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News and Events

  • 02 October 2023
  • By MOPE

GEOLOGY DEPARTMENT EMBARKS ON A PUBLIC SENSITIZATION MISSION

The Geology Department under the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, embarked on a public sensitization mission appearing on Face the Nation hosted by Essa Jallow on GRTS, to sensitize the public on the misconceptions surrounding the price of construction sand in the country.

This mission is geared towards raising awareness on the construction sand value chain and the factors that determine its price in the country. The construction sand industry plays a vital role in The Gambia’s infrastructure development, however there is a lack of understanding about the value chain and the various factors that determine the overall price of construction sand in the market.

Speaking to Essa Jallow, The Acting Director of the Geology Department, Mr. Alieu Jawo, emphasized that the government of The Gambia sets the price of construction sand with the Gambian people in mind to ensure that it is affordable for all Gambians. Director Jawo disclosed that The Government agreed cost of construction sand on site for dredged sand at the Denton bridge is D475 per cubic meter, while sand at the inland sand quarries is at a fixed price of D220 per cubic meter.

In a survey conducted by the Geological Department, it was discovered that there was huge inflation on the market price of sand leading to its inaccessibility to some Gambians. Yankuba Darboe, a mining supervisor under the Geology department, noted that most Gambians are unaware of the true price of construction sand at the depots, so they are most likely to fall victim to the hiked price of sand.

In this regard, Director Jawo warned all Gambians that are in need of construction sand to be diligent in their dealings with sand vendors and truckers. “I understand that it is a business and the truckers need to make profit but it should not be at the detriment of the general public, there are so many players in between the sellers at the depot and the customers, these middlemen and facilitators each have to receive some payment for their services, this can lead to the sand being more expensive when it gets to the customers”.

In conclusion, he intimated that the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy and The Geology Department are mandated to serve the Gambian people, therefore, they want Gambians to be aware and to protect themselves from exploitation. The price of construction sand has been the same for over 3 years but the market value is increasing to the point that it is becoming unaffordable for the average Gambian.

MOPE HOLDS VALIDATION WORSHOP FOR THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY DRAFT BILL

The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy hosted a validation workshop on the energy efficiency Law(bill) on May 18th 2023 at Tamala Beach Hotel. This workshop brought together relevant stakeholders from various ministries and organizations to discuss and dissect the bill.

Energy is a vital ingredient for the socioeconomic development of any country. Cognizant of this, the government of The Gambia, over the past years has been making significant efforts to provide reliable, adequate, affordable and sustainable energy services to its people. The successful implementation of the Energy efficiency bill is of great importance and a priority to the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy and to all stakeholders.

The formulation of the Energy efficiency bill is supported by World Bank Group and drafted by consultants from the Economic Consulting Associates (ECA) through the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy to develop and implement a comprehensive energy efficiency program for the country.

In the opening ceremony Mr. Matarr Touray, an Energy Specialist from World Bank, spoke on the numerous benefits of energy efficiency especially with the changing electricity tariffs and fluctuating exchange rates. Mr. Touray stated “The law has been developed to inherently feature local context and the development of a robust institutional framework to address pertinent issues as it relates to energy efficiency, these include issues of gender mainstreaming, financing mechanisms and data to ensure that the bill is adequately and appropriately imbedded within the sector”.

In her opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, Mrs Amie Njie Joof illuminated on the inefficient use of energy in our day to day lives, like leaving lights and air conditioners on in empty rooms, inefficient practices like these need to be curbed to ensure sustainable use of electricity.

The Permanent Secretary highlighted on the fact that resources are scares and that electricity is not provided to every community in the country, has resulted in the formulation of the policy on energy efficiency and conservation, which promotes the efficient and wise use of energy by every user, to save energy for use by others. As the saying goes, “energy saved is energy produced”.

 PS Njie also added that “since the promulgation of policies on energy efficiency and conservation as part of the National Energy Policy, numerous activities have been carried out on energy efficiency and conservation throughout the country.  Other activities include sensitization on energy efficiency and conservation, replacement of incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs and the promotion and distribution of improved cookstoves and rolling out the National Framework for Leapfrogging to Energy Efficient and Climate Friendly air Conditioners and Refrigerators Project. This project is intended to enhance energy efficiency in the country and ultimately reduce greenhouse gas emissions”.

The Permanent Secretary in her conclusion indicated that the Energy Efficiency Bill once enacted into law, will serve as the bedrock for the country’s energy management system in the country.