The International Trade Centre (ITC), in partnership with the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment on Thursday 11th March, 2021 convened a day’s mini-retreat on access to finance for youth and women entrepreneurs held at a local hotel in Kotu.
The high-level convergence brought together stakeholders from government, development partners, business chambers and business support organizations involved in facilitating access to finance for young entrepreneurs and women.
The objective of the retreat is to share information about the existing instruments, target clients, modalities, exchange lessons, challenges and good practices based on previous experience, discuss synergies and complementarities between different instruments and address sustainability and explore exit strategies for donor funded schemes.
Deputizing the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Trade, Ousainou Senghore, Chief Executive Officer at GIEPA said the Government of The Gambia through the Ministry of Trade is working hard to ensure that there is a level playing field for private sector led growth through extending access to finance opportunities to youth and women entrepreneurs.
However, the Government is constrained by availability of inadequate funds. As such, I implore on everyone present here to partner with us and complement the efforts of the Government in developing our beloved country, The Gambia.
He said: “the Ministry Trade has been working tirelessly to promote job creation through access to finance initiatives, training opportunities and guidance. Key among them are:
l Development of the MSME Policy 2019-2024
l Trade Policy 2018-2022
l National Employment Policy and Action Plan 2021-2025
l Revamping of the Public Employment Services
l Trainings on marketable skills through the Entrepreneurship and Private Sector Development Project in collaboration with UNDP
l Supporting the women-owned businesses operating in horticulture, textiles and garment industries by linking them to investors, buyers, suppliers and business support organizations in collaboration with ITC.
l Efforts made to develop an MSME Development Fund.
Also speaking at the event, Juldeh Ceesay, DPS, Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs said the objective of the retreat is to create a space for development partners to come together to share information about the existing instruments, target clients, modalities, exchange lessons and discuss synergies and complementarities between different instruments and address sustainability.
“My sincere appreciation goes to ITC, YEP and Ministry of Trade for inviting the ministry of finance for this important mini-retreat for access to finance for youth and women entrepreneurs in the country,” she stated.
By Samsideen Ceesay, Information Officer, Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment (MOTIE).
I would like to have financial support and my own business .