By Makutu Manneh
Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, Minister of Information, Media, and Broadcasting Services, said on Wednesday that the recent surge in cement prices in Gambia is a temporary phenomenon that will stabilize once shipments currently offshore are delivered.
Speaking on the radio show Coffee Time with Peter Gomez, Dr. Ceesay said there are approximately 115,000 metric tons of cement awaiting offloading, and once these supplies reach local markets, prices are expected to return to previous levels.
“This is a basic principle in economics: when there is high demand and low supply, obviously it affects the price, but this is a short-term, temporary issue,” Dr. Ceesay said. “The price will stabilize; it will go back to where it was.”
The minister also outlined interim measures taken by the government to ease supply constraints. Contractors involved in major projects who hold a Special Investment Certificate (SIC) may now import cement, pending clearance from the Ministry of Trade.
Dr. Ceesay described the adjustment as a temporary policy shift, noting that the government is acutely aware of the cement industry’s role in the construction sector and its broader impact on the Gambian economy.
“We are also aware of the critical importance of cement for our construction industry, but also of the importance of the construction industry for our economy. So we take the thing very seriously,” he added.
The minister framed the shortage as a reflection of The Gambia’s expanding economy and infrastructure, stressing that the current challenges are a result of supply chain bottlenecks rather than policy decisions. “We call it supply chain bottlenecks. Not that it is a policy issue, it is a supply chain issue.”