- NAWEC increases water and electricity tarriffs by 37%.
- This problem has been persistent for 27 years.
Team Gom Sa Bopa organized a demonstration in opposition to the National Water and Electricity Company’s (NAWEC) most recent increase in water and electricity rates. The civil society organisation claims that the increase is unreasonable and uncalled for by Gambians, and it also accuses the country’s sole water and electricity provider of failing to fulfill the law’s requirements for due process.
With banners reading, “27 Years of Unaffordable Water and Electricity, Enough is Enough,” “Bring Back Our Cash Power Tariffs,” “Our Sovereignty is at Stake,” “We Can’t Live on with NAWEC’s Tariffs,” and “You Can’t Exploit us to Pay Senegal,” the protest was supported by Gambians from all walks of life.
The leader of the movement, Ali Cham, better known by his stage name Killa Ace, addressed the audience and declared: “We are here for one mission; we are here in peace solely to show the Gambian people and everyone concerned that the 37 percent rate is too high. You receive roughly 600 and a half dalasi when you purchase 1000 dalasi. About 370 dalasi are lost. Cash power that once lasted for three days now only lasts for one and a half days.
Mr. Cham claims that the tariffs in the Gambia were the sixth-most costly in the sub-region even before the 37 percent increase.
Rights activist Madi Jobarteh demanded that the demonstration continue in various forms for another thirty days, or until the civil society’s allotted month to react to NAWEC “comes to an end.”
“We need to continue the demonstration in new ways every day to show the Gambia administration that failing to deliver would have repercussions. Therefore, Gambians, the choice is yours. “This country, we are tired,” he remarked, adding that after 50 years of independence, taxes and tariffs have continued to rise as a result of loan after loan, grant after grant, and project after project.
Tijan Jow, also an activist, stated that they would give NAWEC one month to respond.