Africa-Press – Gambia. Business owners in Brikama have raised alarm over the steady rise in shop rental fees, warning that the situation is placing a heavy strain on their operations and threatening the survival of small enterprises.
In exclusive interviews with The Voice Newspaper, traders across different sectors described the increasing cost of rent as one of the most pressing challenges facing businesses in the area.
Ebrima Ndow, a plumbing enterprise owner, said frequent rent hikes have been a persistent burden since he started his business. He notes that there appears to be little regulation, with landlords raising prices at will.
“As a business owner, paying too much rent is not favourable,” Ndow said. “Every month I pay D15,000, which amounts to D180,000 a year. That is a lot, considering we also pay taxes, salaries and take care of family responsibilities.”
He called on the government to look into the issue, stressing that the current situation is not sustainable for small business operators.
Abdul Salam Dico, a Moroccan national who has been running a business in The Gambia since 2018, shared similar concerns. He said his monthly rent has increased from D6,500 to D11,000 over the years.
“Private shop owners keep increasing rent in their own interest,” he said. “In business, there is profit and loss, but we cannot keep using our profits just to pay rent.”
Dico adds that he remains in his current location due to a lack of available space elsewhere, noting that most shops in the market are already occupied. He also highlighted the high cost of importing goods from countries such as Mali, Guinea-Bissau and Côte d’Ivoire, which further adds to his expenses.
A supermarket owner, Isatou Trawally, says traders are often left with little choice but to accept the rising costs. She recounted being served with a vacation notice earlier this year after requesting a reduction in rent.
“I was told that if I cannot pay, someone else will take the shop,” she said. “At that point, I had no option but to continue paying. But honestly, this is affecting our daily business.”
Trawally pointed out that beyond rent, business owners must also meet other obligations, including staff salaries, utility bills and taxes. She urged authorities, particularly the Brikama Area Council, to consider expanding market infrastructure to ease the pressure on traders.
Omar Alpha Jallow, another businessman, warned that the situation is increasingly leading to disputes between tenants and landlords, sometimes ending up in court.
“This rental issue is becoming too much,” he said. “The state needs to put proper measures in place because it is creating problems between business owners and property owners.”
As rent charges continue to climb, traders say urgent action is needed to regulate the sector and create more business spaces, or risk pushing many small enterprises out of operation.
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