His Excellency, President Adama Barrow yesterday presided over the Third Cabinet Session of 2020.
The session deliberated on various matters and adopted series of Cabinet Papers, including The Gambia Maritime Administration (GMA) Fees and Charges Regulation 2020 and the levy of 1.5% on freight charged on ship owners for shipping cargo; the National Public Building and Facilities Policy, plus the Data Protection and Privacy Policy and Strategy 2019.
Below is the Concluding statement of the session read by Minister of Information and Communications Infrastructure, Hon. Ebrima Sillah.
These are the conclusions of the third Cabinet meeting held on Thursday 13th February 2020.
Cabinet adopted a paper presented by the Hon Minister of Transport, Works, & Infrastructure on The Gambia Maritime Administration (GMA) Fees and Charges Regulation 2020. The GMA provides services for which it charges fees as prescribed under the Marchant Shipping Act of 2013.
Most of these fees and charges were instituted since 2014. However The Gambia Maritime Administration is faced with new realities presented by the emergence of new ocean uses and expanded activities not foreseen in the existing regulations thus the review of the existing fees charged. It is important to note that fees and charges in respect of inland water crafts, namely artisanal fishing vessels and cargo passengers built locally are revised downwards in consideration of the kind of trade they are engaged in.
The Hon Minister of Transport, Works, & Infrastructure presented another paper on the levy of 1.5% on freight charged on ship owners for shipping cargo to and from The Gambia as it is obtained in the subregion and beyond.
Freight levy is a charge on all manifested cargo imported or exported through a seaport. Such levy is borne by the ship owner and paid to the Maritime Administration through their local agent. The levy collection mechanism is now shifted from the consignee to the ship-owners.
The introduction of the 1.5% levy on freight charged to ship owners will go a long way in enhancing the capability of The Gambia Maritime Administration to effectively discharge it functions.
Cabinet also discussed and adopted a paper presented by the Hon Minister of Transport, Works, & Infrastructure on the National Public Building and Facilities Policy to guide the construction, operation, maintenance and management of The Gambia’s public buildings and facilities.
The goal of the National Public Building and Facilities Policy is to enable the Ministry of Transport, Works, & Infrastructure to create safe and healthy work spaces and generally safeguard public safety through competent design, construction, maintenance, renovation and decommissioning of the country’s public buildings and facilities under its control.
The establishment of the National Public Building and Facilities Policy is conceived to address the challenges inherent in the sector. It is also geared towards supporting the government’s approach in ensuring that there exist appropriate policies and guidelines to drive the sector.
The Minister of Information and Communication Infrastructure presented a Cabinet paper on the Data Protection and Privacy Policy and Strategy 2019. The policy seeks to lay the foundation for institutional and legal framework on data protection and privacy that will give effect to section 23 of the 1997 Constitution and to express the commitment of the government in ensuring the protection of personal data and associated rights of individuals and in particular, the right to privacy.
An important principle of the policy is that Personal Data must be collected lawfully and or processed fairly, and in a transparent manner.
Sanna Camara
Media Officer
Office of The President
Republic of The Gambia
Office: +220 422 8788
Cell: +220 3410006
Ends