Gambia's telecoms board disbands

The names of the new board are yet to be made public.

On 1 August, The Gambia government sold 50% of both companies to Lebanese company, Spectrum Group, without public knowledge. It's reported that there were no tenders to that effect either.

As a newcomer in their country's economic market, the majority of Gambians heard of Spectrum's name only when it had bought the shares of the companies. Spectrum is however said to have presence in many countries in the region of West Africa.

Following a mass public outcry over the secret deal, the government announced that the sale was meant to "salvage" the two companies from sinking into the doldrums because their services have been "deteriorating" for the past few years.

"It would be recalled that GAMTEL over the last years had deteriorated in service provision, accessibility and quality of service," the government said.

"It is also experiencing stagnation in network expansion and subscriber base. Furthermore GAMTEL was near bankruptcy and is heavily indebted."

The government said it was left with no choice other than reviewing various proposals for "strategic partnerships" so that it could give the two companies the needed boost to enter into new business models, new technology, with a view to providing high quality and affordable telecommunications services.

Gambian officials, who ignored the reasons why they had reached the deal outside public domain, said "more and more countries around the world are taking favourable advantage of the benefits of strategic partnership and that The Gambia is no exception."

A German company, Detecon International, that boasts of 30 years of international experience, has been assigned to provide "consultancy and strategic management" to GAMTEL and GAMCEL.

Another objectionable act by the government was the privatisation of The Gambia International Airlines on 1 June.

Gambian politicians, activists, and journalists, among others, blame the government for deliberate "flagrant violation of laws governing public institutions" because the act is in opposition to The Gambia's divestiture laws.

These laws outlaw the sale of shares or privatisation of public companies without being tendered in public.

The leader of the main opposition United Democratic Party, Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, also spoke out in opposition of the government over the issue. Though a firm believer that private investment services is an engine for economic growth, Darboe says the government has blundered for not publicising/tendering the sale.

"I am not even sure whether the divestiture agency is even aware because everything should have gone through it," he says, dashing out any justification to privatise GAMTEL, especially when it boasts of being one of the best managed telecommunications companies in Africa, ranking only to South Africa in Africa.

"It has done extremely well until the APRC [the military junta led by the current President that forcefully seized power in 1994] came in. GAMTEL funds have been alleged to be put to uses no one knows about. It has quite an efficient management. What is a new owner bringing in?" he questioned; and further queried the justification for privatising GAMCEL.

"I would say if government needs to get rid of its own share, Gambians ought to have been given the opportunity to purchase the shares or even if they don't opt to float it publicly, they should encourage some sectors of our business community, Gambians or insurance companies, to pool their resources together and buy it so that it remains in the hands of Gambians. But in this sense, you are putting a very vital player in the economy of this country in the hands of a foreigner and I do not think that is right," he said.

"Nothing has been done that can be truly called transparent, and this has again belied Jammeh's advocacy of accountability and transparency. It shows that it is just mere rhetoric. One can say it is nothing that they are committed to," he said, advising the government to consult Gambians first before it privatises any public institution.

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