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| Bai Matarr Drammeh, outgoing GCCI president |
The outgoing president of the Gambia
Chamber of Commerce and industry (GCCI), Bai Matarr Drammeh, has noted that the
greatest enemies of the Chamber are the members who keep on blaming the Chamber
for not doing anything while they don’t bring any issue that needs solution
from the Chamber.
Mr Drammeh’s comment was prompted by
many questions, comments and concerns as to the efficiency of the GCCI raised
by the members present at its annual general meeting held on 5th
October, 2012 at the Kairaba Beach Hotel in Kololi,
Pa Sulay Secka of Pass Trading
Enterprise said the GCCI should be doing more to protect the indigenous
businesses for them to be able to growth and create more employment opportunities.
Ousainou Dambell of DBC said it will be
difficult for the indigenous businesses to compete with the powerful and well established
businesses if they are left like that - without any protection. “The businesses
should be protected first for them to stand on a strong footing to compete
internationally,” he said. He claimed
that many local businesses in the country are suffering from lack of
protection.
Both Mr Secka and Dambell claimed that
the GCCI is not doing much to protect and create conducive environment for
local businesses to flourish.
For Papa Yusupha Njie of Unique
Solutions businesses in the country are “facing very difficult times” and that
the Chamber should be doing more to support its members.
Mr Njie said when the Senegalese chamber
of commerce wants to meet the president of Senegal to table their constraints,
they can see him within 24 hours because they are very proactive and working
for their members “that is the type of chamber we want in The Gambia” – a chamber
that is very active and working for the needs of its members. Papa Njie’s comment was applauded by the
members.
In response to Papa Njie’s comment, Bai
Matarr Drammeh said Senegalese chamber can meet the president of Senegal within
a very short notice because the leader, (the president of the chamber), is
appointed politically, like many other francophone countries within the
sub-region.
He said:
“I think the issue of Senegalese wanting to meet the president of their
country and within a couple of hours they are able to that is because they have
political appointment. The president of
the chamber of commerce is appointed politically (by the government). In The Gambia, we are private sector totally
without any funding by the government and therefore we will see government when
they have time for us.”
