Business

The Indian President Ram Nath Kovind has announced in Banjul Wednesday that his country has agreed to give The Gambia half a million US dollars to support artist industry and skills development. He did not say if this will be a loan or a grant. President Kovind who arrived in Banjul Tuesday for a two-day state visit made the announcement at a…

The Gambia on Tuesday finalized two agreements, including the Deeds of Agreement and Joint Operation Agreement with British Petroleum (BP) for the exploration of Block A1 offshore. The latest development gave BP the green light to start the oil exploration of the Block. This followed the initial signing of a formal exploration agreement between…

Recently, ECOWAS countries announced the plan to launch a monetary union by 2020. This will represent a major step in economic integration of the sub-region if done correctly. While a monetary union can be beneficial in theory, it is a bad idea for The Gambia to join the proposed Eco monetary union at this point in time. The reasons why joining at…

The conventional way of hiring a taxi in The Gambia is that you stand by the road, stop a passing taxi, tell the driver where you’re going, negotiate the price and within a few seconds, you’re onboard and being driven to your destination. You hardly have any idea who your taxi driver is. You know nothing about him. Chances are that if your safety…

In the commercial provincial town of Basse in the Upper River Region, cotton farming was a lucrative venture for the people. In 1974, the then Gambia Produce Marketing Board (GPMB) set up the country’s only ginnery in the town, boosting Basse’s reputation as the epicenter of the Gambia's cotton production and trade. The establishment of the…

Farmers across the country are scared and worried as the streak of no rain continues. The rainy season officially starts in The Gambia in June. But in the Upper River Region (URR) and some parts of Central River Region (CRR), the two main farming areas, there has not been rain for the past two weeks. In other parts including the Kombos, there…

Senegalese fans were heartbroken after losing 1-0 to Algeria in Friday’s ill-tempered Africa Cup of Nations final in the Egyptian capital Cairo. But off the pitch, the Senegalese business owners had the last laugh thanks to big profits buoyed by strong sales. Across the capital Dakar, retailers who sold replica national team shirts and other…

For any university student, a graduation day is supposed to mark the end of a difficult and painful chapter and open the gate for prosperity. But in The Gambia, it’s the beginning of harsh reality for many graduates.The University of The Gambia (UTG) churns out hundreds of students every year, and for a large number of them there are no job…

Experts in agriculture and economy have stressed the need for The Gambia to explore alternative remunerative or additional cash crops as the production of the traditional export crop - groundnut - continues to steadily decline.About three decades ago, The Gambia was one of the highest exporters of groundnut in the sub-region. That trend has been…

The Executive Director of the National Youth Council (NYC), Lamin Darboe has advised young Gambian entrepreneurs to make the best use of their connections, stressing that networks have become net worth. He was speaking at the Gambia Youth Chamber of Commerce ahead of the second edition of the Youth Trade Fair on agribusiness and tourism…