By: Kebba Ansu Manneh
The Gambia Standard Bureau, previously known as the Weight and Measures Department, has been criticized for allegedly withholding test results of cement samples sent to Ghana for quality testing, according to TAT investigations.
Sources familiar with cement trading in the Gambia have revealed that in 2021, the Gambia Standards Bureau and key stakeholders collected samples of cement powder from major cement trading companies and sent them to Ghana for quality testing.
They informed TAT that the test results for these samples had arrived in the country. However, the Gambia Standard Bureau is holding onto the report. They claim that major cement trading companies like Jah Oil, Gacem, and Salam Trading have all failed to meet the 42.5 percent quality threshold required for the Gambian market.
This development follows growing concerns among the Cement Importers and Traders Alliance, which uncovered that both Jah Oil Company and Gacem Company are selling underweight cement bags to the unsuspicious public, who regarded all cement bags as 50kg bags when most bags weigh less than 50 kg.
“Samples of cement were taken from all the major cement trading companies operating in the country and sent to Ghana for testing. Unfortunately, only the Dangote cement sample was approved to have scored 42.5 percent quality while other companies such as Jah Oil, Gacem, Salam, and others either scored 32.5 or even below,” one source with knowledge of the issue told TAT.
According to the source, these tests were conducted in 2021. Since 2022, results have been submitted to the Gambia Standard Bureau, but the Institution has not released the test results.
Our Investigations reveal that there have been many follow-ups on this matter, but whenever stakeholders approach the Gambia Standard Bureau, they keep making false promises that the results will be available to the public soon.
Another source who has been engaged in cement trading for the past decade also confirmed the testing of cement samples in Ghana, noting that these results have been made available to the Gambia Standard Bureau, which is still unwilling to provide the report to the public based on reasons best known to them.
According to him, most cement trading companies in the country are selling low-quality cement to the unsuspicious public, noting that even though these companies are labeling their cement bags with 42.5 percent quality cement, they are largely 32.5 percent cement products.
When contacted, Mr. Lamin Dampha, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade, confirmed sending cement samples to Ghana for testing, noting that the test results report is within the custody of the Gambia Standard Bureau, which led the testing exercise.
However, Papa Secka, a senior official at the Gambia Standard Bureau, categorically denied any testing of cement samples sent to Ghana to ascertain the quality of cement being sold to the Gambian market, emphasizing that even if there is any report of such, Gambia Standard Bureau will not share its detail with the media unless it reveals it’s source to the Institution.
Meanwhile, last week, Members of the Association of Cement Importers and Traders Alliance of the Gambia accused local cement bagging companies of underfilling bags with cement and selling less than the advertised 50kg to consumers.
The members alleged that some local bagging companies are underfilling the 50kg bags of cement they sell to the public by bagging 41-48 kg and passing them off as 50kg bags. They consider this practice to be cheating and a violation of market rules.
The Gambia Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (GCCPC) also stated the act and vowed to act against anyone violating the market rules.
