By Dawda Baldeh
Members of the Association of Cement Importers and Traders Alliance of the Gambia have accused Jah Oil and Gacem cement companies of selling under-weigh bags of cement contrary to their 50kg label.
They described this as a criminal act and called on the Gambia Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (GCCPC) to intervene to ensure consumers receive the value for their purchases.
The association members made these allegations following a routine inspection of various cement stores and retail outlets on Saturday, October 12th, 2024.
During the inspection, members bought several bags of cement from different local bargaining companies at various locations and conducted a weighting test.
During the weighing test conducted in the presence of the media, the cement association members alleged that certain local bagging companies were filling the 50kg bags with only 41-48kg cement and misrepresenting them as 50kg bags. They view this as criminal conduct.
Accordingly, the association discovered that Salam Company is the “only one currently selling true 50kg bags of cement” in The Gambia.
They reported that, upon inspection, bags of cement purchased from retailers Gacem and Jah Oil did not meet the 50kg standard.
They expressed concern over this issue, characterising it as exploitation of Gambian consumers by providing bags of cement that are not up to 50kg.
Speaking to journalists on Saturday, Momodou Jobe, a member of the Cement Importers and Traders Alliance said: “We have found that some local bagging companies (Jah Oil and Gacem) are not providing the correct quantity of cement.
“The labelling on their packaging indicates 50kg, but this is not the reality as far as our investigation is concerned.
“We conducted a random weighing from different stores. If you buy cement from any company, go weigh it and see what you have.
“So far, we have discovered that Jah Oil is filling their bags from 41kg, 43kg, 45kg, or up to 47kg, while Gacem is filling their bags from 45kg to 49 and they are selling them to the public without any suspicion.
“This is unacceptable and violates competition rules,” Jobe said.
Jobe further advised customers to check the cement they purchased at any store.
“We visited numerous retail shops and outlets, and what we discovered is astonishing; so far, only Salam Trading is selling genuine 50kg bags of cement.
Jobe revealed that the highest weight of the cement they purchased from Jah Oil from different locations, including their store in Coastal Road was 47kg.
Jobe also alleged that local bagging companies are charging consumers between 5 to 15 per cent more than the actual amount.
“They make substantial profits in the millions from cheating on customers,” he alleged.
According to Jobe, the local bagging companies are taking advantage of consumers and called on the GCCPC to take action by verifying the weight of cement bags sold to unsuspected Gambians who are paying for more than they get.
“The Gambian consumers are the ones suffering because no one is receiving the quantity they paid for; per kilogram, they are paying more for cement.
“Imagine buying cement for D380 expecting 50kg but receiving only 40kg; this means they are overcharging you for 10kg, and this situation arises when there is a lack of competition in the market,” he said.
Other speakers included Baba Drammeh, a member of the alliance who was also part of the inspection team.
Like many others, Mr. Drammeh expressed his dissatisfaction with local bagging companies.
“These people are robbing the customers in a daylight. People are paying for what they are not getting. These companies are cheating the customers almost D57 per bag,” he said.
Mr. Drammeh questioned why Jah Oil is still maintaining the price of cement at the same price even though the Euro has risen significantly.
“This tells you that they are cheating the customers. The government needs to take action and regulate the market to ensure that each bag of cement sold to consumers weighs 50kg as labelled.
“The government should impose penalties on those who fear competition and are reinforcing the monopoly of the cement industry in the country,” he added.
Efforts to get comments from Jah Oil and Gacem remain unsuccessful at the time of this publication. The Fatu Network will keep trying to get their side of the story.
However, the Gambia Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (GCCPC) has issued a statement warning businesses from the alleged sale of underweight bags of cement and warned to take serious measures.
“We encourage all affected customers to file a formal complaint at the commission about any discrepancies they observed in the weight of cement bags or its label,” the commission said.
This situation has arisen amid increasing concerns among the cement importers and traders alliance regarding the Government’s actions on road transportation of cement, which have exceeded previously established fees.
