By Lamin Njie
National Assembly Member for Serrekunda central Halifa Sallah has rejected Mambury Njie’s claim that last year’s tax rise on alcohol is meant to curb its consumption among young people.
Finance minister Mambury Njie has appeared before lawmakers to discuss a proposal that sought to bring down the tax on alcohol.
The Gambia government last year introduced a 75% tax rise on wine and beer and on Monday, the finance minister told Gambian lawmakers the move was propelled by “a growing need to create social safety nets for the youths from the negative effects of alcoholic abuse due to lower prices.”
Reacting to the finance minister’s claim, Halifa Sallah said: “The honourable minister indicated that alcoholic consumption is increasing among our young population and therefore the taxation is designed to curb it.
“If we simply stand here and say we support something, then we will be indicted for supporting a social ill.
“Why didn’t the government simply abolish the investment into any institution that produces alcohol or the importation of alcohol?
“The government therefore does not have a policy of prohibition. And we don’t want to hear here that the taxation was designed to do that. Because if that is the objective, you can use stronger-hand measures to abolish it.”
