By: Mama A. Touray
The Secretary at the Senegalo-Gambian Secretariat, Dr. Cherno Barry, stated that President Adama Barrow instructed Ebrima Sillah to release 353 trucks at the border, worth over D563,000, without requiring them to pay the tracking fee for 2 hours.
Dr. Barry made this announcement during a daylong meeting held in Mansakonko, addressing the ongoing border tracking issues at Kerr Ayib.
Reading the outcome of the meeting agreed upon by both Senegalese and Gambian authorities, Dr. Barry said, “As an immediate measure to resolve the tension around the borders at Kerr Ayib and Senegal, the delegation led by Hon. Ebrima Sillah, upon the instruction of President Adama Barrow, has agreed to release all 353 trucks from both sides to cross the border without paying the tracker fees within 24 hours.”
He continued: “These trucks will carry the trackers, but they will not have to pay the fee associated with it. This must be expedited within the next 24 hours, immediately after we disperse, and it is ongoing as we speak (at the time of the meeting yesterday). However, as soon as those trucks are gone, it is considered that the tension has been resolved, and the tracking system will continue as it was.”
Barry informed the media that it was agreed at the meeting that the tracking system will remain in place. He was quick to add that Senegal will soon deploy its tracking system, and once that is done, both relevant authorities will meet to discuss the possibilities of harmonizing the fees related to the tracking system.
“Trucks in transit through Senegal, coming from The Gambia and going to Guinea-Bissau, Conakry, and Mali, will only have to pay the escort charge at the point of entry. It was understood that they were previously paying several charges; however, henceforth, the Senegalese delegation has made it clear that they will only pay the escort charge at the point of entry, and all other charges after that are considered illegal,” he added.
Barry also mentioned that truckers should insist on being escorted by an officer to the point of exit, and they will not pay any exit fee, as was the case previously when leaving, nor will they pay any fee at any checkpoint throughout their trip until they leave the territory of Senegal.
