For the first time in the history of the food manufacturing industry in The Gambia, plans are reportedly in high gears for the creation of a major mayonnaise and ketchup factory at the Kanifing Industrial Estate by December, this year. The products are some of the most widly consumed consumer goods in country, especially at restaurants and hotels.

Confirming this latest development in an interview with the Daily Observer, Ousman Tasbasi, a Turkish national who is the proprietor and managing director of Timber and Funiture Company Ltd, said the proposed factory is a joint venture with a Bulgarian Food Manufacturing Company.

Mr Tasbasi revealed that the project has been estimated to the tune of D10 million, adding that it will go a long way towards stemming the prices of such products in the country.

"But more importantly, it will help to reduce the quantity of imported foodstuff into the country. The factory will be able to produce a large quantity of mayonnaise and ketchup that can even be exported to some other ECOWAS member states," he told the Daily Observer.

Mr Tasbasi was upbeat that the factory will also create job opportunities for many Gambian youths and boost the Gambian economy.  

He then used the opportunity to comment on the gains of his Timber and Furniture Company, which according to him, has buttressed his confidence in the country's investment climate.

He said since the creation of the company in 2000, it has been actively participating in a series of developmental issues. According to him, all these are possible beacuse of the support and cooperation of The Gambia government and its citizenry, who have been patronising his company since its inception.

"I will not relent in my efforts to contribute my quota in the development of the nation," he said, saying that The Gambia is a peaceful country, where every investor should explore the vast opportunities it offers.