By: Momodou L Jaiteh
Hatem Saad Raslan, a Gambian diplomat and business tycoon, has been appointed to chair the international Trade and Foreign Relations Committee of Egypt’s African Businessmen Association (EABA), the body disclosed to PANA Wednesday.Mr. Raslan who is Gambia’s Ambassador at Large and Liaison officer in Egypt, was appointed following the recent meeting of the Board of Directors of the association.
In a letter to Raslan, the association’s head, Dr. Yousrey El Sharkawi, said the appointment was in view of Raslan’s experience and international relations around African continent and beyond.
“Based on the plan, strategy and goals of the association of serving the African economy and business community and supporting all commercial and economic sectors, we have assigned you to chair the International Trade and Foreign Relations Committee of the association,” the letter said.
Raslan, who also heads Saad M Raslan International Trading Company, a conglomerate running branches in many African countries and beyond, has been engaged on many philanthropic activities like rescuing eight Gambian women who were trafficked to Egypt on the promise of getting them hotel jobs.
“We need investments in the Gambia to create jobs. When people get employed, a lot of them will stay,” Mr. Raslan emphasised. He also called on Gambians, especially the youth, to stay home and have something to do rather than engaging in risky journeys.
He said the country now has a good government that is trying to create an enabling environment for businesses.
Mr. Raslan spoke against the “back way” syndrome (travelling to Europe via Libya and Mediterranean Sea) saying it was about time something was done to make a definitive stop to it.