By RoheyJadama
The 9th edition of the international trade fair organised by Gambia
Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) for the past three weeks has
wrapped up on Sunday, 10th January, 2016 at the Independence Stadiumin Bakau with the theme “Promoting Public-Private Partnership for
national development”.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, organised in the form of a press
conference, Madam Naffie Barry, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of
Trade, Regional Integration and Employment (MOTIE), said promoting
public-private partnership is the hallmark of the government of the
Gambia. She added that the public and private sectors build nations not
only in the Gambia but everywhere in the world.
“The Gambia government has recognised this and this recognition is
featured prominently in the blue-print of the government’s vision 2020
which describes the private sector as the engine of growth. The
government has advanced in trying to promote public-private
partnership and the Trade ministry have just developed the public
sector strategy and this seeks to provide a framework in addition to
what government is doing in terms of fostering relationships with the
private sector,” said the PS MOTIE
Madam Barry expressed hope that the trade fair will progress to a
stage where it will be a permanent trade fair like in other countries or
Gambia may have trade fair twice a year.
Mr. Bankey Njie, Business Development Officer at National Agricultural
Land and Water Management Development Project (NEMA ) under the
ministry of agriculture, said the trade fair is an opportunity for the
participants to network and build long term relationships that will
take their businesses further.
He expressed delight that the farmers who were at the fair have
networked and built relationships, adding that the experience the
farmers had at the fair is overwhelming and that this is the first
time most of them are taking part in it.
“We are happy to say that amongst the tenth producers that we
supported they have sold almost D100, 000 (One hundred thousand
dalasi) so I think that is a success. For us as a project we are happy
that this thing has worked out and we look forward to more trade fairs
and we have budget lines in creating linkages and this is ongoing
until the project ends,” disclosed Mr.Njie.
He added that he looks forward to storage facilities in the coming
trade fairs so that when farmers come they can keep their fresh
vegetables and logistics services.
He concluded by thanking GCCI for the partnership.
The Director of Public-Private Partnership at the Ministry of Finance,
Mr. Mustapha Samateh, said government is committed to encouraging
public-private sector partnership in national development.
