GCCPC Deepens Global Competition Cooperation with Türkiye Through Strategic MoU

The Gambia Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (GCCPC) has strengthened its international cooperation in competition regulation with the signing of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Turkish Competition Authority, opening new opportunities for specialised training, technical cooperation and information exchange.

The MoU was signed in Istanbul on Tuesday, September 29, by GCCPC Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Basiru Njie, and President of the Turkish Competition Authority, Mr. Birol Küle, establishing a framework for closer cooperation between the two authorities.

The signing took place on the sidelines of the Türkiye-Africa Competition Authorities Istanbul Meeting, a high-level forum bringing together competition regulators from Türkiye and across Africa to exchange experiences, discuss emerging challenges and identify practical areas for cooperation. The GCCPC is among the national competition authorities participating in the meeting.

For the GCCPC, the agreement comes at an important stage in the Commission’s development as it continues to strengthen its technical expertise and enforcement capacity in response to evolving competition issues.

Capacity building and technical cooperation are at the centre of the new partnership. Through the MoU, GCCPC staff will have opportunities to benefit from training, knowledge sharing and technical engagement with their Turkish counterparts.

A key area of cooperation will be merger regulation, where the Turkish Competition Authority has developed significant experience. As the GCCPC continues to build its capacity in this field, the partnership will provide an opportunity for its staff to learn from Türkiye’s experience in merger control and strengthen their ability to assess mergers and their potential implications for competition and consumers.

Beyond merger regulation, the cooperation will also facilitate information exchange and engagement on competition investigations, allowing the two authorities to share relevant experiences and knowledge on similar competition issues, including matters with potential cross-border implications.

The broader importance of such cooperation was highlighted by GCCPC Executive Secretary and CEO Basiru Njie during the opening session of the Istanbul meeting.

Njie stressed that strong national competition and consumer protection laws must be complemented by stronger regional and international cooperation as markets become increasingly interconnected.

“We are in an era where strong local competition and consumer protection laws are not enough to enhance competition and consumer welfare in our countries. We need strong regional cooperation and collaboration to also address cross-border issues which may impact our businesses and consumers,” Njie said.

Building on that message, Njie called for competition authorities to work collectively to develop stronger international regulatory networks capable of responding to challenges that increasingly extend beyond national borders.

“We must put hands on deck and work to create and strengthen a global network of regulators, to better protect our economies and citizens,” he added.

His remarks reflect the GCCPC’s growing focus on international cooperation as an important part of strengthening competition enforcement and consumer protection in The Gambia. Through stronger relationships with peer institutions, the Commission can expand access to technical expertise, regulatory experience and professional development opportunities for its staff.

That wider objective is also reflected in the Istanbul meeting, which brings together regional competition organisations including the African Union, COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission, East African Community Competition Authority and ECOWAS, alongside national competition authorities from across Africa. Türkiye-Africa Competition Authorities Istanbul.

For the GCCPC, the signing of the MoU represents more than a formal commitment to cooperation. It is an investment in knowledge, people and institutional capacity, strengthening the Commission’s ability to respond to evolving competition challenges and fulfil its mandate to promote fair competition and protect consumers in The Gambia.

As the GCCPC continues to strengthen its regulatory capacity, partnerships with experienced competition authorities such as Türkiye provide an important avenue for learning, professional development and technical cooperation, supporting the Commission’s efforts to promote fairer markets and stronger consumer protection in The Gambia.