Price hikes and the dalasi update

Why are business men and women poor at mathematics?

We have been monitoring the Dalasis’ stable performances against major international currencies, the US Dollar, Euro and the Pound Sterling to mention but a few for over a quarter.

There has not been any significant gains and losses as far as the Dalasi is concern and we expected by now that the consuming and spending public will be equally rewarded for their patience and understanding. However, that has not been the case yet still the spending public meaning me and you and all our families are day in day out, subjected to astronomical prices we were paying when the Dalasi was doing very poorly against international currencies notably the US Dollar and British Pound Sterling.

The reason(s) behind this lack of economic normalisation in prices of at least the basic commodities is still the crux of the matter to me. More importantly where is the symthaty, where has the love gone for one other as far as our Gambian-ness and oneness as a nation and a people is taken into consideration, I do not know?

As consumers, we bear the brunt and any expenses be it capital or sundry that emerges as a result of accumulated top-up/increases in the cost of goods and services. I would like to say and I hope you are in agreement with me that we would have anticipated some price drop in the cost of goods and services but nay it is still prices of doom we are being subjected to. Realistically and mathematically we expect to pay more if the Dalasi looses strength against international currencies but the reverse should also apply.

I therefore draw the conclusion that business men and women in this country are very poor at mathematics or are they just toying with our sovereignty carefully calculating our reactions taking our simplicity for a weakness. Even science acknowledges the truth that everything that goes up must come down at a certain portion or time but in the Gambian pricing of basic commodities had even science on wrong as our business men and women Gambians and non-Gambians alike choose to ignore the plight of the common man on the street to their selfish individualistic profiteering.
 
Why is this not happening in the Gambia, meaning dropping the prices of goods and services if the local currency appreciates and increasing the prices when the local currency performs badly or depreciates? The later has been experienced in the Gambia and the consequences fully met by all and sundry so why then, if the former happens to be the case now don’t we get the fair treatment we deserve. That has not been the case and by the looks of things it may be due to these among other factors, thus: That the business community I mean the bigwigs may all be foreigners and that translate to the fact that the welfare of the average Gambian is not their prime consideration. They are profit driven and anything that can lead them to that profit is what they will respect and maximise.

Secondly, they may be working hand in gloves with some unscrupulous indigenous Gambians to just play brave and fleece the masses of their hard earn monies by price hikes. A stranger in town does not know the dos and don’ts of that particular terrain and any thing he does must be on the advice and guidance of a native. So these enslaving investors are backed by your brother and my sister in their dealings.

The gambia today- price control or no price control

I am an exponent of the fact that government should not interfere with the pricing of goods and services as they have more pressing agendas to deal with. Look at the agriculture and the lack of microfinance to help the farming communities; look at the school with the deteriorating standards, look at the sea and illegal fishing taking place on it with the Japanese, Korean and Chinese fleets fishing on our shores with no permits and their only defence being we are on International Waters. Can you imagine the madness created by western powers to trouble, bully, exploit and spy small countries by defining and create a menace like what is referred to as International Waters.

Trust me there are no International Waters in their rivers and seas so why create International Waters in seas in Africa and the rest of the third world. This is imperialism of another colour and approach. Watch them come and take our lands and mineral resources and still government sits there idle and by that I mean all of us as we the government. Next time you catch some illegal fishing trawlers please appoint me a Judge so that I can deliver a historical judgement such as Dennings and pave a way be setting a precedent and the rest of the Third World will follow Gambia’s lead in this angle.

Secondly, the market are better left to regularise themselves rather than having government intervention creating more problems and escalating issues which were not worth the hype and drama ensuing. Thirdly, government intervention will scare away potential investors and we are all losers in that event. Politicians are not businessmen so let them leave the business to the business people.

In saying all that, I will also urge government to be vigilant and keep on monitoring the wheeling and dealings of the big players in the arena of business. They could also come up with a committee to talk, map out strategies, so on and so forth geared towards helping to keep prices under control and having these big players such as TAJCO, LAJCO, MOCOS and the rest of the house within the committees. No government intervene in pricing of goods but please create a corridor of dialogue with the big boys so that prices of basic commodities do not spiral out of control and out of reach of the common man. As at the time of speaking some Ceesay Kunda  inhabitants are selling their wives for a bag of rice (Laughs).

Capitalistic nature of man

That is where capitalism got it all wrong, when a people and a nation are bent on only profiteering thereby paying little attention to the Essence of man and what humanity is all about. They are legally (Business people) in the right as exchange of goods and services for cash is no robbery. However, where matters sway from reality is the lack of fair play and justice in the manner they price these goods and services notably the basic commodities.

That is my point of contention and I hope they breathe a sigh of relief and reason with the average slaving masses in this country of the Gambia. Capitalism is what man is, capitalism is what works for man and that is why capitalism is here to stay to the detriment of the rest of us who cannot  get onboard the modern man train to fleet street central.

This train is made-up of entrepreneurs, graduates, politicians and rich persons. Capitalism survive the onslaughts of all those theory namely, socialism, maxims, welfare state, communal farming because it appeals to the self-centred-ness of the human being. However, as a nation and a people our business community must try to be as reasonable as the average Gambian and look at the rising prices and revisit their projected profit earnings for some leniency in the prices of basic food stuff, after all it is a time factor and we are all on transit and we are one people.