Civil society groups trained to fight corrupt elements in society

 

Various civil society organizations (CSOs) in West Africa have been equipped to help deal with corrupt elements in the region to guarantee a better society where all forms of economic and financial crimes like money laundering and terrorism financing will be reduced to its barest minimum.

The two-day regional sensitization workshop for CSOs on Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Financing Terrorism (AML/CFT) organised by the Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) was held in the Senegalese capital of Dakar on 6 and 7 August 2012. 

The CSOs were capacitised and empowered to take ownership of the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing.

Speaking on the occasion, the director general of GIABA, Dr Abdulahi Shehu, said the civil society,  as a catalyst for change and promotion of good governance, has a big role to play in building viable legal and legislative frameworks to fight crimes and promote accountability.

 “It is imperative for CSOs to know the specific contribution they can and should make in order to surmount the threat of money laundering as well as the emergence of financing of terrorism and enhance public understanding, attitudes and references,” he said.

UK Gov’t provides feeding for 45,000 food-starved Gambians

The government of the United Kingdom is to provide more than 1000 tonnes of rice to feed 45,000 Gambians as part of efforts at helping to mitigate the impact of the food crisis that hit the country as a result of the national crop failure blamed on erratic rainfall in the last farming season.

UK High Commissioner to The Gambia, Mr. Morley

According to the UK High Commissioner to The Gambia, David Morley, the British Government, through the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), will donate £500,000, equivalent to over D24 million, to The Gambia in response to the food crisis.

Speaking at a press conference held at the British High Commission in Fajara on 6 August, Mr Morley said the money should go a long way in helping to address the food crisis affecting over 200,000 families across the country. 

“This money is in addition to the 43 million pounds already donated from the UK to help fight the food crisis across the Sahel region,” he remarked.

“The United Kingdom will not sit back whilst children are at risk of starvation in The Gambia and this money should provide lifesaving food to over 45,000 Gambian people for over two months.”

Zenith, GTBank rated top for resilient performance

The parent companies of Zenith Bank Gambia Limited and Guaranty Trust Bank Gambia Limited have been rated top in Fitch's Viability Rating (VR) reflecting strong domestic franchises and resilient performance.   

In a special report on Nigeria banking sector published on 30 July, the rating agency said GTBank and Zenith in Nigeria were at the top with VRs of 'b+'.

"The VRs of these banks reflect strong domestic franchises and resilient performance through the cycle. The VRs also take account of lower than average concentration risk for the sector and acceptable levels of capitalization," the report says.

GCCI to stage mini-trade fair for youth entrepreneurs in Brikama

The Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry is set to stage the second edition of its mini-trade fair, ‘Marche Jula’, from 11 to 20 October this year in Brikama to promote youth entrepreneurs and enterprises, after interacting with young enterprising men and women in the country over the months.

Almami Taal, GCCI CEO

To be held on the theme “Promoting Sustainable Youth Enterprises and Self Employment”, the aims of the event, first staged in 2011, include exposing youth enterprises, promoting self-employment, increasing sales for youth enterprises and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), showcasing innovations in science and technology, and complementing Trade Fair Gambia (TFG), held every two years.

An impeccable source close to this paper has said the target businesses are youth enterprises, MSMEs, science and technology innovations, and self-employment initiatives in agriculture, arts and craft, construction, electrical and electronics, fashion, food and beverages, furniture, renewable energy, tailoring and other undertakings. 

This year’s Marche Jula will provide a platform for young people to showcase their skills, talents and innovation, particularly in science and technology, thereby giving them more business opportunities and market power.  

GYIN GAMBIA CELEBRATES GLOBAL YOUTH DAY, LAUNCHES ‘I AM A GYINER’ CAMPAIGN

The Global Youth Action Network (GYIN) last week held a forum at the Voice Newspaper in Serrekunda to celebrate Global Youth Day and launch a campaign dubbed ‘I am a GYINer” aimed at releasing the potentials of young people.

Speaking on the occasion, Modou Joof, communications officer of GYIN, said the network was launched in 2011 by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in partnership with Phelps Stokes - a US-based non-profit organization.

He reiterated the importance of the launching, saying “the central event of each ‘I am a GYINer’ national campaign is a business-oriented competition, which has two categories: best cultural product and best socially conscious business”.

The best socially conscious business seeks an existing business that exemplifies the belief that businesses should respect and enrich their communities and environments, while the other seeks a service or product that exemplifies the country’s culture or locally available resources, explained Mamadou Edrissa Njie, GYIN national coordinator.

He called on the youth to be part of the campaign, saying they can only “truly become contributing and economically successful members of the community with recognition and support from established organizations”.

Meita Touray, GYIN Gambia’s secretary general, underscores the importance of celebrating International Youth Day, saying it is a day to develop and engage in partnership with the youth.

Young people continue to face global challenges that are stemmed from economic hardship, marginalization and unemployment, she said.

W/African civil society capacitised to battle money laundering, financing terrorism

The Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) will be organizing a regional sensitization workshop for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on AML/CFT in the Senegalese capital of Dakar on 6 and 7 August 2012. 

A statement from the sub-regional agency says the objectives of the workshop are to sensitize civil society organizations on AML/CFT issues and related implications in the West African sub-region; to get members of the civil society actively committed to their role as champions against these twin scourges by spreading the message at grassroots level; to establish links and a solid network of CSOs engaged in the fight as a means of sharing experiences and knowledge within the sub-region; and finally, to build the capacity of CSOs and empower them to take ownership of the fight against ML/FT.

“The fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism is a collective responsibility of all stakeholders geared towards the protection of the economies and financial systems of member States,” the statement says. “GIABA acknowledges the contribution of the civil society in mass mobilization and in the decision-making process.”

Rush for ‘cheap’ Kanilai bread: A visible sign of poverty

It’s not a surprised that people, most of whom are low income earners living below the poverty line of $1.25 per day; continue to form very longqueues to buy bread from Kanilai Farm Bakery, owned by President Jammeh, at a reduced price of D3 per loaf.  

There are some people whose special daily routine for this Ramadan is just to buy bread from the Kanilai Farm.  When they wake up their only work is to go and join the excessive long queue to buy the bread; sometimes spend hours waiting for their turn.

The original price of bread, as of now, is D5 but due to President Jammeh’s reported generosity and love for Gambian reduced the price of bread his bakery to D3 hence people storm there for D2 difference on each bread.

Even when it is only D1 difference people will still make long queues.  Gambians are now use to cheap things - whether it’s of good quality or not, is another thing.  However, this does not mean that Kanilai Farm’s bread is of low quality.  The point here is that due to rising prices of basic goods, falling value of the Gambian Dalasi and stagnant earning power of Gambian workers particularly those in the civil service, people are always going for cheap things that can do similar work as the quality one with high price.   In a nutshell, average Gambians buy what they can afford not necessarily what is of high quality.  

Many Gambians are eating today just to satisfy their hunger not because a particular food is rich is balance diet.  No wonder why child malnutrition is on the rise, as some 11 per cent of children under the age of 5 are malnourished in rural areas of the country, presenting a 1 per cent increase over the previous year, and highest recorded record since 2006.

How can you have more than 50% of the population living in poverty, struggling to meet their three squares meals a day not to be going for the cheapest price?