GNTDA appeal to the government On High taxation

Photo: GNTDA Members.

By Ousman A. Marong

 The Gambia National Tailors and Dressmakers Association (GNTDA) has on Saturday 18 January 2020 appealed to the government to expedite action on the promise to assist its members with flexible taxation.

“We want the government to help us with flexible taxation so that it will enable us to create more job opportunities for the youth. We are also calling on them (the government) to strictly adhere to the call in order to reduce many of our members embarking on the perilous journey locally dubbed “back-way”. Majority of our members are leaving the profession embarking on the perilous back-way journey all because of the heavy levy tax from the government,” said Chairman Badu Faal.

According to him, a human being without a proper requires skill is like a runaway horse.

They made the plea on Saturday 18 January 2020 at a press conference held in Latrikunda Sabji, in Serekund East constituency graduating its first cohort’s badge.

The association was formed on 15 April 2016 with the aim and objective of boosting the tailoring and dressmaking in the country.

Faal further challenged parents to send in their kids to acquire skills. “We are not requesting anything from you (the government) other than to reduce the heavy taxation on us, he appealed.

He said since they came up with the initiative and presents it to the government to assist his association, nothing practical good had been achieved.

Mamodou Salieu Jallow, President GNTDA said "our area Latrikunda Sabji is in an instance, our the region has within the last two years, trained over 400

Youth on various vocations skills different from tailoring and dressmaking and some of these trainees are doing quite well,” he boasted.

In his part, Sakou Marong, National Assembly for Latrikunda Sabji said the government had instituted measures that would create a congenial atmosphere for the private sector to flourish.

He said apart from granting loans and micro facilities for groups and individual business enterprises, the government was also training most of the unemployed youth in various vocations to become useful citizens in the future.