The chairman and CEO of the Coca Cola Company, USA, E Neville Isdell, accompanied by a six member delegation including officials of the Gambega Company, Gambia Ltd , yesterday paid a courtesy call on President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, at State House in Banjul.

The purpose of the visit was to appeal to the president and his government for another tax concession as Gambega (the Coca Cola Company’s representative in The Gambia) plans to expand its business in The Gambia, as well as finding ways and means of easing the hurdles Gambega faces in exporting its products to some Ecowas countries with regards to the regional body’s protocols governing  trade and other issues.

Speaking at the ceremony held at the Cabinet room, President Jammeh said Gambega is one of the companies that put trust and confidence in his government during its maiden days in office, when others were relocating their businesses to other countries.

On their appeal, Dr Jammeh said his government would study the issue and come up with a decision that would be good for both the government and Gambega. He described the relationship as a partnership in which either party can freely talk about constraints encountered, so that both parties will be happy in the end.

“Your request is not far-fetched as you are talking about 2010 [for your expansion]. We will look at it on a case-by-case basis, because we don’t want to set a precedence that is not sustainable. In as much as we want to give the best we have, we also don’t want to kill the goose that lays the eggs,” he said.

The Gambian leader added that government will negotiate the issue with Gambega to see to it that it does not hurt either parties, in order for the partnership to flourish. He welcomed the company’s plans for expansion, as it is line with the country’s Vision 2020, which envisages the private sector as the engine of economic growth in The Gambia. “If you talk about expansion, I am happy because it means more employment,” he added.

He told the group that what he yearns for is to see Gambian manufactured products being exported to other countries.

On the hurdles the company faces in exporting products to Ecowas countries, Dr Jammeh told the delegation that The Gambia is not responsible for the problems which are created by certain countries that always defy the ECOWAS protocol even though they are signatories to it.

Speaking earlier, the secretary of state for Finance and Economic Affairs, Musa Gibril Bala-Gaye, said the government provides development incentives to companies that operate in The Gambia. According to him, when Gambega started operations in the country in 1995, it enjoyed concessions but he was quick to add that this had a time limit as the government also needs taxes to meet its goals.

He said that the government, under the stewardship of President  Jammeh, has not increased any tax in the last four years other than that of petroleum, which was done last May due to the unprecedented surge in fuel prices at the global market.

SoS Gaye revealed that the government incurred losses even with the increase in petroleum tax as it was only able to collect D11M and D9M in July and August, when its minimal monthly target is D40M.

He  added that The Gambia is the only country in sub-Saharan Africa that was able to mobilise its tax revenue to between 21- 22 percent of the GDP, thus enabling government to rely on tax revenue for its operations, be it recurrent or development.

The government, he went on, has, for the first time, allowed Gambega to assess itself in terms of the taxes to be paid to government on a quarterly basis, but this will be evaluated at the end of the year to ascertain whether the self assessment was correctly done. He also assured the group that the government will consider whether companies that want to expand should be given the same concessions that they enjoyed when they were first established.

For his part, Abdou Kolley, secretary of state for Trade, Industry and Employment, said in order for Gambega to get access to the Ecowas market, they need to apply for certification under the Ecowas Trade Liberalisation Scheme.

This scheme, he went on, allows companies in Ecowas member states  to export quota free to other member countries. He revealed that the scheme has an implementation problem which is attributed to its commencement, but everything has been done to smoothen the situation. “There are Gambian companies that have started exporting and I think Gambega should follow suit,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of his delegation, E Neville Isdell, described The Gambia as a good place for business, citing the progress scored by Gambega since its inception here, in 1995.

He said their business market is growing in Africa at an annual rate of 7-percent, compared to 4-percent in other parts of the world. He appealed for further tax relief while hailing the country’s fiscal policies. CEO Isdell then thanked the president for receiving them, and assured him of their desire to further work closely with the government.
Present at the ceremony were secretaries of state and the secretary general and head of the Civil Service.