The GIEPA Chief Executive Officer said the forum was an important step towards strengthening The Gambia’s capacity to compete more effectively in regional and international investment and trade.
“Investment incentives are not merely fiscal concessions; they are strategic instruments for attracting productive investment, stimulating industrialisation, expanding exports, creating quality employment, and achieving sustainable economic growth,” he said.
Mr Senghore said the value of such incentives depends on how effectively they are understood, accessed, administered and utilised by both investors and public institutions.
He said the workshop brought together institutions responsible for taxation, customs, business registration, infrastructure, energy, finance and trade alongside companies operating in manufacturing, agro-processing, tourism, logistics, construction, healthcare and other sectors.
According to him, the forum provided an opportunity to address implementation challenges, clarify procedures, share best practices and strengthen partnerships that could improve the ease of doing business in The Gambia.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister for Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment, Hon Mod K. Ceesay, said government views private investment as one of the strongest drivers of economic transformation.
He said incentives alone cannot guarantee investment success, stressing that their effectiveness also depends on transparent administration, predictable regulations, effective public service delivery and continuous dialogue between government and investors.
“Let us move beyond identifying challenges and focus on practical, implementable solutions that improve the utilisation of our investment incentive framework and strengthen investor confidence,” he said.
The minister also said his ministry was finalising a new investment framework to cater for a wider range of investment incentives, including industrial land and financial support for economic transformation.
He further highlighted the Trans-Gambia Special Economic Zone as the government’s most ambitious project, urging investors to explore opportunities within the project.
The workshop brought together government representatives, businesses, development partners and private-sector stakeholders to discuss ways of making investment incentives more effective.
