The Daily Observer (Banjul)
Sanna Jawara and Sheriff Janko
16 November 2009
column
The vice president and minister of Women's Affairs, Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, on Saturday, 14th November, presided over the official opening ceremony of the fourth edition of The Gambia Trade Fair, spearheaded by the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) at the Independence Stadium in Bakau.
This year's trade fair brought together over 200 exhibitors of both local and international. Foreign investors and exhibitors in the world of business came from different countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) such as Senegal, Mali, Guinea Bissau,Niger, Benin, Cameroon, Europe and Taiwan; and the traditional business and development partners of The Gambia.
The event was described by both the organisers and officials of the government of The Gambia as the biggest and most successful trade fair ever, with the active participation of foreign investors, especially those from the Republic of Taiwan. Taiwan alone has a total of ten investment companies, two SME and two national institutions participating in this year's GCCI trade fair. The interactive business exhibition amidst buying and selling of good and commodities, enjoyed massive press coverage from the print and electronic media in The Gambia as well as all the four GSM service providers in the country.
The trade fair is organised on the premises geared towards promoting Gambian businesses both in the country and beyond. It is an avenue that provides an opportunity for the businesses to exhibit their services and products to the consumers. The vice president, Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy and minister of Women's Affairs, who deputised for the Gambian leader, Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh at the occasion, described the trade fair as historic and very important towards achieving sustainable economic development of the country. "The world continues to have confidence in the Gambian economy despite the global economic meltdown.
The government of The Gambia has a strong economic policy, which it continues to pursue with uncompromising term. The government made emphasis on the importance of private sector as the engine of economic growth through provision of conducive environment for sustainable development. I am extremely delighted to know that this year's trade fair coincided with celebrations marking the annual United Nations (UN) Industrialisation Day, 20th November," said the vice president, while showing appreciation to the organisers of the trade fair.
Vice President Njie-Saidy drew a deep sense of inspiration from the itenary from the 14th to 25th November trade fair expected to be characterised by series of investment related forums and discussions all meant to build contacts and confidence between participants as well as to attract foreign investors into different aspects of the country's economy.
Ousman Sonko, minister of Interior, who deputised for Yusupha Kah, minister of Trade,Industry and Employment, congratulated the organisers on a job well done and welcomed the foreign participants to the smiling coast of Africa. Minister Sonko highlighted the importance of trade fair towards socio-economic development of the country, its impacts on investment from both local and international level and the strong economic policy made by the government of The Gambia under the dynamic leadership of President Jammeh.
The Interior minister assured the organisers and participants of the support and readiness of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Employment to work with them at all times. According to him, trade fair is now part and parcel of the world's economic business affairs meant to promote and strengthen the ideals of business investment and mutual understanding between parties across the globe.
Bai Matar Drammeh, president of GCCI, hailed the efforts of Taiwan in assisting the private sector of The Gambia through creating trade cooperation between the two countries. He added that the trade fair is in line with the protocols of the ECOWAS and the government of The GambiaÂ's economic development policies under the leadership of President Jammeh.
The GCCI president described The Gambia as a country with potentials before presenting locally produced mango oil to the vice president for onward transmission to President Jammeh. For his part,Mam Cherno Jallow, chief excutive officer of GCCI, expressed gratitude to the vice president for deputising for the Gambian leader at the occasion.
Jallow gave a detailed historial overview of the GCCI and the organisation of trade fair, the challenges and success registered. He said over the years, GCCI has been very instrumental in expanding international trade activities and promoting growth. "It brings together wide range of business interests into close and continuous contract with government departments at the right levels.Membership of GCCI expands over all sectors of the economy, thereby making it the most important multi-sectoral organisation in The Gambia," he revealed.
According to him, GCCI provides quality servics and timely information to its members and encourages socio-economic development in the country. He also recognised the presence of both local and international participants, especially Taiwan whom he described as true partners of The GambiaÂ's development efforts at all levels. The vice president and entourage later conducted a tour of the stalls scartered over the Independence Stadium premises before her departure. However, the Daily Observer also went around the stalls to interview some of the participants of the trade fair.
Lamin Yaffa, commercial manager of Qcell, said his GSM company, since its inception on July 1st 2009, aim to provide quality service to the doorsteps of all Gambians. Qcell, the latest GSM service providers in the country, is managed by a Gambian- born businessman, Muhammed Jah, and has since its establishment, registered significant success in the world of communication in the country through the provision of series of value-added services such as video calls, Q Chart, Q MMS, Q Tunes, Q Alert, Q Web, Q Wap, among others. "We are providing services which no other GSM operator can provide in the country.
We are the only GSM operator providing such services in the country at an affordable cost for all our customers," said Qcell's commercial manager, Yaffa. "The difference between our products and services and other competitors are like watching a black and white TV and a satellite TV. We decided to participate in the trade fair because we believe it is a national event, which gives us the rare opportunity to exhibit our products and services to the general public," he added.
He spoke at length about Qcell as a national GSM service provider and its daily products to be on display at the trade fair from the start to the end. The trade fair gives us an opportunity as Q group to come under one roof. The Q groups are: the Quantum Net, Quantum Institute of Technology, Espace motors and the Qcell," he explained.
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