'Poor public perception of insurance caused by lack of knowledge'

Mr Jagana
President of Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry

The poor public image of the insurance industry is due to the fact that people do not have much knowledge about insurance and even some of the people who are purportedly knowledgeable on the subject, by being insured, do not read to know the terms and conditions of their policy hence do not know what is covered and what is not, the president of the GCCI has said.

Speaking at a forum on the “Contribution of insurance stakeholders towards eradicating the poor public image of the industry” organized by the Insurance Association of The Gambia as part of a weeklong sensitization campaign dubbed Insurance Awareness Week, Mr Muhammed Jagana of the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the majority of policyholders take an insurance cover just because they are required by law to insure their vehicles, or require insurance coverage for visa applications.

‘Public Private Partnership should be strengthened if Gambia is to develop’

The Gambia private sector players have strongly observed that the only way to maintain and further strengthen the economic development of the country is to make stronger the partnership between the public and the private sectors.

This statement was made at a day-long forum on the ‘Prospects and Opportunities of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in The Gambia’ organised by the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) held at the Coco Ocean Resort and Spa Hotel in Bijilo.

The forum attracted stakeholders from both the public and private sectors to discuss ways and means to strengthen the partnership between the two sectors.

Almami Taal, CEO of Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Speaking on the occasion, Almami Fanding Taal, chief executive officer of GCCI, noted that PPP has the advantage for government in the areas of resource mobilisation, access to expert skills, increased efficiency, and would also ease the burden on public budgets, and improve delivery of services.

When strengthened, PPP can increase access to markets and job creation.

He stressed that a well-planned PPP can sustain the economic growth of the country which will also benefits all sectors of the economy.

Bai Matarr Drammeh: “The greatest enemies of the GCCI are the membership”

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 5^th 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.” 

GCCI undergoing financial constraints

 Unable to fulfill missions towards members

The Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), apex body of the private sector operators in the country, is undergoing difficulties constraint hence not able to meet its needs, fulfill its missions toward members, and also unable to hire more professional staff to be part of the team to run daily affairs of the Secretariat effectively, Gambia News Online can reveal.  

GCCI CEO, Almami Fanding Taal

“In adequate financial resources has been a major setback for GCCI in terms of addressing the growing demands of the private sector,” the annual reports and financial statements for the years 2006 – June 2012 of the Chamber has stated. 

Due to financial predicament, the GCCI membership training has not been conducted for quite some time owing to the cost involved; it was difficult to mobilize interested participants.

The report, presented at the annual general meeting of the GCCI held on 5th October, 2012 at the Kairaba Beach Hotel in Kololi, said the dinner lecture series of the Chamber was suspended due to lack of follow up and financial support.

The Gambia News Online understands that some members and partners of the GCCI were becoming reluctant in sponsoring or being part of GCCI activities organized for the membership, causing financial constraints for the Chamber.

Due to lack of effective implementation of its missions towards members as a result of insufficient finances, the Chamber is finding it difficult to retain current membership and also recruitment of new members is a daunting challenge.