More than six weeks after President Adama Barrow’s government set up a committee to review the D50 per gigabyte data price floor, civil society groups say no action has been taken.

The Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice (EFSCRJ), Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA), and Team Gom Sa Bopa have urged the government to suspend the tariff and drop charges against 23 activists arrested while delivering a petition against the policy.

The groups accused the government of suppressing peaceful protests and failing to protect citizens’ rights, despite President Barrow’s assurances that his administration respects the right to demonstrate.

At a 3 October town hall in Mansa Kunda, Minister for Communications and Digital Economy Lamin Jabbi confirmed the committee had submitted its report to cabinet, adding:

“Something good is there for the people of this country, I can assure you of that.”

The civil society groups called for the report to be made public and for swift cabinet action, saying Gambians have endured nearly seven weeks of high data tariffs alongside rising living costs.

By Adama Makasuba