TRADE FAIR 2011:TAIWAN TAKES PRECEDENCE OF PROMOTING TAIWAN-MADE PRODUCTS AT THE HUB

The 2011 Trade Fair – the 5th biannual trade fair -- that kick started on the 8th December is winding up, with Taiwan products taking the centre stage of the trade fair.
Ranging from architectural designs and electronic innovations to food processions and artifacts, the 2011 Trade Fair has seen Gambians and non-Gambians alike, made best use of the two-week programme that has garnered entrepreneurs, small-scale businesses and large-size business from the sub-region and Asia at the independence stadium in Bakau.

. VICE PRESIDENT POSED WITH MARY CHENG AND H.E SAMUEL, THE NEW TAIWAN EMBASSY IN THE GAMBIA

The trade faire, which is held every two years to amass wide range of economic operators into close contacts in order to erect effective partnership that will positively impact on development of the business community towards sustainable growth and development, was for the first time in the annals of the country attended by Asia’s leading industrialists.

Representing Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) was Mary Cheng, who works at the overseas exhibition section of the strategic marketing department. For her: “Taiwan has many excellent products that could be very useful to the Gambia.” She said TAITRA did not come to the trade faire to sell any product, but to promote their products that could be access online using http://www.taitra.org.tw.

MARY CHENG

Taiwan, as an export-oriented economy has been a close friend to the West African country, making Gambia a beneficiary of Taiwan’s largesse. Posting a real GDP growth rate of negative 1.87 percent for 2009, Taiwan was also ranked the world’s 17th-largest exporter in 2009, and had the fourth-largest foreign exchange reserves at the end of that same year.

Presently the Taiwan’s top export destinations are Singapore, US, the EU, and South Korea; but as Mrs Cheng observes, “Taiwan will also break new grounds in Africa, by exporting many of its widely-appreciated products to the continent.”
At the trade faire TAITRA presented many products to the public. Every now and then visitors take a careful on the products, that appear one of its kind at the trade faire.

Taiwan’s new Ambassador to the Gambia, Samuel Cheng, along with the Gambia’s vice president Dr Isatou Njie Saidy graced the occasion, making it one of the trade faire attended by dignitaries of such caliber.

THESE ARE SOME OF THE PRODUCTS THAT TAIWAN HAS IN STORED FOR AFRICA AND THE WORLD