By Fatou Sillah
The Government of The Gambia has introduced a bill seeking to modernize the country’s investment framework through amendments to the Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA) Act. The proposed GIEPA Amendment Bill 2025 was debated by members of the National Assembly of The Gambia during its second reading.
The bill, tabled by the Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration, and Employment, Mod K. Ceesay, aims to establish a modern, coherent, and development-oriented investment framework. According to the minister, the proposed reforms are designed to attract, retain, and expand responsible and sustainable investments in The Gambia.
The legislation also seeks to align the country’s investment regime with national and regional priorities. These include the Green Recovery–Focused National Development Plan, the African Continental Free Trade Area Protocol on Investment, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) treaties, as well as other international best practices in investment promotion and facilitation.
“The amendment of the GIEPA Act will deliver a modernized, predictable, and transparent investment framework that enhances investor confidence,” Minister Ceesay told lawmakers.
He added that the bill is expected to strengthen the country’s ability to attract and retain sustainable, high-quality investments while enhancing institutional capacity to effectively deliver on investment and export promotion mandates. The reforms, he noted, will also improve The Gambia’s compliance with its obligations under AfCFTA and ECOWAS, thereby deepening regional integration.
“The Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2025, attraction and retention of sustainable, high-quality investment into The Gambia, stronger institutional capacity to deliver on investment and export promotion mandates, better alignment of The Gambia’s legal regime with AfCFTA and ECOWAS obligations, thereby improving regional integration,” he said.
Furthermore, the proposed amendment seeks to strike a better balance between economic growth and sustainable development priorities, including environmental protection, gender equity, and youth employment creation.
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