Dear Mr. Editor,

  It is good to see Mathew back in the "Knowing Zone" with his most recent offering to The Gambian Echo. The thing I like about Mathew is that he takes a piece from every aspect of Jammeh's failure..like a bricklayer and builds a compelling case for worthy consideration from the ruins. The reader is left in no doubt about where he is aiming and he aims well. One can take some similarity from Uncle Demba Jawo...in the crisp easily read and understood articles that both write....and I must confess to be a true follower and believer in what they write. But is what they write helpful....? and does it paint the right portrait or reveal the" blue print" for a post Jammeh administration?

Where is the business plan, the cash flow forecasts and the fundamental shift required that will begin to address the economic and social woes, of incredible mismanagement, that is the hall mark of  the post apocalyptic Jammeh administration.

I am only too well aware that once looking behind the doors of Ministerial offices, the activity was poor, the support none existent and their viability as a means to an end...was only the short term walk of a Minister doomed to disgrace. Of course..further down those steamy corridors..There was the holding office's of the Permanent Secretaries and their Deputies....but all were just marking time from where my gaze could see.

The same can be said of all the other parietals of Gambian commerce..as all were failing but were mainly engaged in concealment of that failure.  A proper Ministry of Information would account for so many complicated failures and the lack of placement of a rudder to realign the direction of the ship.

I still do not understand how The IMF and The World Bank can even begin to give support to the economic and fiscal policies of The Gambian government....but they do and do consistently. Are they reading from the correct hymn sheet or one specially prepared for their eyes and their eyes only.?

The current offerings from The Freedom Newspaper highlights the ever gathering economic storm clouds of  long term..... failed government policy.

In many of my commentaries have endeavored to favor those noted Gambian's that are the success stories of Gambian commerce....for if Jammeh is to go....and he must go soon, these pillars of business should form the basis upon which economic recovery can be achieved. I am not against any business making money or making as much as possible.

The difficulty lays in  President Jammeh's incursion into the field of commerce and his role of The elected President of the Nation. As Mr.Darboe has said wisely....How can a President enter commerce impartially, with so much power generated by his very presence as the ultimate unchangeable authority in The Gambia. It is one thing to be a businessman and a President appearing benevolent in so many good will gestures..from Taiwan to Banjul. But it is completely irreconcilable that he should do this whilst he is the President. If he had set up these business corporations at the behest of a shareholding owned by the Gambian people....that legacy and its considerable asset value to the nation’s overall international financial viability....would have been ground breaking and reassuring.

He did not do this..neither has he ever said that this is, or was his intention. To then use his attraction as President to encourage "Free " labor in these businesses...is to my mind...totally unacceptable......

and creates an unlevel field of competition that can only stifle...free competition and profitable enterprise. I mean how can you undercut the market price of Goats by 30% or corner the market for meat.....at the expense of impoverished traders..and then use government propaganda to accuse the same poor traders of profiteering?

In his speech to The United Nations....how can he expect to encourage investment into Africa..by first demanding that Africa's "cut" in the future should consume by demand.....a 65% share of all profits for the license to commence the investment.

The average business works on 30 % to 50% of profit before overheads and taxation.  Most commercial enterprises..net less than 5%.profit on turnover.

Jammeh is barmy. ...period. This is not and should never be the role of government.

The fundamental pillars are not present in the APRC's approach to building long term prosperity for the people.

Education is by unqualified personnel..by enlarge and not trained experts. { The blind leading the blind}

There are no discernible technical institutions that can offer training to school leavers and the youth of the nation. { A pool of qualified labor would attract foreign manufacturing investors allied to the "cheap" labor market}

There is no affordable credit "ships" offering affordable credit or loans that have attached lines of credit with reasonable repayment and interest schemes to the borrower.

There is no qualified business school offering advice or support or grant aid to new start businesses.

There is no guarantee to the right of employment to any Gambian employed in the seasonal tourist industry. They are laid off without pay for almost 6 months of every year.

There is no security of tenure for any Mayor.....this has been removed.

Fear rules...is you don't like it.....Go home or emigrate.

This will never work....?

 Michael..U.K.