The consultative meeting held at the Accra International Conference  Centre was as part of the European Commission project “Promoting investment in culture, creative arts and sports to enhance resilience against climate change in the local community” to support the growth of Cultural Goods and Arts sector  in Gambia and its exports to the EU market.

Mrs Sarata Conateh, disclosed that handicraft and traditional sports, specifically the traditional wrestling, were being leveraged to contribute to community tourism in The Gambia and to enhance the livelihoods and income of local craftsmen.

 The investments protocols being aimed at by the synergy between the GCCI and AfCFTA will cover support to the handicraft market, enhance trade in services and also support the regulatory protocols for the culture and creative arts industry.

Ms Beatrice Chaytor, Head of Trade in Services for the AfCFTA welcomed the delegation and mentioned that the AFCTA were engaged in the intensive trade and services negotiation.

She said further that ECOWAS had been providing community level rules that intersect with trades, services and the telecom industry.

The five priority sector of the ECOWAS negotiations are business services, communication, financial, tourism and transport.

Mr Gibriel Bah, Regulatory Expert and Consultant to the project emphasised the importance of a harmonised regulatory framework to the growth of the Cultural & Arts sector not only in Gambia but across the ECOWAS region to maximise the sector’s contribution to the economies of the region.

Speaking at the event, Mr Desire Loumou, the Senior Expert in Trade in services said that, enhancing continental trade was one of the objectives of AfCFTA.

Amongst the Gambian delegation was Mr Gabriel Bah, the Project Consultant and Regulatory Expert, Chris Addy-Nayo, a Trade Expert, Mohammed Saigne, Business Development Officer of the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Mrs Fatou Saigne Gaye, the Ceo of Gaye Njorro Foundation and Skills Academy in the Gambia.

The AfCFTA was represented by the Head of Trade in Service, Ms Beatrice Chaytor, Senior Expert Trade in Services, Mr Desire Loumou, Ms Daphine Lekipaina, Expert, Trade in services and Siobhan Sam: Policy and Research Officer, Trade in service division.