President Adama Barrow said he was impressed with the exhibits of youth entrepreneurs and the packaging of Made in Gambia products displayed at the 14th Edition of The Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Trade Fair International held at the Independence Stadium in Bakau. He made the remarks at the end of his tour of the stalls, following his official launching of the Trade Fair on Wednesday, May 26th.

This year's theme, "GCCI 2021 Partners to Progress," brought together local entrepreneurs as well as others from the Subregion and beyond. These entrepreneurs will be showcasing their different set of products over the course of three weeks.  Over 450 stalls were set up for this year's festival.

In his launching statement, the President stated that the ultimate goal of the partnership is to enhance the provision of livelihood needs of all Gambians. President Barrow went on to advise stakeholders to work closely with the Ministry of Trade and Industry in the interest of all players.

He applauded the GCCI for complementing the government's efforts to support businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic, with the ‘Businesses Against Covid-19 project’, which raised D20 million, while reminding all participants and visitors to follow the WHO and government guidelines for Covid-19 prevention.

Other speakers at the ceremony included the first Vice President of GCCI Mr Baboucarr Khan, who thanked the President and the government for the support rendered to the chamber, especially during the pandemic that particularly affected small-scale business enterprises. He expressed that the GCCI is committed to supporting youth and women in their entrepreneurship journey.

The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Trade Regional Integration and Employment Mr Ebrima Sisawo also expressed the Ministry’s continued commitment and support in enabling the GCCI to further strengthen the Gambia’s trade affiliation locally and internationally.

The event was climaxed with President Barrow’s tour of the stalls, where he interacted with business owners and offered some invaluable words of encouragement, as well as applauding their creativity.