Emir Kanpulat, chairman of the Turkish-Gambian Business Council, has expressed satisfaction in Gambia’s safety and peaceful environment for investment and business to thrive.
Mr Kanpulat made these remarks on Saturday at the Secretariat of the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCC) in Bijilo, where a Business Opportunity Match-making session between a delegation of Turkish Investors and the Gambian Business Community was held to discuss business opportunities in such areas as construction, fisheries, ports and shipyard projects, airport security, and trade.
“Gambia is a safe and beautiful country and it is nice for business,” Mr Kanpulat told journalists in a brief interview granted the media.
Head of the Turkish investment delegation to The Gambia for the business opportunity match-making session, Mr Kanpulat said he was in The Gambia with nine Turkish investors to assess and evaluate the potential for substantial investment in the country’s strategic sectors such as energy, construction, infrastructure, airport and seaports.
He also expressed interest in the trade and export sector of The Gambia, such as the exportation of fish and cashew as well as establishment of packaging companies in the country.
“All the 10 business investors want to involve in the business development of The Gambia,” he said, adding: “Our government really supports us all the way in our endeavour. Our government opened an embassy in The Gambia 8 months ago, which shows we love The Gambia and see Gambia as dear to us. The council will enhance and empower good relationship between our two countries.”
The Business Opportunity Match-making session would establish better relationship between Gambians and their Turkish counterparts, said Sulayman M. Joof, board member of GCCI and Chairman of the Trade Facilitation and Regional Integration Committee of the chamber.
One of the challenges in the business of investments is seeing each other as competitors, but in The Gambia this is not the case. “We in The Gambia see investors as partners,” said Samba Sallah, Manager of Project Development and Appraisal at the Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency.
“The agreement to help promote trade between The Gambia and Turkey is very encouraging; the delegation of investors is led by the Turkish-Gambia business council. They are all experienced businessmen,” Mr Sallah said, adding that there is a lot both partners could benefit from the relationship.
GCCI Chief Executive Officer Almami Fanding Taal, who moderated the function, said GCCI is out to promote business development and create opportunities for business establishment and fruitful relationship among corporate institutions and investors.
He thanked all those who attended the occasion.
The Turkish-Gambian Business Council was established by the signing of an agreement between GCCI and DEIK - the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey - on 11 March 2013 in Istanbul, where the two parties agreed to establish a bilateral Business Council to help promote trade between The Gambia and Turkey, contribute to industrial and technological collaboration between their enterprises and economic institutions and to coordinate joint efforts to collect, combine, analyse, evaluate and diffuse information in relation to trade, industrial and technological cooperation and investments to the mutual benefit of the two nations.
