The
Executive Secretary of the Senegalo-Gambian Permanent Secretariat, Ambassador
Paul Badji, said the new dynamics that guide the Senegalo-Gambian relations
should be an asset.
Ambassador
Badji made these remarks on Thursday at the opening session of the first-ever
multi-sectoral forum of the public and private stakeholders from The Gambia and
Senegal, held at the King Fahad Palace Hotel in Dakar, Senegal.
The
first edition, organised by the Senegalo-Gambian Permanent Secretariat, in
partnership with the Senegalese-Gambian Association for Integration and Social
Economic Development was attended by Her Excellency, the Vice-President Aja
Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, cabinet ministers, government officials, as well as
representatives from both public and private sector institutions.
The
economic forum is looking forward to passing a recommendation at the end of the
session for possible implementation.
In
his welcoming remarks, Badji said, it was their duty as Senegambian citizens
and stakeholders to individually and collectively take ownership of that
mission and build business networks in areas of common interest for the benefit
of the economies of the two countries.
He
remarked that the objective of the forum was to serve as a framework for
reflecting, exchanging information and ideas, as well as sharing experiences
and expression of the political will, so as to lay solid foundation for win-win
partnerships.
He
outlined the numerous achievements recorded between the two countries, such as
the agreements signed in the area of defense and security, tourism, consular
assistance and representation, fisheries and aquaculture, among others.
Badji
informed the audience that there was a large room for progress in policy
harmonisation in a good number of sectors, which the two governments could
explore further for the benefits of Senegalo-Gambian populations.
He
emphasized that the forum was an opportunity for all the stakeholders to
interact, establish contacts and possibly sign joint ventures of Memorandum of
Understanding, like the Dakar Dem Dikk company and the Gambia Transport
Services Company have done earlier.
Momodou
Jagana, President of the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that
during the political impasse Senegal as part of Ecowas contributed immensely to
ensure that democracy, peace, justice and rule of law restored back in The
Gambia.
President
Mack Sall’s involvement has brought the two countries closer politically; hence
the business community in the spirit of brotherly neighborliness cohesion is
sealing that bond by holding the historic summit in Dakar.
He
mentioned that it was time for the economic operators to push their
governments, in order to put in place effective policies forthe mutual benefits
oftheir diverse populations.
He
noted that they have low hanging fruits that could be explored immediately in
certain sectors, such as the tourism (inter-country) trade, telecoms,
technology, infrastructure, energy and education.
He
then called on the need to nurture this special relationship so that thousands
of small medium entrepreneurs could benefit from the potential market size of
the two countries, with economic policies that breakdown barrier.