By Fatou Sillah
The Speaker of the National Assembly, Fabakary Tombong Jatta, said consumers must take greater responsibility for pushing back against high prices, arguing that the government alone cannot determine the cost of goods in The Gambia’s free-market economy.
Speaking at a news conference at the National Assembly, Mr. Jatta said prices are largely shaped by supply and demand, limiting the government’s ability to dictate what businesses charge.
“Gambians themselves have to change our attitude,” he said. “You live in a locality, and the price of a material is, let’s say, D15, but there is one particular shop that will be selling it for D20. The consumers within that area will agree to say that let’s not buy from that shopkeeper; let’s all shun him and buy from others.”
Mr. Jatta argued that consumers could exert pressure on businesses by collectively refusing to patronize shops they believe are charging excessive prices.
“If he stays there for one week, one month, or one year, he will move out because he will not get sales and he will move out,” he said.
He said such collective action could encourage businesses to lower their prices or risk losing customers, describing consumer choice as an important tool for influencing the marketplace.
Mr. Jatta acknowledged that the government and the National Assembly have responsibilities in addressing the rising cost of goods but said consumers also have a role to play.
“People themselves must coordinate themselves to regulate, to do regulations,” he said.
His remarks placed part of the responsibility for addressing high prices on consumers, suggesting that coordinated purchasing decisions could complement government efforts to ease the burden of rising costs.
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