2018 MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS OF GIEPA’S BEDD ACTIVITIES

SHOWCASING OF PACKAGING SOLUTIONS SUPPLIED BY GAMBEL AT GIEPA 17TH OCTOBER 2018 GIEPA’S Business Development Department facilitated and coordinated a meeting at GIEPA for some Agro – Processing Companies to view samples of Packaging Solutions Supplied by GAMBEL,Gambian Company in Belgium. Following the presentation on processing and packaging solutions done by GAMBEL, that participated in the Belgian Investment Mission held in The Gambia in February, 2018. This came as a result of the promises made by the Company to help Gambian businesses with packaging solutions during the Forum.

THE 2^ND TURKEY – AFRICA ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS FORUM, ISTANBUL - TURKEY 10^TH -   11^TH OCTOBER 2018

GIEPA facilitated and coordinated the attendance of 10 Private Sector Participants at the Second Turkey – Africa Economic and Business Forum, Istanbul Turkey organized by DIEK. This event was fully funded by (DIEK) with accommodation and return air tickets. According to the participants, the Business Forum gave them the opportunity to strike business deals and also network with other businesses and government officials of Turkey and other participating nations. The Honorable minister of Trade Mr. Amadou Sanneh attended the program accompanied by the Ambassador of The Gambia in Ankara, Mr. Kemenseng Jammeh and the Deputy Head of Mission Mr. Serign Modou Njie.

87^th Izmir Fair and Business Days, IZMIR – TURKEY, 5^TH – 11^TH SEPTEMBER 2018

The 87^th Izmir Fair and Business Days event was coordinated by GIEPA The event has a large Delegation from the Gambia consisting of government officials of 5 delegates, (PS Jarra from MOTIE, Omar Badjie from MOTIE, Swaibou Barry form MOFEA, Mariam Bittaye from GIEPA, Isatou Jobe from The Gambian Embassy in Ankara and The Gambian Ambassador in Ankara H.E Mr. Kenmeseng Jammeh and a cross section of 16 Gambian businessmen and women. The program was well attended by officials of Turkish Government and other Guest Ministers from Africa and other Nations. The event was hosted by the Ministry of Trade of Turkey with their partner institutes in Izmir. The host Minister Mrs. Ruhsar Pekcan gave a speech in which she emphasized the need to strengthen bilateral Trading relations between Turkey and Africa, which will benefit both parties in terms of technical support, cooperation and financing. GIEPA through the Ministry of Trade facilitated an Exhibition Pavilion, in which the 16 Gambian businesses displayed their products and services and GIEPA also showcased 6 different products from SMEs to display in the pavilion namely, GHE, TROPINGO, TIGA, DARAJA, JAWNEH CASWEHS and MBYES CEREALS. The overall event was very successful as both the government officials and the businesses engaged in a series of (Government to Government) G2G and (Business to Business) B2B from which MOUs and Business co-operations are anticipated to emerge.

AGOA WORKSHOP ORGANIZED BY GIEPA IN COLLABORATION WITH THE USAID WEST AFRICA ACCESS PROJECT 9^TH – 10^TH MAY 2018

 A two-day workshop organized by The Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA) in collaboration with USAID West Africa Access Project was held at Kairaba Beach Hotel between 9th and 10th May 2018.The objective of the Workshop was to facilitate better understanding on the part of Gambian business community about the business opportunities available under AGOA Scheme and its market access preferential treatments of quota free and duty free exemptions.It could be recalled that the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) was passed by the United States Congress in May 2000, as a new approach to U.S trade and investment policy towards Africa. It aims to promote and increase trade and economic cooperation between the U.S and eligible Sub-Saharan countries, as well as political and economic reform in these countries. The Gambia was declared eligible under the AGOA on 31st December 2002, and had its AGOA beneficiary status removed on 23 December 2014, due to human rights abuses and the deterioration of the rule of law. Three years later, the decision to reinstate The Gambia’s AGOA eligibility in recognition of all the progress made by new government to strengthen the rule of law, improve human rights and support political pluralism and democracy was endorsed on 23 December 2017. Participants for the workshop were drawn from different sectors ranging from the fisheries sector, textile and apparel sector, handy craft sector, agriculture, horticulture and food processing sector.