Barely a few weeks after a presidential ultimatum was given to traders in basic commodities who are yet to register with the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) to do so before 25th May 2010, Bai Matarr Drammeh, the president of the Gambia Chamber of Commerce has disclosed that the traders are responding.

Drammeh made this disclosure Thursday at his Fajara office during an exclusive interview with the Daily Observer as apart of the paper?s follow-up to the ultimatum.

Readers would recall that The Gambian leader, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh during his meeting with the officials of the GCCI on Friday 5th February gave an ultimatum for traders in basic commodities to register with the GCCI before 25th May, failure of which they will be banned from trading. His warning at that meeting was provoked by the seemingly unending price hikes of basic commodities in Gambian markets, which have for long been to the detriment of consumers.

The GCCI prezy said his office is glad with the president?s intervention. ?Without the president of The Gambia, we would have been in a very awkward position. We have lots of people calling us trying to find out how soon they will register with us. We have some that came to pick up forms. So certainly we are beginning to see that changes are about to come,? Drammeh, a seasoned Gambian entrepreneur stated. He then hinted that the Chamber would provide detailed statistics before the deadline.

He opined that the traders are positive about the ultimatum, saying " they accepted the pronouncement made by the government that this is important and they are ready to do it". Quizzed on what the ultimatum that is expected to increase the membership base of the Chamber will mean to them, Drammeh pointed out that it would enable them to know all the business sectors that are in the country. "We will be able to intervene where there are irregularities and we will be able to advise properly and to guide investors that will be coming in," he explained.

He went on to state that those traders who will not be willing to come on board will be encouraged given the fact that whatever the Chamber engages the government to do, will be to the benefit of all. He cited the recent reduction of electricity tariffs by the government as an example. "We had engaged government on the tax and it reduced the corporate and turnover taxes and everybody doing business have been benefiting," he highlighted, calling on the non-members not to hesitate to come on board for their benefit.