Samba Investment Limited and Partners recently launched a batch car (three wheel car) as an alternative means of transport at a colourful ceremony held at Sarge’s Hotel in Kiloli.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Bateh Samba Faye, a partner in The Gambia, said the launch of the vehicles as an alternative means of transport was a follow up to the head of states recent launch of peoples busses. He said that Samba Investment Limited and Partners deem it fitting to introduce the cars as an alternative means of transport in The Gambia.

Mr. Faye explained that the batch car was first introduced in India and promptly spread to many Asian and African countries including Nigeria. He also added that the vehicles are low cost, maintenance and very economical. The Batch is capable, he revealed, of running 70 miles to the gallon.

He stated that they are mostly used as taxis, but can be used as mini-ambulances, small-scale delivery vehicles or as a cheaper alternative to regular private cars.

He told those gathered that the batch car will actually be assembled here in The Gambia and will, as a result, create employment opportunities for Gambians.

“We also believe that the batch cars will soon replace second hand taxi’s and thereby greatly reduce the amount of pollution in the country,” he said. He further revealed that batch cars have a life-span of ten to twenty years depending on car and maintenance.

The Secretary of State for Trade, Industry and Employment Mr Abdou Colley has described the private sector as an important partner in the economic growth of the country.

He made these remarks last Thursday at the Kairaba Beach Hotel at the review of the draft Investment Promotion and Free Zones Act.

According to him, investment promotion involves a wide range of stakeholders; government institutions, the private sector, financial institutions, civil society, and other development partners.

“Seven years ago, the government decided to enact the Investment Promotion and free Zones Acts to promote private investment in the economy and to allow private sector to play a lead role in the management of the economic resources,” he said.

 The enactment of the two Acts, and their subsequent review, he said, indicates government’s strong conviction that promotion of private sector investment, particularly foreign direct investment (FDI), is central to the country’s development process.

He said that the contribution that the FDI could make towards the country’s economic development and integration into the global economy is widely recognized. He urged the participants to make particular reference to the issue of investment incentives. “In as much as we recognize that our country is essentially tax-based economy, we should not lose sight of the fact that we live in a very competitive world where every country, developed or developing, is devising their strategies to attract strategic investors. In this regard let us agree on promises that we can keep and speak with one voice as a government,” he said.

Mr Don Lecrew, an international consultant, said that the purpose of the investment Act is to make The Gambia more attractive to investors, adding that tax incentives are very important for both domestic and foreign investors.

As stated  in the previous editions of this column, the word culture means the belief, way of life, customs, values and ideals that are shared and accepted by a people in a paticular society. Culture is often regarded by many as the identity card of an individual person. A person without any feeling of belongingness would be like a tree without roots in order to have a supportive life on this planet. It is not a supprise to see people the world over preoccupied with a sense of belonging or relating to a particular society and its way of life.

The Gambia is blessed with peaceful, hospitable and very tolerant people. Culture plays an important role in our daily lives. Its importance cannot be overemphasised. “The Gambia and her sister Caribean country of Jamaica share a lot incommon. The Gambia and Jamaica are almost the same in terms of size, population, history, culture, music linquistics, food, just to name few’’, said Olimatta Taal, a renowned Gambian Journalist, music promoter, and civil rights activist, based in Kingston, Jamaica.

Olimatta Taal made these remarks in a  recent  chat with arts and culture, at the end of the recently concluded 9th edition of the International Roots Festival, held from 3Oth May to June 7th 2008.

Olimatta Taal, in an enthusiastically high  spirited and hopeful  mood,  did not hesitate to calling on the Gambian authorities to open an Embassy in Jamaica. She backed up  her assertion on various grounds such as the need to map out and identify potential areas of investment in the economies of both countries, which development, according to her, is in line with the aims and objectives of the Gambia Investment Promotion and Free Zone Agency, to facilite possible exchange visit between the university  and other higher institutions of learning in the Gambia, and their Jamaican counterparts. This she linked to the need for the artists of the two countries to also create a connecting link between the tourism industries of the two countries, among various other reasons.

According to Ms Taal, a Gambian Embassy in Jamaica would help  forge and exhibit numerous untapped opportunities, all touching on sustainable  culture, history, politics, social, economic and human development. She spoke at length on her love and  affection for the Gambia, her birth place.’’ She added that she has been promoting the Gambia throughout the world, especially in Jamaica, USA, Uk, Europe and other African countries.

She stated out numerous occations when she had brought in some of the world’s topmost flight artist and delegations of people of African descent, to either to on cultural music promotions, or to attend the International roots festival since, its inception in 1996, which is initiated by the Gambian leader and organise by the Department of state for tourism and culture, in collaboration with the National centre for arts and culture, the Gambia Tourism Authority and other stakeholders in the development, promotion and preservation of the spirit of arts and culture in the Gambia.

Olimatta Taal revealed that in the year 1994, she brought to The Gambia 20 students from the Youth Leadership Training Institute in the US, and that in 1997, she brought in 12 university students from the Spelment College and More house College in Atlanta. These visiting students, according to her, were accorded a warm welcome and subsequently awarded Gambian passports by the Gambian leader, President Jammeh. She went on to say that in 1999, she brought in the Suns of light to attend the roots festival, the visit ended up developing deep rooted connections between that delegation and their Gambian counterparts through inter-marriages and other networks.’’I was part of the International roots festival committee in 2002 and I brought in many Jamaican artist for the event. I kept on bringing Jamaican and other top flight renowned international artist such as Junior Kelly, in 2006, among others,” she said.

The Gambian Jamaican based artist and cross cutting  cultural promoter further revealed to the arts and culture desk that she is currently at the Kolongi records, the recording studio own and run by Sizzla Kolongi, and she added that she is also working on a quarterly magazine called the Black Magazine. This quarterly magazine, she noted, covers almost all issues affecting human survival on planet earth, especailly in Africa such as the need for poverty alleviation,Global unification, universal justice for all the oppressed in the world, “the magazine is full of social and music elements’’, she said.

The erudite and some what indefatible Gambian-born Journalist recalled several articles she wrote on different issues throughout the world such as tourism and other related global issues.’’ I am also working with the  ex-wife of Beenieman and Irie F.M  Radio Station in Kingston, the much listened-to F.M radio station in Jamaica’’,she said.

The most beautiful aspect of the whole interview was the startling but melodious and shooting revelations that she is part of the team (Becks Promotions, Rebel T. and Kologi Records) that intended to bring the famous and undisputable, internationally acclaimed Reggae star of the time, Zizla Kolongi, to be accompanied by other top flight Jamaican artists, the likes of Coaco T, Jessey Jenda and others, to come  by the end of December, 2008. “It’s going to be exclusive reggae explosion in the history of the  Gambia. I hope that Gambians would really appreciate to see some of the world’’s top flight artist performing in different places in the country. The exclusive cross cutting cultural music show is all about connecting Africans and African descent back to the roots’, she said.

A digestive and brief note from the arts and culture desk has it that, the International roots festival is cultural, historical and educative event dedicated to the promotion of the ideas of pan Africanism.The festival commerates the forced enslavement and transportation of millions of Africans to the Americas and the Caribean.The International roots festival provides people of Africa and people African descent the golden opportunity to return to the land of their ancestral origin and reunite with their people in a truelly Gambian fashion.

The international roots festival is a unique global event for Africans in the diaspora to strengthen the pan African spirit and bonds of kindship and unity that binds all Africans and people of African descent. The roots festival is becoming the biggest black history, cultural and educational event on the Africa continet, which will further strengthen and consolidate unity amongst  Africans and encourage cultural tourism and financial  investment into Africa’’s future.

As part of their mandate to promote investment in The Gambia, The Gambia Investments Promotion and Free Zones Agency, (GIPFZA) on Saturday 31st May hosted an investment forum as part of the 9th Edition of the International Roots Festival at the Paradise Suites Hotel in Senegambia.

The forum offered a window of opportunity to widen their scope of understanding on investment promotion and operating with free zones agencies and partners in achieving their investment objectives in the Gambian context.

The forum also witnessed the convergence of guests from Jamaica, USA, UK, Spain as well as other parts of Europe to discuss issues related to tourism and culture. The welcoming remarks were delivered by the permanent secretary at the Employment department Mr. Lamin Dampha who was deputising the Secretary of State for DOSTIE. He said the homecoming Roots Festival is not only to come together and celebrate our beauty, culture and tradition but to come together as one family to discuss problems affecting Africa and envision a new future for Africa. He added corruption should be a key factor of centering discussion. According to him, in 2003, reports indicated that funds gathered are estimated between seven and 35 billion Dalasis and 3% of the Global-Fund.

He revealed that since Africa has pursued a lot of enterprises, it is therefore imperative to reduce poverty and increase investment. He added that the government of The Gambia has implemented policies to promote investment and in October 1996 The Gambia engaged with the International Trade Union and became a legal member in 2004. He said in 2007 the Gambian Government enacted the Labour and Enterprises Policy to enable it to attain its goal.

In her presentation on the investment opportunities in The Gambia, the Director of the investment promotion and marketing at the GIPFZA office, Madam Fatou Mbenga Jallow, revealed that GIPFZA is aimed at promoting investment and fostering local and foreign direct investment, adding that it also performs policy advocacy for GIPFZA services. Mrs. Mbenga Jallow said they offered administration and management of free zones and Business partners, administration of incentives as well as project proposal guidance. According to her, GIPFZA’s priority areas for investment are agriculture, fisheries, tourism, manufacturing, information and communication technology, river and air transport, health and veterinary services and skills development. In relation to why The Gambia is attractive for investors Mrs. Mbenga Jallow said it’s due to our liberal market economy, easy way of doing business, infrastructure, efficient seaport and Air facilities as well as attractive investment promotion incentives.

For her part, The Director of Trade and Investment Promotion at The Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry spoke on the roles and activities of GCCI. Mrs. Beatrice Allen said that GCCI was established in 1967 with the mission of working for the private sector. She underscored the importance of GCCI noting that it engaged Government in all policies affecting the private sector and organised Trade and investment missions abroad and The Gambia.

The Director of product Development and investment at The Gambia Tourism Authority GTU, Mr. Modou S. Jobe, said the advantages tourists enjoy are Gambia’s peace, political stability, pleasant sub tropical climate, abundant sunshine, unpolluted sandy beaches and abundant bird and wild life among other things. He said GTA’s objectives are to boost visitors to The Gambia. The forum ended with a question and answer session. The closing remarks were delivered by Mr. Kebba Senghore, permanent secretary at the Department of State for Tourism and Culture. Kebba T Njie chaired the forum.

Officials of the Royal Atlantic Residence Company have revealed that they are set to invest a capital of US$47 million in The Gambia. After more than a year of consultations and formalisation, officials of the multi-million dollar company briefed journalists on Wednesday about the project at a press briefing held at the Sheraton Hotel in Brufut.

The shareholders of this multimillion initiative include a renowned Gambian business tycoon, Mr. Amadou Samba, Mr. Mohammed Bazzi the CEO of Gam Petroleum, and also the Islamic Corporation for Development of the private sector (ICD).

Addressing the press conference Mr. Seedy Keita, Division Chief of Finance and Treasury, ICD, who chaired the occasion, justified the rationale for the investment of the project in The Gambia.  He said that the investment is due to the stable macro economy, peace and stability of the country as well as a driven demand from the people. He also noted that the country is a member of ICD.

He thanked the Gambia government for their support and commitment in hosting such a magnificent project.

Underlining his confidence in the calibre of people involved in the business, Mr. Keita expressed optimism that the project would be successful. “ The project has its own merits. We have local sponsors. The recent launch of a Gam Petroleum fuel depot in the country is a clear testimony as to the positive direction of the project,” he said.

According to Mr. Bazzi, Gam Petroleum CEO, the project is the first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa. He said that they have a different design for different people. Mr. Bazzi added that they would be building high-class residences with swimming pools, conference centres, apartments and houses among a host of other attractions.

According to Mr Samba, the project will commence on July 22nd 2008, and will create a lot of opportunities for The Gambia, such as employment and the use of local materials. He assured the country of the high quality work the company will be doing.

Mr. Sherif Ayoub, Investment Manager, Investment operations Department ICD, made similar remarks.

Meanwhile, according to officials of the Royal Atlantic Residence Company, the master plan of the buildings will consist of Moroccan and Spanish style architecture for the initial 70 villas.

The officials further revealed that the first phase of the project would be located on the coast in the Senegambia area.