By Buba Gagigo
Authorities from The Gambia and Senegal, following a meeting held in Mansakonko on Tuesday, have agreed to maintain the current fees for the electronic tracking of vehicles entering The Gambia. Senegal will also introduce a similar system for vehicles entering their country.
The Gambia Government, represented by the Ministry of Transport, Works, and Infrastructure, along with other key ministries, hosted their counterparts from Senegal, including the Minister of Works and a high-level delegation, on Tuesday, August 13th, 2024, in Mansakonko.
The meeting aimed to address the current border issues between the two nations, with the goal of enhancing bilateral relations.
According to the Ministry of Information, the Gambian delegation included the Minister of Transport, the Minister of Interior, Minister of Trade, Minister of Information, the Commissioner General of GRA, the Inspector General of Police, the Director of The Gambia Immigration Department, and the Director of The Gambia Transport Service Company Limited.
The Senegalese delegation consisted of the Minister of Infrastructure and Land Transport, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, the Cabinet Director of MITTA, the High Commander of the Gendarmerie, the Director General of National Police, the Director General of Customs, the Director General of Transport, protocol officials, two technical advisors to the ministers, and the President of the Transporters Syndicate.
Following a closed-door meeting, the two countries agreed on the following points, as conveyed by the Gambian Minister of Information, Dr. Ismaila Ceesay:
• Fees for the electronic tracker remain in force. Payment remains the same, and all trucks in transit through the Gambia are expected to pay.
• Senegal to implement the electronic tracking system as well, and later explore possibilities of harmonizing fees with the Gambia.
• The 350 trucks currently stranded at both ends of the border to be allowed to pass without payment as a good will gesture from the president to ease the tension at the border.
• Gambia to send a list of goods that are exempted from payment of duty to the Senegalese authorities.
• The period for the Laissez Passe (passavant) for Gambian vehicles entering Senegal has been increased from 10 days to 30 days at a cost of 5000 CFA, with an allowance for renewal of 15 days for 10,000 CFA.
• In addition, all Senegalese vehicles entering Gambia will also be issued a 30 day Laissez passé at a cost of 5000 CFA and renewable for another 15 days at a cost of 15000 CFA.
• The Laissez passé for vehicles entering Gambia and Passavant for vehicles entering Senegal does not apply to trucks in transit
• Senegalese Trucks in transit will only pay for the electronic tracking service fee and nothing else.
•Gambian trucks in transit to Bissau, Mali and Conakry, using the Senegalese corridor, will only be charged for escort fees and nothing else.
• The ferry crossing charges for Senegal’s Dakar Dem Dik and Gambia’s GTSC buses has been restored back to their original price of 63000 CFA.
• Finally, all vehicles, both Gambian and Senegalese, using the bridge have the option to pay in both currencies (Dalasi or CFA) at a fixed rate to be published weekly.
• Goods bought from Senegal for the Gambia shall no longer be charged the 80,000 CFA fee imposed on goods valued at 500,000 CFA or above.