Chairman's 2010 Message

As you all witnessed this year 2010 has been a very difficult year and there is no shadow of doubt in my mind that 2011 will continue to be difficult for businesses right across the globe. Therefore, every national business development initiatives, be they Small Medium enterprises or Multi-Million Dollars will all face considerable challenge for all nations across the world; and neither Invest Gambia nor The Gambia or our global community will be any exception to the economic menace that shall befall us all.

Global business and financial world are now face with two major emerging phenomena that may somehow hinder our development efforts in the coming 24 months: The eminent global economic recession brought about by the recent world financial crisis and the uncertain longer-term climatic change lingering and being debated across the global academia, commercial/business/market movers and shaker as well as the global geopolitical spheres. Naturally, these two lingering but disturbing issues must be tackled with coordinated, prudent, urgent and focused actions; and Invest Gambia Group is in position to make very positive contributions in our national development strides under these uncertain global uncertainties.

At Invest Gambia, we always believe in globalisation with a local balance, however, the global economic recession also means that Invest Gambia Group have had to take some hard decisions around the size and location of our operations, investments leveraging as well as our workforce, as we strive constantly on our dynamics capabilities in pursuit of more and more breakthrough ventures and service excellence. In this regard, Invest Gambia continues to innovate across our range of portfolios and services and manage the extraordinary demand of projects right across the Gambia and beyond.

I also believe that both Invest Gambia and entire Gambia (public or private) are all part of the solution to overcoming the economic crisis; the very key to delivering growth and economic prosperity henceforth. However, future economic development must take account of the stress limits that our natural environment can bear. This is why I am also backing and fully supporting the President Professor Alh. Yahya AJJ Jammeh's very many initiatives like the 'Back to Land', 'Silicon Valley', Education and other health care projects; I totalling agree with His Excellency that we must all deliver major changes in environmental efficiency which will definitely improve Gambian business efficiency with a low carbon emission.

Although as Gambian business, we may manage the current global economic crisis however on the hindsight, Gambian businesses must be far sighted and look holistically towards year 2020 or even beyond and consider a global business world that may befall us if we do not start to address sustainability. With the help of our government and other stakeholders, I am very excited about Invest Gambia's potential to leverage the needed Investment, technology, and our innovative spirit, to help deliver a sustainable economy and to make real contributions to a more sustainable society in pursuit of Vision 2020 and beyond.