Tourism Minister Hamat Bah has praised the architectural design of the Tropic Shopping Centre building, saying it is one of a kind in the country.
The aesthetic building is located in the heart of Senegambia built by Construct Ltd.
Speaking at the unveiling of the shopping centre recently, the Tourism Minister highlighted part of the reason why The Gambia lacks in promoting regional tourism is the fact that there are no shopping malls in the country which attracts tourists because they love to shop variety.
He encouraged contractors to build shopping malls across the country and to also invite international brands to boost the economy of the country.
He said the company has over the 30 years of its existence contributed immensely to the development of the country. “When I took over office, I found an agreement on my table that you are to construct this building. It will be leased to you for thirty years, it will also house the tourism board and the remaining shops will be rented generating revenue whiles you recover your investment upon completion. I inspected the building and realise that it is not fit for an office, instead it should be a shopping mall”.
Talib Bensouda, Mayor of KM, said he is continuously impressed by the ability at which the construction company delivers high-quality projects while enhancing the productivity of the construction sector.
He said the company is an ambitious one. “I remember visiting Mr. Fara and Seena Shams at their Gamcel office 10 years ago at Westfield and on the wall of their office, I saw a picture which says The Gambia in 50 years and it has almost 50 skyscrapers, it just shows how visionary, ambitious and the amount of love they have for The Gambi
“The company made a name for itself by doing a job better than any other, listening to its customers and employees responding to their needs. They have always been a company that cared for their staff, they have done this with distinction with the use of technology and innovation and the results are here for all to see,” Mr Bensouda said.
He added that the company has indeed ticked all the boxes of what is needed in a modern company which enables them to improve the company’s procurement and supply chain ability to deliver projects on time.
“The construction sector is one of the main pillars of our municipalities economy, this is evident in the hundreds of workers employed in the sector, who make real estate development like this possible. We are immensely grateful for the hard work of the laborers and trade people who crafted this modern facility.”
Mr. Seena Shams, one of the owners of the said the company, strives to serve humanity through investing and developing real estate, creating employment, and coming up with creative solutions to meet precedence.
“Ultimately, the purpose of our lives as individuals is to be of service to our fellow human beings, and we manifest this purpose in various ways. As a company founded on the unity of the family.
“When my family moved to The Gambia in 1991 the warmth and hospitality of the people captured our hearts. My parents quickly embraced it as our new home My father Fara Shams, started Construct Ltd that same year, with the vision of leaving behind monumental structures and civil engineering projects. He worked hard and diligently throughout the years, and always believed in The Gambia. Even when things were tough, economically and politically, he always wanted to invest till today, our company is still driven by that vision”.
Mr. Shams said his mother, Badieh Shams also had a vision for the company, and she manifested that vision by “ensuring that every member of our family’s wellbeing was taken care of emotionally, physically, and spiritually. This partnership of theirs has contributed greatly to the success of the company. My brother and I are forever grateful to them for everything that they have done.”
He added that the company was founded on the unity of the family. “Our Construct family is large, it consists of managers, secretaries, accountants, supervisors, carpenters, painters, masons, tilers, electricians, plumbers, aluminum workers, laborers, metal workers, and other technicians. Some of which have loyally been here since the very beginning, and have demonstrated what Gambian craftsmanship is capable of. This building right here was built by a Gambian workforce. To the Construct staff, thank you for your hard work and dedication over all these years. Your efforts have vastly contributed to the building of Construct Ltd.
“We would also like to thank the Government of The Gambia, especially the Tourism ministry and the GT Board, for giving businesses an opportunity to invest in projects that add value to the country.”
One of the shops in the mall is a private clinic that offers high-quality eye and ear care with sophisticated equipment.
Raul Dos Santos, managing director of the Calia Group, said the main value of the company to the Gambian community is to provide treatment that is not available in the country at reasonable prices.
“We offer treatment for people with diabetes and sometimes suffer from internal bleeding of the eye, our hearing aid dispensing facility inspects the ear of a person with the hearing disorder and offers hearing aids in variables. We also offer to screen for newborns to inspect their hearing,” explained.
