By Omar Bah
Opposition GDC leader Mamma Kandeh has queried about a concession agreement the government signed with SICPA, a Swiss company.
In February 2023, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs in partnership with the Gambia Revenue Authority signed a concession agreement with SICPA SA, for the implementation of a revenue mobilisation solution for excisable goods, telecoms services and refined fuels.
The agreement is part of the reform priorities in GRA’s corporate strategy plan 2020-2024.
In a statement shared with The Standard yesterday, Kandeh stated: “I write in my capacity as the party leader of GDC and most importantly as a concerned Gambian over the awarding of stickers contract to SICPA, a Swiss company convicted of corruption. The Swiss federal prosecutor has ordered the vaud-based security ink company (SICPA) to pay CHF 81 million (US$90.6 million) for corporate criminal liability over the payment of bribes in various countries”.
He said it is “shocking and worrying” that the contract for stickers for the water bottles at 90 bututs and beverages D1.20 are both pegged to the euro “which means if the euro appreciates, the price of stickers goes up and eventually the prices of these goods will increase.”
He alleged that the image of the company “is already tainted with numerous corruption scandals” and associating with it could be detrimental to The Gambia’s social, economic and political advancement.
“Awarding the stickers contract to SICPA simply means the price for a bottle of drinking water will go up by 15% and the price of locally manufactured beverages will go up by 18%. This is because the sticker price costs apply advance payment of stickers for goods not yet sold,” he said.
Kandeh also raised issues on why the contract was not put to open tender.
“We have seen similar issues with the Securiport where Gambians and non- Gambians are subjected to paying a fee that no one knows goes where. This shows lack of transparency and accountability and similar issues are to be experienced with the SICPA as the revenue derived from the expected charges for the stickers is unclear,” he added.
Kandeh added: “I am bringing this to the attention of the president that it is not a good precedent to champion such deals that are of no interest to our country. We have seen how NIRO is slowly bringing down Gambia International Airline (GIA) by championing them at the expense of our very own GIA. The case of the National ID Card contract was denied to a Gambian company and awarded to Semlex, a company reported to be engaged in many dubious acts. When are we fully going to take ownership of our own development?”
Kandeh urged the trade minister to look into the SICPA deal.
