Parliamentarians in The Gambia slammed as “unfair” and un-objective the recent reports on the press on the budget for 2010.
The Gambia’s finance minister Mr. Abdou Kolley recently has presented a total appropriation bill of over 3 billion dalasis, but not without hot debate among members causing a rare division even among members of the ruling party.
The debate came hard on the heels when the minister announced 5 percent tax levy on rice import, which he said was waived during the food crises. Some national documents including passport, license and road tax for private vehicle owners have also increased almost 100 percent.
This development some legislators argued is unprecedented. “We are not against the increment but it should be gradual”, said one senior ruling party parliamentarian Hon. Selu Bah of Basse, a comment many others embraced.
However some countered that the increment on national documents is necessary as the country needs more revenue to clear her domestic debt burden, arguing further that the price of rice remains the same even after the tax was waived.

Press reports on the debate – both print and electronic, according to deputies are not balanced and objective because reports were centered only on those who spoke against, while account of those who spoke in favor were not featured.
The Majority leader and member for Serre-Kunda East Fabakary Tombong Jatta who launched the attack quoted from the headline of a local newspaper as: “NAMs Mourn Increment on National Documents,” pointing out to fellow parliamentarians that the article is not fair.
“It is true that we are being critical of issues, but the positive sides of our statements are never being captured by the press”, he said.
“I was in Kaur [one of the rural regions] recently when I heard a group of people talking about the increase on rice,” said nominated member Seedy Njie. “What is saddening is that the state-owned radio reported an increase of 15 percent tax levy on rice import.
Hon. Njie went on to say that the road tax increment contrary to what has been reported by some media institutions, does not apply to commercial vehicles, only private vehicles. Similarly he added there is no proposed increment on ID card.
The moment of frenzy on the press at parliament continued, this time Hon. Kebba Jobe also of the ruling party slammed on the Radio Gambia [the same station], for what he termed to be ‘reporting below standard’. “Criticism is allowed, but it has to be constructive” Hon. Jobe said.
“I do not consider Gambian press to be a fair press,” added another ruling party parliamentarian Hon. Cherno C. Charm. “If the press wants to be independent they do not have to compose their newspapers with only negative news. “These newspapers make every body confuse by making hyperbolic headlines as if they are borrowing words from William Shakespeare”.