By: Kebba AF Touray
The Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Smart Business Group (SBG), Mr. Omar Njie, has called on the Government of The Gambia to consider giving priorities to local contractors.
Speaking recently in an interview with journalists at his office along Kairaba Avenue, Njie said giving contracts to international contractors makes the country to lose a lot of money.
“Local contractors contribute towards boosting the national economy, as the money they generate from the contracts stays and is spent in the country. They also help to address the high rate of unemployment among the youth folk.
“In our construction works, we need and hire man power service which is given to the citizens and they are paid for their man power services, which enables them to earn a living to carter for themselves and their families,” he said.
Njie said local companies make money in the country and in turn invest all their resources in the country, which is contrary to foreign contractors who make money from the contracts and return to their respective countries with huge sums of money from the country. He said Gambia’s business industry is dominated by foreign investors and contracts are normally awarded to them, adding local companies find it difficult to acquire such contracts.
“I am quite sure that if Gambian companies are given the same opportunities they will excel. Some foreign companies would come to the country to generate revenue from contracts awarded to them and eventually leave the country,” he said.
Njie alleged that sometimes these foreign companies do not pay tax to the country.
Njie, who has been in Europe for years, said he returned to the country to develop his business company in a bid to contribute his quota to nation building, through the creation of job opportunities.
“The objective of Smart Business Group is to do general procurement of goods and services and as well as creating job opportunities for Gambian youths. SBG is into a lot of businesses ranging from consultancy, engineering and the procurement of good and services,” he said.
Mr. Njie disclosed that his company has the requisite expertise and prowess to implement contracts when awarded to it and he assured that his company would not compromise credibility and effectiveness in providing goods and services to the general public or government.
Mr. Njie challenged Gambians to support one another, nothing that if contracts are awarded to local contractors, the revenue generated would remain in the country, which will address the problem of unemployment and boost the national economy.
