Semlex, the company that makes Gambian ID cards and driver licenses, demands that the government of The Gambia enter into a full contract renewal with the company before it resumes operations, according to The Standard Newspaper, which cited a reliable source with knowledge of the country’s biometric document operations. Since Sunday, Semlex has not conducted business in The Gambia.

The Bakau-based publication claims that Semlex’s original contract with the Gambia government expired approximately four months ago, but the company was granted a three-month extension with the understanding that talks regarding the potential of a new contract would take place during that time.

But no talks happened till the three months had passed. Semlex was only granted a one-month extension at the conclusion of the three months, during which time no further negotiations took place. On Sunday, November 19, 2023, that one-month extension came to an end, according to the Standard’s source.

Semlex chose to cease operations last Sunday when the one-month contract expired, citing the lack of any legal justification for carrying on without a contract. A day later, the government of The Gambia extended its offer to Semlex by an additional three months, to which Semlex answered that it would not return to work until it received a formal contract from the government of The Gambia.

According to The Standard, which cited its source, “this is the current scenario and this is why no ID card or driver’s license is being provided as there is no work currently.”

A government spokesman for The Gambia acknowledged on Tuesday that Semlex had stopped operations, citing the company’s contract expiration. However, the representative gave no indication as to when or how soon driver’s licenses and national identification (ID) cards will be granted once more.