Boosting post-COVID19 Economic Recovery and Resilience in the Gambia, through the formalization of Informal Enterprises and their Workers.

One of the main development challenges in The Gambia is the limited capacity of its economy to generate decent jobs for youth and women and foster the creation of sustainable enterprises. This situation, which the COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated, keeps micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and their workers, in particular women, in the informal economy, which is characterized by profound decent work deficits. This intervention contributes to strengthening the capacity of the government, employers’ and workers’ organizations to facilitate the transition of MSMEs from the informal to the formal economy. It further targets the development of mechanisms to extend social security benefits to workers in the informal economy, particularly those in the capital Banjul and the urban and peri-urban areas of the Western Region of The Gambia. Expected results include increased knowledge of the phenomenon of informality, a national strategy to formalize the informal economy addressing the specific needs of women’s entrepreneurs, and increased capacity of The Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) to expand its membership to newly formalized entrepreneurs and deliver services that foster the formalization of enterprises. The intervention also includes a pilot initiative to assist a minimum of 100 informal economy entrepreneurs, mostly women, operating in COVID-19 affected sectors. The ILO implements this intervention in collaboration with key development partners including the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Italian Government, the German association for international cooperation (GIZ), and the European Union.

Project symbol

GMB/21/01/RBS

Admin unit

DWT/CO-Dakar

Start date

01/08/2021

End date

31/03/2024

Total allocation

451456

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

451456

Development Partners

Core voluntary funds (RBSA)

Country/Countries

Gambia

Outcomes

Outcome 4: Sustainable enterprises for inclusive growth and decent work
Outcome 2: Strong, representative and influential tripartite constituents and effective social dialogue