Interview: Gagan Gupta How can public-private partnerships (PPPs) for agricultural development be strengthened? GAGAN GUPTA: The framework for PPPs already exists in the country, so there is not really much to change on that front. It is more about encouraging private operators to invest in the sector. The rules regarding the respective roles of the government and private operators are very clear,…
Interview: Gert Vandersmissen How do you expect livestock production to evolve during the coming years? GERT VANDERSMISSEN: Food production as a whole in Gabon is still very insufficient, as nearly 95% of the food consumed here is imported. When it comes to livestock, SIAT has 5000 heads of cattle and produces about one tonne of meat annually. As Gabon’s demand for meat is estimated at 80,000 tonnes…
Interview: Christophe Akagha-Mba What are the prospects for mining in Gabon? CHRISTOPHE AKAGHA-MBA: The contribution of the mining sector to GDP is going to rise by two percentage points in 2015, from 4.5% to 6.5%. This growth will be driven by the substantial increase in manganese production, up from 3.6m tonnes to 4.2m tonnes thanks to the development of Compagnie des Mines de l’Ogooué (COMILOG),…
Interview: FabriceNzé-Békalé What major improvements does the new Mining Code bring to foreign investors? FABRICE NZÉ-BÉKALÉ: The revision of the Mining Code has been a long process initiated more than four years ago. There was a need to bring some clarifications not only for existing investors, but also for new foreign investors who required a more stable and accurate legal framework…
Interview: Rigobert Ikambouayat Ndeka How will maritime transport change over the coming years in terms of volumes and goods? RIGOBERT IKAMBOUAYAT NDEKA: Port activity in Gabon revolves around bulk shipping for raw oil, and mining and forestry products, as well as containerised shipping. With a current output of 230,000 barrels per day (bpd), oil production has decreased from 12.1m tonnes in 2011…
Interview: Patrick Claes What measures are being taken to upgrade and improve Gabon’s current railway capacity? PATRICK CLAES: The Transgabonais currently offers eight to nine daily commercial train slots, which is below the 16 daily slots the network could potentially accommodate. The main reason for this gap is the ageing infrastructure, which restricts the speed of traffic. Setrag is committed…
Interview: Paul Mapessi What are the latest projects and developments in the social housing segment in Gabon? PAUL MAPESSI: There are several operators involved in the construction of social housing in Gabon. The national operator, Société Nationale Immobilière, is building 3800 houses across the country, while SNLS is currently constructing about 2000 houses in 2014-15 and developing 650 serviced…
Interview: Lee White How do you see the tourism sector evolving? LEE WHITE: There are three primary tourism sectors here in Gabon. When you look at the tourism statistics, most of the visitors coming to the country are business tourists. They are visiting Gabon in a professional capacity and it is a rule that business tourists do not travel much around the country, instead sticking to Libreville…
Interview: Nicolas Balesme What changes will Gabonese companies need to make, following recent fiscal reforms? NICOLAS BALESME: Gabon’s 2015 Finance Act included fiscal provisions that aim to improve the taxation process. The new provisions specify what new elements are to be taken into account for the tax base, with regards to corporate tax deductibility rules and some regulations regarding control…
CEMAC countries have to face major challenges with regards to their economic and political situations. On the security side, the political upheaval in the Central African Republic and the development of terrorism along CEMAC borders, notably from Boko Haram, is threatening the entire region and, consequently, the capacity to attract investment. On the economic side, almost all CEMAC countries are…
