By Tabora Bojang
The president of the Gambia Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Agriculture and Employers Association, Muhammad M Jagana has said that small medium entrepreneurs and women businesses in the country are facing serious challenges in accessing regular power supply and marketing.
Speaking at the GCCI Annual General Meeting in Bijilo, Mr. Jagana, a chartered accountant said the GCCI as the voice of Gambian businesses and the largest private membership/employers Association, will continue to push for the implementation of the private sector development strategy to advocate for a more conducive environment for Gambian businesses.
Jagana said high on the agenda of the chamber is the business environment reform where entrepreneurship and markets are stiff by lack of electricity, inappropriate regulation, excessive taxation, lack of fair competition and the lack of voice or an unstable policy environment, which are likely to hamper growth and poverty reduction.
He said GCCI will work with the government relentlessly to ensure the effective implementation of the recent re-constituted Business Council, which has been established to advise on economic matters.
”The business environment has many challenges and we could do more, so many entrepreneurs are struggling despite many efforts they have been doing, the small medium entrepreneurs and women businesses are facing serious challenges,” Jagana said.
”This is why we are asking the government to develop a local content policy that will allow young and small women businesses to have access to markets especially government projects and contracts so that they can create Jobs and create opportunities for indigenous Gambians,” he added.
