The Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice (EFSCRJ) has issued a strongly worded public statement calling for complete transparency, due process, and immediate parliamentary oversight in the Gambian government’s planned sale of 80% of shares in the state-owned mobile operator Gamcel to a private local company, reportedly YCell, for an estimated D6.7 billion.
The announcement follows Minister of Communication and Digital Economy Lamin Jabbi’s disclosure to the National Assembly last week that the transaction, aimed at reviving and modernizing Gamcel’s infrastructure, awaits Cabinet approval. The deal would see the government retain a 20% stake while the investor commits to significant network upgrades.
In its statement dated December 16, EFSCRJ expressed “deep concern” over the lack of adequate transparency and strategic justification for privatizing a critical national asset in the telecommunications sector. The organization, a prominent human rights and governance advocacy group, submitted a formal letter to all National Assembly Members urging lawmakers to intervene urgently.
EFSCRJ’s key demands include full disclosure of valuation reports, bidder criteria, due diligence on the buyer, and contractual terms; a special parliamentary hearing involving relevant committees on telecommunications, finance, and public enterprises; clear demonstration of alignment with national development goals; and a temporary suspension of the deal pending review.
The group highlighted several concerns: the absence of public consultation and key details like the D6.7 billion valuation methodology; risks to national security, data sovereignty, and consumer rights given telecommunications’ strategic importance; the failure to address root causes of state-owned enterprises’ underperformance, such as governance failures and political interference; potential mass redundancies amid reports of staff anxiety, with over 600 layoffs already flagged in related restructuring plans; and the need to prioritize public interest, worker welfare, and digital sovereignty.
“Privatization alone will not yield improved performance without addressing persistent governance failures,” the statement read, emphasizing that telecommunications infrastructure is vital for national security and public administration.
