Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The National Assembly of The Gambia on Monday commenced debate on the Communication Bill 2025, a proposed piece of legislation aimed at overhauling and modernizing the country’s digital and communications architecture. The bill was tabled for its second reading, drawing keen scrutiny from lawmakers across party lines.
Presenting the bill, the Minister for Communications and Digital Economy, Lamin Jabbie, said the proposed law seeks to expand access to faster and more affordable internet services, strengthen data protection, combat cybercrime, and facilitate the digitization of public services.
He explained that the framework would regulate broadcasting, online commerce, electronic payment systems, and data governance, while fostering the growth of The Gambia’s digital economy.
“The bill is meant to make communication safer, cheaper, and more accessible for all Gambians,” Minister Jabbie told lawmakers.
While National Assembly Members (NAMs) broadly welcomed the bill’s objectives, several raised substantive regulatory and rights-based concerns.
One member pointed out that the current communications regulator, which already oversees telecommunications, petroleum, and public utilities, operates with a five-member board. Expanding its mandate under the new law, the member argued, could overstretch its institutional capacity.
Questions were also raised regarding safeguards for surveillance powers. A lawmaker noted that the bill does not explicitly restate court oversight mechanisms introduced in 2022, warning that the absence of clear judicial authorization provisions could weaken protections for citizens’ privacy and civil liberties.
Further concerns centered on the omission of comprehensive provisions for digital addressing and digital identification systems. Members stressed that these systems are foundational for secure e-government services and reliable online transactions.
Without them, some argued, the broader digitization agenda could face implementation challenges.
NAMs also highlighted the growing incidence of cybercrime and online impersonation, underscoring the disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups, particularly women. They called for robust enforcement mechanisms and victim-protection frameworks to be embedded within the legislation.
National security considerations featured prominently in the debate. Lawmakers cautioned that while technological advancement is indispensable for development, inadequate oversight and regulatory clarity could expose the country to systemic risks.
In response, Minister Jabbie acknowledged the concerns and indicated that issues such as digital addressing frameworks and surveillance safeguards could be further refined during the committee stage.
He also referenced ongoing government initiatives, including e-cabinet operations and prospective e-parliament systems, which the Bill is intended to institutionalise and support.
At the conclusion of the debate, the Communication Bill 2025 was referred to the Assembly Business Committee for onward assignment to a specialised committee for detailed scrutiny.
The deliberations signaled broad consensus on the necessity of modernizing the communications sector but also underscored lawmakers’ insistence on strengthening regulatory clarity, institutional capacity, and civil liberties protections before the bill proceeds to final passage.
