By: Kemo Kanyi
The Ministry of Trade, Regional Integration and Employment in partnership with State Resilience Contract 3 Monday commenced a comprehensive three-day training program for journalists in the areas of business and financial reporting of The Gambian economy.
The training is being funded by the European Union.
The training aims to equip journalists with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively report on business-related topics, affecting the private sector development in the country.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the training, the Minister for Trade, Industry, Regional Integration, and Employment,Baboucarr Ousmaila Joof, said journalists play crucial roles in the dissemination of information, stressing that preparing them to accurately report on issues of public concern is required.
“This training is important as it will educate Gambian people about the state of the economy, particularly business financial activities. The government has established a National Business Council, which comprises cabinet ministers and private sector executives with the sole objective of creating a platform that gives the business community the opportunity to discuss the business environment with the government to enhance their competitiveness and the competitiveness of the economy,” he stated.
“As journalists, informing the citizenry of the outcomes of such engagements would be very useful. To achieve those objectives, we recognise the importance of a well-informed public that is equipped with accurate information about economic development and trends. Journalists are the comrades to facilitate that information sharing and education. Your reports and stories have the potential to shape public opinion, influence policy decisions, and promote transparency in government. Therefore, it’s essential that journalists are trained with requisite skills and knowledge to efficiently report on business and financial news in a way that is accurate, balanced, and informative,”Minister Joof added.
The training will cover the successes, challenges, and the way forward for the government and the business sector, the role of the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration, and Employment in the business sector.
Minister Joof highlighted that his ministry considers journalists as indispensable partners in their efforts to improve the businessenvironment and drive private sector development in The Gambia, hence this intensive training.
“Government expects the Fourth Estate to promote approved policies for better impacts and understanding of the public,” Joof added.
Ms. Lumana Kamashi, European Union Development Cooperation Internal Aid Officer for trade and private sector development, employment, and tourism, and Dr. DennysPasipanodya, expert on the business environment and private sector development for State Resilience Contract 3, both expressed delight in the training while describing it a key intervention towards improving the business community for investment and job creation.