Interview:Siandou Fofana What are the main projects under Côte d’Ivoire’s tourism strategy moving forward? SIANDOU FOFANA: A 2016 industry census estimated the number of tourists worldwide reached 1.2bn, of which only 5% travelled to the African continent. We believe that this, in conjunction with our readily apparent ecological and cultural advantages, highlights the potential for an…
Interview:Eric Djibo What are the major deficiencies in Côte d’Ivoire’s health care system and provision? ERIC DJIBO: Cardiology and cancer treatment are major gaps in our health care sector. For the former, we currently lack cutting-edge equipment, such as interventional radiology, for the treatment of certain diseases. Given that a single public establishment – the cardiology Institute…
Interview: Koffi N’Guessan How can curricula be adapted to better suit the requirements of the job market? N’GUESSAN: Education in Africa has been devised without taking into consideration the needs of sectors with solid employment prospects. In this context, pedagogical reform becomes indispensable to efforts to adapt educational programmes to the needs of the labour market. Our current model…
Interview:Joachim Bilé-Aka; Michel K Brizoua-Bi What impact will the upcoming transfer pricing rules have on companies? JOACHIM BILE-AKA & MICHEL K BRIZOUA-BI: For companies doing business outside Côte d’Ivoire, these new policies will inevitably have an impact on their way of operating. These new measures are part of a global trend towards more transparency in capital flows. In this…
Interview:Emmanuel Essis How will the revision of the Investment Code improve incentives for investors? EMMANUEL ESSIS: McKinsey has been chosen to perform an assessment on the strength and weaknesses of the code as it currently stands, as well as of the investment environment as a whole. They have looked into the investment ecosystem from the perspective of investors, and identified the challenges…
Interview:Jean-Marie Ackah How could local competitiveness be improved? JEAN-MARIE ACKAH: In my opinion, the competitiveness of local companies is in line with that of the region, but remains weak from a global perspective. When we compare ourselves to neighbouring countries, Côte d’Ivoire remains one of the top performers; however, we must benchmark our capabilities with our real competitors,…
Interview:Akinwumi Adesina What can be done to formalise African economies? AKINWUMI ADESINA: The AfDB estimates the informal economy in Africa accounts for 50-80% of GDP, 60-80% of employment and as much as 90% of new jobs. The vast size of the informal sector stems partly from institutional deficiencies, such as a failure to enforce regulations, as well as factors that inhibit compliance.…
Interview:Amadou Gon Coulibaly How are the living conditions for lower-income citizens being improved? AMADOU GON COULIBALY: To revitalise the government’s actions aimed at meeting the expectations of our population, the state has put in place a number of projects with large social implications. Concerning access to clean water, important hydraulic projects have been put in place, not only…
Interview:Roger Eugène Boa Johnson How can the authorities ensure the sustainable development of the insurance sector? ROGER EUGÈNE BOA JOHNSON: After the application of Article 13 – which was responsible for implementing a “pay-before-cover” policy in 2011 – the treasury of insurance companies in Côte d’Ivoire has substantially improved. Indeed, this has brought much-needed structure…
Interview:Clyde Fakhoury What are some of the most noticeable trends in Côte d’Ivoire’s construction sector? CLYDE FAKHOURY: Côte d’Ivoire’s national heritage – which is exceptional from an architectural standpoint – has been strongly neglected in recent decades. As a result, most buildings require significant renovation work. There is a growing awareness of the need to consolidate…
