Jimara NAM dislikes govt’s D450 ID card charges.

Thursday, October 04, 2018

Following the announcement that Belgian company, Simlex will start issuing national identity cards on 1 October, 2018, at a cost of D450, many Gambians expressed dissatisfaction.

Many argued that D450 was too expensive for an ordinary Gambian for ID card.

Honourable Alhagie H. Sowe, the National Assembly member for Jimara District, Upper River Region, is among those that disapprove the charges government attached to ID card. Hon. Sowe argued that majority of Gambians, especially those in the provinces and the poor people would have it difficult to afford the ID card fee.

The Jimara lawmaker was speaking to our reporter on Monday in an exclusive interview. “Looking at the current issues happening in the country, I believe the government is woefully failing Gambian people in all aspect.”

“The government needs to understand that majority of Gambians live in abject poverty and there is no way some of them can afford D450 for an ID card. The decision taken by the government is wrong. Therefore, they should rescind it; otherwise majority of Gambians will be without ID card because that they cannot afford it.”

“We need to ask ourselves about how much an average Gambian earns monthly. Therefore, D450 for an ID card is beyond my imagination. I was expecting that if the new ID cards were ready, the fee will be less than the fee that was attached to the old ID cards during the former administration. But it is like this people do not have sympathy to poor Gambian people.”  

Hon. Sowe expressed disappointment with the government, saying that the most painful aspect of the contract is that it has never been brought to the Assembly for approval.

The government on 22 September, 2018, urged all eligible Gambians to register with the Immigration Department to acquire the Gambian National ID card, which would be rolled out to the public by 1 October 1, 2018.

Author: Momodou Jawo, The Point Newspaper