Hamat Bah, Minister of Tourism and Culture
By Buba Gagigo
As the holy month of Ramadan draws near, Hamat Bah, Minister of Tourism and Culture, has urged the country’s businessmen to reduce their prices to ease the burden on Gambians.
“Ramadan is coming, and there is a lot of noise and a lot of talk. We should all realize that this Ramadan, the high prices in the Gambia are not only in the Gambia. The whole world is facing the high prices of cooking oil and rice, but we should sell what we produce in the country at a reasonable price so that everyone can benefit.
“Please lower the price of what we grow, the meat we sell, and the fish we catch here, so that Ramadan will be smooth for everyone. But in Ramadan, you hike up your prices and blame everything on the government, even though you harvest what you grow yourself. Let’s be aware of that and help one another,” Minister Bah said.
Minister Bah also maintained that the price of rice in the Gambia is lower than in our neighboring countries;
“No matter how much noise you make in this country, just look at the neighboring countries and compare the prices; they all buy it from the same place. You will see that rice is cheaper in the Gambia. It is true that our salaries are not the same, but the most hurtful thing is that what we produce in the Gambia is more costly. Why do they make it costly? Let’s help one another as Ramadan approaches,” he appealed.
The Minister of Tourism and Culture, Hamat Bah,, made these comments at the Buffer zone in Tallinding as President Adama Barrow and his National People’s Party (NPP) celebrated his peace award.