Introduction - UNDP The Gambia

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A teleport project that is independent would
pose competition to the national
telecommunications provider, Gamtel, and if
offers are more efficient and better serviceoriented
than the national operator, it would
attract its clients and pose a threat to the
survival of the national telecommunications
operator, especially if the teleport can supply
services to the domestic market.
Current thinking however is to operate the
teleport through Gamtel, but this has the
potential to discourage private sector
participation, especially foreign investors
who find public control or participation in
private sector activities a high-risk venture.
platform for institutionalised dialogue is the
Annual Economic Summit, which serves as a
forum for public/private/civil society
dialogue. It is a formal consultative gathering
where mechanisms for private sector growth
and development are discussed.
In addition to the Economic Summit, several
initiatives have been undertaken, including a
public-private consultative meeting on the
economy, an interface policy dialogue
workshop with civil society organisations, the
private sector and the public sector and
economic policy and policy analysis training
workshops for private sector and civil society
organisations.
3.4.3 The Gambia Public/Private
Sector Civil Society Interface
Capacity Building Project
The raison d’être for the establishment of
GICAP as an interface institution is the
realisation that the private sector and civil
society are weak and incapable of effective
participation in policy dialogue. They also
lack the capacity to influence the policy
formulation and implementation processes of
Government on a regular and continuous
basis.
The major capacity building components at
GICAP are: institutional development,
training, institutional networking and
strengthening of the Information and
Documentation Unit at DOSTIE. The project
is funded by the ACBF and is designed to
address the challenges faced by Government
in instituting new approaches which require
human and institutional strengthening,
integration and networking within and
between sectors, institutions and the citizenry
equipped with the skills needed by the diverse
economy. This project also includes capacity
building at DOSTIE (by strengthening its
policy analysis capacity) and promoting the
interest of the private sector.
GICAP therefore provides a consultative
forum for the participation of the private
sector and civil society in policy dialogue
exercises. In addition to DOSTIE, the primary
beneficiaries are the GCCI and TANGO. One
The participation of the private sector in
policy formulation:
• instils a sense of ownership of national
policies
• helps to involve the private sector in
research and advocacy
• assists in promoting transparency and
accountability, which are essential to
good governance
• allows programmes to accommodate the
concerns and needs of the private sector
• helps to identify constraints, limitations
and hindrances to business growth and
development.
Since the establishment of GICAP, some 100
senior private sector and NGO officials have
attended training seminars on policy analysis.
The project has provided equipment and
training worth over D3 million to the GCCI
as part of the institutional capacity building
support for the private sector. It has also
conducted seminars on international trade and
accords such as AGOA, ECOWAS protocols
and The Gambia’s responsibilities,
opportunities and obligations as a member of
the World Trade Organisation, to enable the
private sector to avail itself of these
opportunities.
Although these capacity building initiatives
will aid the growth and development of the
private sector in some ways, it is doubtful
whether they offer solutions to most of the
constraints identified in this report.
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Building Capacity for the Attainment of the Millennium Development Goals in The Gambia National Human Development Report 2005
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