GAP Calls for Immediate Government Intervention as Cement Shortage Deepens

The Gambia Action Party, GAP, has expressed serious concern over the worsening cement shortage and sharp price increases that are straining Gambian households and crippling the construction sector. The party says cement, a critical driver of housing and national development, has become scarce and increasingly unaffordable due to recent government policies that have unintentionally destabilised the market.

According to GAP, the shortage is the result of excessive taxation on imported cement and restrictions that limit the number of importers. While these measures were intended to protect local producers, the party argues they have had the opposite effect, since local capacity is insufficient to meet national demand. The consequences, GAP warns, include stalled construction projects, rising unemployment, inflated housing costs and mounting economic pressure on ordinary citizens.

GAP is therefore urging the government to immediately reverse the recent tax hikes on cement imports and reopen the market to all qualified importers. The party maintains that only a competitive and transparent market will ensure fair pricing and adequate supply. It further calls for the resolution of logistical challenges at the ports, and cautions against policies that risk isolating The Gambia from regional trade.

The party adds that encouraging local production should rely on incentives and gradual capacity building, rather than punitive taxes that directly affect citizens.

GAP stresses that the construction sector sustains thousands of livelihoods, and says its collapse would have far reaching consequences for the economy. The statement concludes with a call on the government to act urgently to restore supply, stabilise prices and protect the welfare of all Gambians.

Musa Ousainou Yali Batchilly
Secretary General and Party Leader
Gambia Action Party, GAP

 The Gambia Action Party, GAP, has expressed serious concern over the worsening cement shortage and sharp price increases that are straining Gambian households and crippling the construction sector. The party says cement, a critical driver of housing and national development, has become scarce and increasingly unaffordable due to recent government policies that have unintentionally destabilised The Fatu Network