Romanian investors explore Gambia’s investment opportunities

The forum, facilitated by the officials of The Gambia Investment Export and Promotion Agency (GIEPA), exposed the Romanian investors to several investment opportunities such as trade, tourism and so on.

Welcoming the potential investors, the chairperson of GIEPA’s board of directors, Fatou Sinyan-Mergan, described The Gambia as a very peaceful country with a very liberal business environment where the private sector plays an active role in economic development. She said the country is fraught with immense business opportunities as shown in the presentations of the various sectors. 

The GIEPA chairperson acknowledged that they are aware of the presence of Tender Group in the West African sub-region, saying the Group is engaged in mining, oil exploration as well as provision of services of the oil and gas industry in many sister countries. The Gambia, she said, is strategically located to play a significant role in the Group’s expansion drive, expressing hope that the opportunities in the country would eventually entice the Romanian investors.

“We invite your Group to look at the immense opportunities, ask as many questions for clarity as possible [because it is] all geared towards making an informed decision in your desire to invest in The Gambia,” she remarked.

The spokesperson of the Group at the forum, Gehrig Schultz, described their visit to the country as a revealing experience and saluted their Gambian counterparts for opening the doors for future investments. He informed that the Tender Group is highly interested in growing very well in West Africa given that their future relates to the continent. “There is a lot of growth in building the capacity of this part of the world,” he acknowledged. 

He informed that Tender Group is a large set of over 6o companies investing in vast areas ranging from education to aviation, constructions, road and infrastructures, manufacturing, agriculture, mining as well as oil and gas among a host of others. Schultz sought collaboration in establishing what he called a sustainable partnership. 

GIEPA’s Abdoulie Hydara, enlightened the investors on the opportunities in The Gambia, saying the country though small is very aggressive and ambitious in terms of investment. This, he said, makes it a hub for trade in the sub-region. He described agriculture as the biggest employer, creating 60% employment opportunities. Hydara remarked that the country has an open-door-policy with a liberal market system; pointing out that public- private partnership is also relatively cordial.

He showcased different areas of investment opportunities such as fisheries, agriculture, forestry, energy, education and tourism amongst a host of others. “The Gambia is a very peaceful and stable and has a competitive market system,” he concluded.