Members of the GCCI
The Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) led by the CEO, Mrs Sarata Conatey met with experts from the Africa Consultative Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which has a secretariat in Accra, Ghana. The consultative meeting was held at the Accra International Conference Centre. The GCCI was on a mission to Ghana and Nigeria as part of the project “Promoting Investment In Culture, Creative Arts And Sport To Enhance Resilience Against Climate Change In The Local Community”. The GCCI is the lead partner in the project which is funded by the EU. The project which started in 2019 and will end by June 2023 also has protocols on climate change and integration. Mrs. Sarata Conatey disclosed that handicrafts and traditional sports, specifically traditional wrestling, are being leveraged to contribute to tourism. Although tourism has been the main income earner in the Gambia for many years, there has not been much transformation or development in the handicraft and traditional sports sector to enable it to transcend to an income-earning livelihood for practitioners at the community level. The investment protocols being aimed at by the synergy between the GCCI and AfCFTA will cover support to the handicraft market, enhance trade in services and also support the regulatory protocols for the Culture and Creative Arts industry. Ms. Beatrice Chaytor, Head of Trade-in-Services for the AfCFTA welcomed the delegation and mentioned that the AFCTA are engaged in intensive trade and services negotiation. A protocol has been in existence by having a schedule of specific commitments. She said further that ECOWAS has been providing community-level rules that intersect with trades, services and the telecom industry. The five priority sectors of the ECOWAS negotiations are business services, communication, financial, tourism and transport. She also said the tourism aspect is very present in the negotiation and that another aspect of the project that will come up for negotiation is recreational cultural and sporting services. She clearly stated that if Gambia is looking forward to linking with AFCFTA protocols it has to be considered if the Gambia has its own AFCFTA strategy. At the moment every country is being urged to establish its AFCFTA national strategy and its national committee that will oversee that strategy and how it is implemented. The AfCFTA is developing the regulatory framework to enhance market access for cultural goods, among other things. The protocols will also help to protect proprietary products found in particular regions. Speaking at the event, Mr. Desire Loumou, the Senior Expert in Trade in services said that, enhancing continental trade was one the objectives of AfCFTA. The member countries will have less barriers to deal with in trading in goods and services. The AfCFTA is willing to assist in training of stakeholders to sensitize them on how they can protect, promote and commercialize their products, because that protocol can open the door for them to trade both within and outside the ECOWAS. Representing the Gambian Delegation was Mr. Gabriel Bah, the project consultant, Chris Addy-Nayo, a trade consultant from the EU, Mohammed Saigne, business development officer of the GCCI and Mrs Fatou Saigne Gaye, the Ceo of Gaye Norro Foundation Skills Academy in the Gambia. The AfCFTA was represented by the Head of Trade in Service, Ms. Beatrice Chaytor, Senior Expert Trade in Services, Mr. Desire Loumou, Ms Daphine Lekipaina, Expert, Trade in services and Siobhan Sam: Policy and Research Officer, Trade in service division. The Gambian Delegation also proceeded for further engagement with the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry where they met with the Chief Executive of GCCI Mr Mark Badu-Aboagye. They also met with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ghana on their consultative mission.
The Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) led by the CEO, Mrs Sarata Conatey met with experts from the Africa Consultative Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which has a secretariat in Accra, Ghana. The consultative meeting was held at the Accra International Conference Centre. The GCCI was on a mission to Ghana and Nigeria as part of the project “Promoting Investment In Culture, Creative Arts And Sport To Enhance Resilience Against Climate Change In The Local Community”. The GCCI is the lead partner in the project which is funded by the EU. The project which started in 2019 and will end by June 2023 also has protocols on climate change and integration. Mrs. Sarata Conatey disclosed that handicrafts and traditional sports, specifically traditional wrestling, are being leveraged to contribute to tourism. Although tourism has been the main income earner in the Gambia for many years, there has not been much transformation or development in the handicraft and traditional sports sector to enable it to transcend to an income-earning livelihood for practitioners at the community level. The investment protocols being aimed at by the synergy between the GCCI and AfCFTA will cover support to the handicraft market, enhance trade in services and also support the regulatory protocols for the Culture and Creative Arts industry. Ms. Beatrice Chaytor, Head of Trade-in-Services for the AfCFTA welcomed the delegation and mentioned that the AFCTA are engaged in intensive trade and services negotiation. A protocol has been in existence by having a schedule of specific commitments. She said further that ECOWAS has been providing community-level rules that intersect with trades, services and the telecom industry. The five priority sectors of the ECOWAS negotiations are business services, communication, financial, tourism and transport. She also said the tourism aspect is very present in the negotiation and that another aspect of the project that will come up for negotiation is recreational cultural and sporting services. She clearly stated that if Gambia is looking forward to linking with AFCFTA protocols it has to be considered if the Gambia has its own AFCFTA strategy. At the moment every country is being urged to establish its AFCFTA national strategy and its national committee that will oversee that strategy and how it is implemented. The AfCFTA is developing the regulatory framework to enhance market access for cultural goods, among other things. The protocols will also help to protect proprietary products found in particular regions. Speaking at the event, Mr. Desire Loumou, the Senior Expert in Trade in services said that, enhancing continental trade was one the objectives of AfCFTA. The member countries will have less barriers to deal with in trading in goods and services. The AfCFTA is willing to assist in training of stakeholders to sensitize them on how they can protect, promote and commercialize their products, because that protocol can open the door for them to trade both within and outside the ECOWAS. Representing the Gambian Delegation was Mr. Gabriel Bah, the project consultant, Chris Addy-Nayo, a trade consultant from the EU, Mohammed Saigne, business development officer of the GCCI and Mrs Fatou Saigne Gaye, the Ceo of Gaye Norro Foundation Skills Academy in the Gambia. The AfCFTA was represented by the Head of Trade in Service, Ms. Beatrice Chaytor, Senior Expert Trade in Services, Mr. Desire Loumou, Ms Daphine Lekipaina, Expert, Trade in services and Siobhan Sam: Policy and Research Officer, Trade in service division. The Gambian Delegation also proceeded for further engagement with the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry where they met with the Chief Executive of GCCI Mr Mark Badu-Aboagye. They also met with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ghana on their consultative mission.
