BUSINESS
7TH ANNUAL TRADE FAIR GAMBIA TO BE HELD IN MARCH Trade Fair Gambia (TFG) serves as a platform where both businesses and industrial innovators can showcase their products and services, collaborating with one another to explore opportunities for economic growth. The Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), in collaboration with Fatima Enterprise and the Gambia Import and Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA), are working towards the organisation of the 7th edition of Gambia’s annual trade fair. This year’s theme is “Inclusive Growth through Partnerships,” according to Mrs Beatrice Prom, the Corporate and Services Manager of GCCI. “Rapid and sustained poverty reduction requires inclusive growth that allows people to contribute to, ENTERTAINMENT
‘THE BOSS’ PAYS TRIBUTE TO MANDELA US rock legend Bruce Springsteen is currently playing his first tour in South Africa, where he paid tribute to the recent passing of Nelson Mandela with a rendition of protest song ‘Free Nelson Mandela’. The tribute was incredibly wellreceived by the audience at Cape Town on the opening night. The singer spoke of his admiration for South Africa’s first democratically elected president, saying how honoured he felt to have just “been alive on this Earth at the same time”. Springsteen told Sky News that although he never met the African-
and benefit from, economic growth.” Mrs Prom added that the rapid pace of growth is unquestionably necessary for substantial poverty reduction, but for this growth to be sustainable in the long run, “it should be broad-based across sectors and inclusive of the larger part of the country’s labour force. This definition of inclusive growth implies a direct link between the macro and micro determinants of growth.” Mrs Prom also explained that the GCCI believes that competitive and environmentally sustainable industries
have a crucial role to play in accelerating economic growth, reducing poverty and achieving development goals. In this age of globalisation, gaining access to expert markets at events like this is extremely important for small and middlesized businesses. Exporting is often complicated, involving high risk and difficulty integrating into local, national and global markets. “As the majority of exportable goods come from the country’s agricultural sector, the whole business chain must be exposed and understood. As a result, modernisation of agricultural equipment and practices can be implemented by the business community, so they can organise their labour force along the chain,” Prom cites. The hope is that the event will take a review of supportive measures in relation to capacity building to help yield improved outcomes and understanding for these small and medium-sized business ventures. legend, but he was inspired by Mandela’s ability to forgive those who jailed him for 27 years. The artist has always fought against South Africa’s apartheid laws, participating in the recording of the song ‘Sun City’ in 1985 to highlight the injustice of the whites-only resort. This raised tens of thousands of US dollars for anti-apartheid projects, in addition to increase awareness of the issue among Americans. The singer emphasised that both Africa and America have their own economic challenges and inequalities to overcome. He said “these issues have to be resolved. Otherwise societies fall apart. It’s very critical in the States and very critical here (South Africa) to keep societies intact.”
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