By: Alieu Jallow
Marr Nyang, Executive Director of Gambia Participates, has raised fresh concerns over the government’s decision to raise import tariffs on bagged cement from D30 to D180 per bag. He argues that the policy, introduced in April 2024 to protect the local industry, has instead created shortages, driven up prices and pushed thousands of workers and businesses into economic distress.
Nyang notes that while tariff protection can make sense in countries with strong cement production capacity, the situation in The Gambia is different. “The Gambia does not have the raw materials or the factories needed to meet national demand”, he states. The result, he says, has been predictable, with scarcity, inflated prices and widespread job losses across the construction sector.
According to his analysis, mason labourers have taken the hardest hit, with many relying on daily wages to support their families. “When cement is unavailable, they have no work and no income. Retailers who rent shops and employ staff for cement sales also face revenue losses and possible layoffs”, he outlines.
Nyang adds that manufacturers with their own retail outlets often prioritise their stores, leaving smaller retailers with limited supply. He points out that businesses with ongoing construction loans are now struggling to meet deadlines, risking higher repayment costs as the dalasi weakens. “Individual homeowners face a similar dilemma. Some have paused their projects entirely, while others continue at a much higher cost than planned”, he outlines.
The domino effect extends further. Real estate developers are absorbing steeper construction costs that will eventually reflect in rental and housing prices. The diaspora, which plays a key role in financing family projects, is sending less money for construction as cement becomes scarce. Even the government’s own infrastructure projects, from roads to housing estates, are now more expensive than originally budgeted.
Nyang also challenges claims from manufacturers that retailers are solely responsible for price hikes. He argues that retailers bear their own costs, including transport, rent and staff, especially when supply is inconsistent. With an essential commodity in high demand and short supply, rising prices follow the basic rules of the market.
More than a year after the tariff took effect, Nyang says the situation shows no sign of improving. Only three companies continue to import and bag cement, creating what he describes as a monopoly rather than genuine competition. Since these companies depend entirely on foreign manufacturers, any delay or disruption directly affects the local market, leading to halted projects and increased poverty among workers tied to the construction sector.
His assessment lists several major impacts so far, including a 31 percent price increase in the Greater Banjul Area, reduced income for thousands of labourers, declining revenue for retailers, business closures, stalled construction, long queues at cement factories and a possible drop in remittances meant for building projects.
Nyang believes the government needs to reassess the tariff urgently. He recommends reducing the charge from D180 to D40 to allow imports to flow again while the country works on building real production capacity. He also calls for opening the market to at least eight importation and bagging companies to break the monopoly and create an estimated three thousand jobs.
He argues that these steps would revive stalled projects, pull workers back into employment, ease pressure on rental prices and improve the broader economy. It would also help restore remittance flows and increase activity in transport and other support services linked to the construction sector. “For a developing country like ours”, Nyang concludes, “cement is as important as a bag of rice.”
By: Alieu Jallow Marr Nyang, Executive Director of Gambia Participates, has raised fresh concerns over the government’s decision to raise import tariffs on bagged cement from D30 to D180 per bag. He argues that the policy, introduced in April 2024 to protect the local industry, has instead created shortages, driven up prices and pushed thousands The Fatu Network
