The Bureau hereby presents the following clarifications:
1. The Gambia Standards Bureau categorically denies the allegations leveled against this noble Institution of withholding information or making false promises to any stakeholder. We are fully transparent in our operations and we shall continue to act in the best interest of the country.
2. Mr. Papa Secka, the Director General of the Bureau, did not at any time deny that cement samples were tested in Ghana in 2022 as falsely claimed in the article.
3. The Gambia Standards Bureau acted on the recommendations of the Task Force that was established by the Ministry of Trade to address challenges of cement producers and traders, by sampling and facilitating the testing of all cement brands that were being traded in The Gambia in May 2022. The sampling, testing and all other associated costs were financed by the Bureau. The brands that were sampled were those imported into the country namely: Sococim 32.5R, Les Ciments du Sahel 32.5R, and Dangote 32.5R; and those produced in The Gambia namely: Tiger Sunu Cement 42.5R, Salam cement 32.5R, and Gacem Bamboo 42.5R.
All the samples were air-lifted in May 2022 to the accredited laboratory of the Ghana Standards Authority to test for conformance to the applicable ECOWAS-harmonized Standard, ECOSTAND 069-1:2017.
4. The Bureau can confirm that the batches of cement that were sampled and tested in May 2022 for Tiger Sunu Cement 42.5R, Salam Cement 32.5R and Gacem Bamboo 42.5R have all conformed to the respective compressive strength of 32.5R (for Salam) and 42.5R (for Tiger and Gacem), as opposed to the writer’s claim that these products did not meet these strength levels.
It’s important to note that these results applied ONLY to those batches/lots that were sampled in May 2022 and does not necessarily apply to other batches/lots produced and or traded afterwards.
5. The Bureau is not a regulatory body; rather it is best described as a facilitator. Amongst its functions are to provide Conformity Assessment services which are on-demand services on Inspection, Testing and Certification, for determination of conformity or lack thereof to applicable standards. These services are conducted in its capacity as an independent third-party.
Other functions of The Gambia Standards are to develop and promote standards for goods and services, amongst others.
6. The writer’s first statement that “The Gambia Standards Bureau, previously known as the Weights and Measures Department,…” is incorrect.
The Gambia Standards Bureau was established through an Act of Parliament in 2010, as a distinct, independent, body corporate entity. It was never at any point in the past known as or acted as the Weights and Measures Department. Therefore, it is NOT the role of the Bureau to control/regulate the weights of packaged products or weighing scales in the market.
7. Finally, the Bureau hereby informs and encourages all interested parties, including journalists, that the Bureau keenly welcomes enquiries and requests for information at all times.
For further information, kindly contact the Marketing and Communications Officer on tel. no. 213 5856.