Africa-Press – Gambia. Dr. Papa Faal, Secretary General and Party Leader of the newly registered Gambian People’s Advancement Party (GPAP), has sharply criticized the government’s approach to subsidization, questioning its effectiveness in reducing the cost of essential commodities.
Speaking on Brunch on Saturday, Dr. Faal challenged the government’s claim of subsidizing basic goods, noting that the prices of key commodities continue to rise despite such measures.
“What kind of subsidy is that? If things keep on going up?” he asked. “As a government, if you give a tax break to a supplier for the price to come down, and the supplier did not abide by that and you know it, but ignored it.”
Dr. Faal also recalled that when President Adama Barrow’s government assumed office, a bag of cement cost between D75 and D85. “What incentive, what discount, is the government putting into these products to justify and say they are doing something?”
He argued that a true subsidy should reduce prices, not increase them. “Things are supposed to go down, not up. For example, if you are giving a 35% subsidy of D100, then you will pay D65, and I will pay D35. So if I am paying more than D100, then you cannot tell me that you are giving me subsidies. Then they are fooling us.”
The GPAP leader also warned of worsening global economic conditions, predicting that prices could double over the next decade due to rising geopolitical tensions.
He cited potential conflicts, including a possible war between Israel and Iran that could draw in the United States and Europe, as factors that may disrupt global trade and drive up costs.
He said that while they remain hopeful for the best, the current signs are worrying, emphasizing the need to safeguard citizens by ensuring access to sufficient food supplies and sources. “So they do not have to depend on the outside,” he asserted.
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