By Makutu Manneh
Rohey John Manjang, Minister of Environment, Climate Change, and Natural Resources, has announced that the proposed National Environment Management Act (NEMA) Bill 2025, currently before the National Assembly, seeks to introduce instant fines for environmental offences.
Speaking on QTV this week, Minister Manjang explained that spot fines will allow authorities to penalize offenders immediately while also empowering the National Environment Agency to strengthen certain outdated provisions of existing environmental laws.
“The National Environment Management Act 1994 is almost out of date. From 1994 to date, so many things have changed in the climate arena, so it is important that we are up to speed and make sure that we adjust our policies and laws to make sure they align with the international laws,” she said.
Minister Manjang clarified that the new NEMA will not overhaul all provisions of the 1994 Act immediately but will upgrade the law to address contemporary environmental challenges. She noted that the absence of spot fines in the current Act has made enforcement cumbersome, particularly for minor infractions such as littering.
Consequently, she argued for legal reforms to address this inefficiency. The current practice of processing every littering fine through the legal system is slow, she noted, which discourages enforcement and undermines the desired outcomes. “That is slow and discourages the enforcement process as well as puts stress on our enforcement outcomes.”
The minister highlighted that the new bill aims to modernize environmental governance in The Gambia, making it more efficient and responsive to climate change.
The NEMA Bill 2025, referred to the National Assembly’s Business Committee in June 2025 for scrutiny, is designed to replace the outdated 1994 Act. Key focus areas include enhanced chemical control, improved climate mitigation strategies, population management, and increased community participation in environmental protection
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