Author: Jean-Mermoz Konandi

The Association of Lobbying and Public Affairs Councils of Côte d’Ivoire (ACLAP-CI) has just published its now traditional list of the 100 most influential public figures in Côte d’Ivoire. This third edition, which is the result of an annual survey of the country’s lobbying councils, has made a selection of personalities from the world who have “marked public life” over the last twelve months. It should be noted that the study does not include the president of the republic, the vice-president and their spouses as well as judges, magistrates, members of the defense and security forces and the Lobbyists. A…

After starting the link between Abidjan and New York on May 12, 2018, Ethiopian Airlines announced the opening of a line between Abidjan and Washington as part of the restructuring of its US service starting next summer. In a statement released on Jan. 29, the airline states that “the number of flights to Washington DC, which is currently one flight per day, will be increased to 10 flights per week” and that “the three new additional flights will go through Abidjan from Addis Ababa in the morning and arrival in Washington DC in the evening “. A happy prospect for…

Société Générale Côte d’Ivoire was awarded the “Best Trade Finance Service Provider 2019” award from the Ivorian market by Global Finance magazine on January 16 in London for the second year in a row. This award was given to highlight the bank’s progress in the market, its innovative initiatives and the quality of services offered as part of its international trading operations during the year 2018. Solid leader of the Ivorian banking sector with almost 20% of market share (in resources and jobs), the establishment which adopted its new name at the beginning of the year begins 2019 under good…

“Soro Guillaume will resign in February, it’s understood, it’s decided,” Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara said while receiving the Ivorian press on 28 January for greetings. This statement confirms a rumor spread in recent months in the country and is certainly the result of the last tête-à-tête that the two men had on the evening of Thursday, January 24th. This is an evolution that sanctions a malaise that brooded in recent years at the top of the state between the two personalities whose relations were increasingly distant. Formerly number two of the Ivorian power, Soro Guillaume, who was an intimate of…

The French leader in generic drugs is launching in Côte d’Ivoire as part of its African strategy. A strategy that makes Abidjan the launching pad for its ambition on the continent where the laboratory targets the West and Central African regions. A subsidiary of Pharmaceutical Group Servier, Biogaran, which now accounts for nearly 30% of the generic market in France, intends to capitalize on the reputation of its products in order to conquer highly competitive African markets where major Western, Asian and local laboratories are battling. “We offer medicines that comply with European standards, at affordable and affordable prices and…

The French group EDF strengthens its presence in Africa with the acquisition of 49% stake in Conergies-group, a leader in integrated energy efficiency services in West Africa. EDF has taken over from Investisseurs & Partenaires (I & P) – through its I & P Afrique Entrepreneurs 1 (IPAE 1) fund – which makes its exit after 6 years of participation in Conergies-group during which it contributed to its development. The group “designs and produces tailor-made solutions integrating climate engineering, refrigeration and solar energy”. Present in Ivory Coast and Mali, respectively via its subsidiaries ARIC and RICA Services, Conergies-Group also operates…

Since 1 January 2019, Côte d’Ivoire has begun the gradual implementation of the EPA (Economic Partnership Agreement) with the European Union. In a communication on January 23, the Ivorian government announced the effective start of the “first phase of tariff dismantling” since the beginning of the year. In detail, this first stage concerns 1,155 tariff lines of the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) applied in Côte d’Ivoire. “Since 1 January 2019, the products covered by these tariff lines, identified and recognized as originating from the EU, are imported into Côte d’Ivoire free of customs duties,” explains the government. The EPA,…

Growth is picking up again, according to the report of the African Development Bank (AfDB) on the African Economic Outlook in 2019. Presented on 17 January at the institution’s headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, the report notes that At the current rate, this growth should not be sufficient to meet the structural challenges facing the continent, particularly with regard to unemployment and poverty.  Financial Afrik presents here some highlights of this report. “The situation in the continent is good” and “Africa’s overall economic performance continues to improve,” said Afrika Bank President Akinwumi Adesina as a preface to the report. After…

The CNPS, the social welfare institution dedicated to the Ivorian private sector, is multiplying its performances. At the end of 2018, the institution achieved a net result of “more than 90 billion FCFA”, or 137.2 million euros, said this January 18 Charles Kouassi, its managing director. A result that doubled in 5 years; it was 45 billion FCFA at the end of 2014. This performance was driven in particular by the increase in social security contributions from 186 billion to 257 billion FCFA over the period, mainly due to the reforms initiated in 2012 which raised the retirement age and…

Has the construction site of Amadou Moctar Mbow University in Diamniadio been removed from the Ivorian group SNEDAI led by Adama Bictogo? The Senegalese press reported that the contract was withdrawn at the request of President Macky Sall because of the delay in the project. The university, presented as a pole of excellence to host 30,000 students and which was to open last October is indeed still under construction; the project progress is estimated at 35% after about two years of work. Questioned by the Ivorian press on January 18 during a ceremony of presentation of greetings, Adama Bictogo, the…

The German development bank KfW entered the African Guarantee Fund (AGF) at the end of the year with a stake of 25 million dollars. A cash flow thanks to which the pan-African SME guarantee institution has successfully closed the first round of raising $ 90 million from its fundraising campaign. “The capital increase has allowed AGF to acquire more capacity to deal with the financing barrier, which remains a major challenge for African SMEs,” said Felix BIKPO, the institution’s managing director in a statement. “AGF will now be able to provide more guarantees and technical assistance to financial institutions, thereby…

A governance code will soon be issued to companies listed on the BRVM, the State Exchange in the WAEMU zone, in order to get them to appropriate the best management practices. An agreement was signed in this sense between the CF and the BRVM on January 10 in Abidjan. The objective is to improve corporate governance practices in an area that is “lagging behind international standards” with the aim of generating investor confidence and attracting and retaining more capital that is “useful for development of capital markets in the region, “IFC said in its statement. It should be noted that…

Air Tanzania becomes the first African airline to operate the Airbus A220, the newest member of the Airbus family of civil aircraft. The aircraft was received at the assembly site in Mirabel, Quebec, in the presence of company officials and Tanzanian government authorities. Air Tanzania, which becomes the fifth company in the world to use an A220, plans with this acquisition to further expand its national and regional market and to open new routes to India and the Middle East from its Dar es Salaam base. “With the arrival of the A220 in our fleet, we are confident that we…

The SIB, an Ivorian banking company, celebrated the Christmas party with sick children from the heart of the Abidjan Heart Institute (ICA) on December 24th. A Christmas tree was organized in honor of the children who were interned (or treated at home) who received gifts in a festive atmosphere within the institute. For Daouda Coulibaly, the bank’s managing director, this initiative aimed to “modestly bring a smile” to these children and their families at this time of celebration. This event is a continuation of the collaboration with the ICA, the SIB being for 6 years a partner of the Foundation…