The minister expressed concerns over the environmental hazards posed by these shops, particularly the practice of car dealers and mechanics using empty spaces for car dumping.
“Car dealers and mechanics just use empty space to dump cars regardless of its environmental hazards. And when asked how they access these spaces, they would claim councils issued it to them.”
“Every other country has designated places for mechanic shops and car dealing except The Gambia. I want to inform councils that the government will take an action on this matter and ensure the right thing is done,” he stressed.
“It should be the responsibility of the councils to create suitable and designated locations to these people in protection of the community and its people because these shops are paying rates to them,” Minister Bah said.
“Council officials are reminded that they are entrusted with the well-being of their constituents and must prioritize the safety and health of the environment. The government has pledged to take decisive action to ensure that councils fulfill their responsibility and implement necessary regulations to address this growing issue.”
“The time for inaction is over, and the government expects immediate action from local councils to restore order and safeguard the environment.”
Responding on the issue of cemetery expansion, Minister Bah informed Banjul Muslim Elders that: “We have available land but it is not located in Banjul, just like the current one is located in Jeshwang. We are currently constructing a mortuary that can contain lot of dead bodies at our new hospital in Farato. This particular mortuary in construction can contain any number of dead bodies you can imagine.”
“This is the step government has taken to address the issue of mortuary. We are aware that Banjul is developing, however, we can't construct a mortuary that will be sufficient for the amount of dead bodies received daily, due to this reason we decided to build one in Farato at the new hospital in construction,” he explained.
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