Embassy of the United States Banjul, The Gambia

Exporting to The Gambia

President Obama announced the National Export Initiative (NEI) http://www.export.gov two years ago, with the goal of doubling exports by 2014. U.S. Embassy Banjul is committed to supporting U.S. companies to start exporting or grow their exports to The Gambia.  In this section, you’ll find a quick description of The Gambia as an export market and some suggestions for getting started.

Getting Started

1. Visit the export.gov page on The Gambia to get an overview of economic conditions and opportunities.  Access the U.S. Commercial Service Market Research Library containing more than 100,000 industry and country-specific market reports, authored by our specialists working in overseas posts.
   
   The Library Includes: 

•  Country Commercial Guides (read latest “Doing Business In” guides)
• Industry Overviews*
• Market Updates*
• Multilateral Development Bank Reports*
• Best Markets*
• Industry/Regional Reports*

2.   Contact your local U.S. Export Assistance Center for advice and support on exporting to The Gambia. Contact a Trade Specialist Near You (http://export.gov/eac/index.asp)

3.  Contact your local Small Business Development Center (SBDCs).  Starting a business can be a challenge, but there is help for you in your area. Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) are partnerships primarily between the government and colleges/universities administered by the Small Business Administration and aims at giving educational services for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. 

4.  Contact in-country business support organizations such as the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) – The Gambia. 

Investing in The Gambia.

This section provides information for current and potential investors in The Gambia.

Potential investors: Getting Started. 

If you are considering investment in The Gambia, here are some steps you may wish to consider as you get started:

• Register with the U.S. Embassy – If you are planning a visit to consider investment, let us know by sending an email to the contact addresses on this page.
• Visit the website of the Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA) – http://www.giepa.com   GIEPA provides information the steps in setting up a business, on the procedures for investing in The Gambia and the incentives on offer.  The agency may also support applications for land for new investments.
• Contact local U.S. business support organizations, such as the American Chamber of Commerce – The Gambia 

Current investors: Staying Connected.

If you are a current U.S. investor in The Gambia, the U.S Embassy wants to stay in touch. Here are a few steps you can take to keep the channels of communication open:

• Register with the U.S. Embassy – If you are active in The Gambia, let us know by sending an email to the contact addresses on this page.
• Add us to your mailing lists – we are always happy to stay informed
• Set up a meeting with our economic or commercial team to discuss any issues that arise

Working in The Gambia

In this section you will find information on business visas, travel advisories, and anti-corruption tools.

Business Visas

For information on obtaining a visa to visit The Gambia, please visit The Embassy of The Gambia in the United States located at 2233 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Georgetown Plaza, Suite 240, Washington, DC, 20007.  Tel: (202) 785-1399 / 785-1379 / 785-1425, 

E-mail:  info@gambiaembassy.us  Website:  http://www.gambiaembassy.us

US citizens in foreign countries should contact the nearest Gambian diplomatic mission or visit the website of the Gambia Immigration Department:  
http://www.gid.gov.gm/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=19&Itemid=79

Residency and Work Permits: 

American citizens who expect to work in The Gambia must obtain the following documents:

1)  Alien ID card costing 1,500 dalasis (about $50) for for both the principal and dependents aged 18 and above;

2)  Residential and Work Permit – Type B – costing 1,800 dalasi (about $60)

Retired foreign nationals and international students are issued Type A residential permit costing 1,100 dalasi (about $37).

Both the ID card and the residential/work permit are renewed annually.

All businesses in The Gambia that employ foreign nationals are required pay a Payroll Tax (also known as Expatriate Quota) of 10,000 dalasi (about $333) per person per year. Employers are allowed to employ specialized professional employees whose skills are needed by their company or organization but they shall not employ non-Gambians in excess of 20% of their total staff strength.

Travel Advisories

Make sure to check the current State Department travel advisory http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html for The Gambia.

FCPA

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) is an important anti-corruption tool designed to discourage corrupt business practices in favor of free and fair markets.  The FCPA prohibits promising, offering, giving or authorizing giving anything of value to a foreign government official where the purpose is to obtain or retain business.  These prohibitions apply to U.S. persons, both individuals and companies, and companies that are listed on U.S. exchanges. The statute also requires companies publicly traded in the U.S. to keep accurate books and records and implement appropriate internal controls.   

More information on the FCPA can be found here:  http://www.fcpa.us/

A party to a transaction seeking to know whether a proposed course of conduct would violate the FCPA can take advantage of the opinion procedure established by the statue.  Within 30 days of receiving a description of a proposed course of conduct in writing, the Attorney General will provide the party with a written opinion on whether the proposed conduct would violate the FCPA.  Not only do opinions provide the requesting party with a rebuttable presumption that the conduct does not violate the FCPA, but DOJ publishes past opinions which can provide guidance for other companies facing similar situations.

More information on the DOJ opinion procedure can be found here: http://www.morganlewis.com/documents/fcpa/FCPAOpinionProcedureReleases.pdf