By Ramatoulie Njie
The Government of The Gambia is intensifying efforts to improve the country’s investment climate, promote private-sector development and strengthen regional trade integration through a series of ongoing policy and institutional reforms.
The reforms were highlighted during a two-day stakeholder engagement held on September 9 and 10, 2026, at Metzy Hotel. The meeting brought together representatives of government institutions, the private sector and other stakeholders to discuss investment promotion, the implementation of regional trade instruments and measures to improve the business environment.
Discussions at the meeting underscored the need for stronger coordination and information sharing among stakeholders to ensure that businesses are adequately informed about government programmes and can take advantage of emerging investment and trade opportunities.
A key focus of the discussions was The Gambia’s alignment with the ECOWAS Common Investment Code, adopted in 2019. The Code seeks to harmonise investment policies and legislation across ECOWAS Member States while strengthening investor protection, promoting non-discrimination and facilitating greater regional economic integration.
The Ministry of Trade is currently reviewing the National Investment Policy to align it with the ECOWAS Common Investment Code. The review has involved consultations with private-sector representatives and other stakeholders and is expected to provide a stronger policy framework for attracting and retaining investment.
The Government is also reviewing the Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA) Act as part of broader efforts to modernise the investment environment and ensure that the country’s investment framework responds to emerging economic realities.
Another major reform is the digitalisation of business registration and investment-related public services. The Single Business Registration platform is currently at the final stage of functionality testing and is expected to be initially rolled out in the Kanifing Municipal Council before being expanded to other regions.
The one-stop-shop platform is designed to simplify business formalisation by enabling entrepreneurs and investors to access multiple registration services through an integrated digital system. The initiative is expected to reduce administrative delays and improve the ease of doing business.
Stakeholders also identified investment aftercare as an area requiring greater attention. They noted that effective aftercare is essential to helping existing businesses address operational challenges, expand their activities and remain sustainable.
Despite the progress being made, several challenges continue to constrain private-sector growth. These include inadequate infrastructure, limited access to finance, institutional capacity constraints and widespread informality, particularly among micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
The meeting also highlighted the importance of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) in creating opportunities for Gambian businesses to access regional markets.
The Ministry of Trade, in collaboration with institutions including the Gambia Revenue Authority, GIEPA and other stakeholders, continues to support the implementation of the scheme.
The ETLS provides preferential market access for qualifying products originating from ECOWAS Member States. However, stakeholders noted that Gambian businesses have yet to fully benefit from the scheme due to limited awareness and a number of operational challenges.
These challenges include non-tariff barriers, multiple checkpoints along trade corridors, documentation requirements, delays in approvals and inadequate trade-related infrastructure. Such obstacles can increase the cost of doing business and undermine the competitiveness of Gambian products in regional markets.
Stakeholders therefore called for stronger awareness campaigns and targeted engagement with businesses to improve understanding of regional trade instruments and help enterprises take full advantage of available opportunities.
The meeting further emphasised the importance of stronger collaboration among government agencies, private-sector organisations, development partners and other stakeholders in implementing investment and trade reforms.
Development partners, including the World Bank, the United Nations and other institutions, are supporting initiatives aimed at promoting investment, industrial development and private-sector growth.
The Government’s broader economic strategy is focused on reducing import dependence by increasing domestic production, promoting industrialisation and value addition, and attracting export-oriented investment.
Through these reforms, The Gambia seeks to position itself as a competitive investment destination and a modern industrial and export gateway to the wider ECOWAS and West African markets.
The ongoing policy and institutional reforms are expected to boost investor confidence, strengthen domestic enterprises, expand regional trade and create sustainable employment opportunities for Gambians.
