Africa-Press – Gambia. Fisheries Minister Musa Drammeh has alleged that Brikama Area Council’s “unilateral decision” to increase rates and licences in West Coast Region is not the increment approved and gazetted by him in 2020; sparked the ongoing furore.
Drammeh made this claim on the floor of the National Assembly following an argument between nominated member Maimuna Ceesay-Darboe and Brikama North’s Alagie Darboe during Thursday’s adjournment debate.
Maimuna, a member of the ruling NPP criticised the UDP’s Yankuba Darboe-led council for “unjustifiably increasing property tax from D300 to D2000′′, describing it as “unfair” to the people of the region.
The nominated member also criticised UDP for its condemnation of the Brikama North chief who called on ratepayers in the region to refuse paying the new levies.
NAM Darboe, an executive member of the UDP, countered her claims saying she was making “misleading” statements because the tax hike was sanctioned by Drammeh who was the local government minister at the time.
In response, Minister Drammeh explained: “In 2020, Brikama Area Council like the other councils, was complaining and they met at a general council and decided to increase [taxes] which was accepted and allowed by the law. They then wrote to the Ministry of Local Government and endorsement was made and it was sent to the Ministry of Justice for gazetting before it was immediately implemented. But there was no query from 2020 until when a new council was elected in 2023.
“I think the current council may have taken a unilateral decision to increase the licences which must have sparked the argument but not what was approved and gazetted in 2020 and if this was the case then they are out of the law and [the increase] is therefore illegal.”
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