The Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA) Wednesday embarked on a day-long capacity building programme for the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) members in the Upper River Region; businessmen, chiefs, bankers, youths, among others, at the Governor’s Bantaba in Basse Mansajang.

The objectives of the meeting are, among other things,  to sensitise stakeholders on the mandate of GIEPA including discussions on Land for Investment in the region. Speaking at the sensitisation forum, Fatou Jallow, the chief executive officer of GIEPA underscored the significance of the forum, noting it would avail the participants the opportunity to know how GIEPA functions. She explained that GIEPA is an agency of the Gambia government aimed at ensuring that business flows within the country and also to sell their business in other countries in the world. The agency, she said touches all sectors in the country; including agriculture, health among others.

Jallow expressed the significance of partnership and the participation of the private sector and other stakeholders to promote investment. She informed that they have been collecting data on investment, particularly investments that have received incentives; monitoring the performance of investors in respect of their obligations as set out in investment proposals, or special investment certificates, and taking appropriate actions in the event of violation, and also partnering with the government in terms of addressing the hurdles along the way.

“We are doing everything possible to help people that start small business to ensure that they uplift their business status. We are working with the government and the private sector, taking into the fact any information needed from them we will be able to give with the accuracy,” Jallow stated. GIEPA CEO explained that if one wants to invest in the country, it must go with the policy of the government and that investment must also benefit the communities of the area.

The director of Investment Promotion and Facilitation, Musa Baldeh praised the mandate of GIEPA, which among others, he noted,  is how to help promote and facilitate the development of micro, small and medium enterprise, and how to contribute immensely in the development process of business in the country. “We are doing everything possible within our mandate in collaboration with the government to ensure that we bring investors in the country, and also to formulate and implement investment, export, enterprise development guidelines and investment promotion strategies,” he revealed.

 Lamin Gaye, the manager for Enterprise and Export, urged the small businessmen and women to redouble their efforts, as they are working tirelessly to complement their efforts and also to promote business and export development. “Taking into account the fact that  small businesses help to boost the economy of the country, increase wealth generation and employment, we want them to be sustainable,” he noted.