The police cannot be everywhere, so the general public must play a role in policing by reporting crimes to the nearest police stations, which necessitates the reintroduction of a dedicated toll-free line or number, which should be published and broadcast in both the print and electronic media.
Patrols should be conducted in quiet areas, and security personnel should be properly equipped and provided with transport facilities to help address some of their transport challenges.
Gamtel/Gamcel
Mr President, another national issue of serious concern is the situation of Gamtel and Gamcel. To start with, it is not a good idea to sell or privatise Gamcel. Gamcel is the first GSM company in The Gambia and is owned by Government; in other words the State. It used to be the leading GSM service provider but has lost its market share to competitors because of its technological deficiency. The company was inaugurated in 2000 with a 2G/3G network and still maintains that, covering a small part of the country, while their competitors have rolled out up to 4G+ to provide better service. This growth by the competitors has allowed their customers to access the Internet anywhere at any time, and also provides for voice calls.
It will be wise if government could pump in more money to upgrade Gamcel's network to 4G+ or 5G with 100% nationwide coverage. By doing so, the company will reclaim its lost glory and customers.
Mr President, the recent petition by staff of Gamcel addressed to the government last month should also be instructive, hence requires due consideration. The aggrieved workers highlighted very grave issues such as delay in salary payments, credit union deductions and staff being unable to access them for two years, stopping staff’s medical insurance for almost three years without explanation, among others. These issues should be addressed inorder to revamp the company for the good of the nation.
Mr President, as regards Gamtel, which was established in 1984, there are also serious challenges it is grappling with.
Gamtel, which was the leading telecoms service provider in Africa, likewise lost its market share due to technological deficiency. One of the issues Gamtel is experiencing could be over-staffing, which should be addressed to revive the state-owned company.
Mr President, Gamtel should also consider whether its customer services branches should be reduced as part of remedy to its present predicament, and try putting more focus on facility management; that is providing fibre to all GSM companies and other businesses and institutions, including all government institutions.
Also the gateway responsibility or authority should be returned to Gamtel to get them manage it, as it used to be during the old good days of former MD Bakary Njie.
Mr President, these two institutions are vital to the nation and to the economy of the country. They should be separated to work on their own for efficiency and productivity.
As we round up this piece, it is essential to reiterate that we are concerned about the nation’s security and our state-owned enterprises.
Good day!