay dividends with respect to environmentally friendly standards,” she said.
The minister emphasized that effective waste management requires substantial financial investment as well as technical expertise, noting that several proposals have been submitted to the government over the years.
“It requires heavy investment, but not only investment but also expertise,” she said.
Ms. Manjang added that waste management remains a priority at the presidency, stressing that infrastructure development must be accompanied by efforts to maintain a clean and healthy environment. “Waste management is not an easy thing to do,” she said.
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