In his closing remarks, Kebba Njie, chief executive officer of the American Chamber of Commerce said that the two-day training was organised by his institution to improve the business mindset of micro-enterprises in the country. He said AmCham helps Gambian businesses to explore business opportunities across the rest of the world.
“In our calendar of events for 2014, we think that training is very prominent in our drive to make sure that our members, particularly small and medium size enterprises benefit from the opportunities that we provide. Being a member of AmCham is important because it gives businesses the opportunity to network as well as be able to tap into markets abroad. It also gives you the opportunity to learn from other businesses outside The Gambia as to how to do business properly. Not that you do not know how to do it but to improve your business set-up. This is an important objective of AmCham and we have seen the need to partner with other stakeholders to make sure that we contribute towards improving the country’s business environment. We seek to look into issues that can help grow the businesses of our members and it is because of this that AmCham exists. I am absolutely encouraged by the response we have gotten from this forum. If we could organise trainings of such nature every month, it will impact positively on your business operations.”
“We will look for more resources, opportunities and possibilities for our members and it is important for other businesses to come forward and join AmCham. There is a membership payment fee of D5,000, but it is this money that we use to provide services. We want to make sure that we improve on the services that we provide for the business community and open up doors by making contacts and connections and network your businesses with others outside the country. The United States, for example, has its own global market and a lot of goods that come from that country are usually unmatched. We will continue to open up doors by working closely with the United States Embassy.”
Also speaking at the ceremony, Salieu Taal, a member of the board of directors of AmCham said his organisation has a role in promoting businesses in the country and connect them with others especially in the United States.
“We saw it fitting to shift our focus in this instance on micro-enterprises because they are the bedrock of the economy. The majority of businesses in this country are micro-enterprises and in this end, it is important that we build capacities. It is our aim to upgrade the business environment through our various programmes and activities. In The Gambia, it is seldom to see a business that has passed more than one generation. In every decade or so, there are businesses that come up and then disappear and most of them started at micro level. This is why it is important to build the right foundation for a business and to learn from other business generations. Most of you attending this training are young people and there is need in every business to have sound principles, practices and ethics.For any business to succeed, you have to do it the right way because there are rules that one should follow including the financial and legal sides,” he said.
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