Today Newspaper, The Gambia, April 13, 2010

The Pro-Poor Advocacy Group (Pro-PAG) and the Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS International), India over the weekend organized a one day national capacity building training workshop on Competition Policy and Law for National Assembly Members and media practitioners from various print and electronic media houses across the country at the Kairaba Beach Hotel.

The training was part of activities of a project entitled: Strengthening Constituencies for Effective Competition Regimes in Select West African Countries’ (7Up4 Project). The purpose of this project, according to the organizers, is to foster a healthy competition culture through evidence-based research, capacity building and advocacy.

The national training workshop, it was noted, is to afford the beneficiaries to learn best practices from international experts as a means of promoting a healthy competition culture to foster economic development, growth and alleviate poverty.

According to the organizers, journalists are also being trained in a bid to create the enabling environment for collaboration and partnership for development, noting that the media is a key stakeholder in the process of developing a nation through competition.

Speaking to participants after the training, Honorable Alhagi Sillah, National Assembly member for Banjul North described the training was very interactive and educative. He said although it was the National Assembly members who passed the Competition Bill, such forums should be held for them to discuss the bill more with stakeholders and the general public. According to him, there are possible weaknesses in every bill, such fora, he said, would provide opportunities for such weaknesses to be corrected.

On the importance of the Competition Bill, Honorable Sillah said once the bill is adopted, there should be the provision of a level and fair playing ground for every competitor, adding that the most important thing about competition is the benefits to the consumers. “The competition bill is all about what the Gambian people can enjoy from it, because we are all here for the interest of citizens and non citizens of The Gambia. So if the country has a level and fair playing field for competitors, the people will be the one to benefit at the end,” he said.

For Abba Gibba, deputy chief editor at The Point Newspaper, the training will enhance the capacity of journalists in understanding certain matters about competition laws, adding that it will also enhance their capacity in reporting on competition issues. He concluded by expressing sincere thanks on behalf of the media to the Pro-Poor Advocacy Group (pro-PAG) and the Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS International), India for organizing the one day training workshop.

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