Ivory Coast: French bosses forcingYoung Afrique-18/7/2011
July 14, Francois Fillon visited the Ivory Coast for talks with Alassane Ouattara. In the luggage of the Prime Minister, one hundred companies attracted to the reconstruction and economic recovery of the country.
The future is bright. "France was doing well in Ivory Coast under Gbagbo regime, but with Ouattara they will be doing better and the will not experience more pressure. It's a new era, "says a French construction sector, present in the country for thirty years.
Evidence of this revival? Subsided, the Paris-Abidjan already attracting newcomers. Since May, Carrefour and Auchan prospect the market. The restaurant chain Hippopotamus opened its first franchise on June 16 (3 million). And its parent company, Groupe Flo, considering the upcoming opening of a brewery Flo, with the help of promoter Franco-Ivorian Badreddine Jihad.
And it's not over. As proof, during his visit to Abidjan after the traditional parade of 14 July on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, French Prime Minister François Fillon has come accompanied by a delegation of a hundred business leaders, led by Patrick Lucas, Chairman of the Africa MEDEF, the main French employers' organization. Besides the date, logistics deployed by Paris reflects the strategic importance of this visit. "Three Airbus have been mobilized. This trip will cost over 200,000 euros to the French government, "stated a French diplomatic source in Abidjan, a few days ago.
Impatience
With this official visit, French companies have put themselves well in battle in anticipation of the investment plan of over 10 billion euros that the Ivorian government should start after the elections, planned before the end of year. Investments in energy, infrastructure (roads, bridges, schools, hospitals ...) and social (development of health insurance) are the priorities.
Very excited, many French bosses have already made the trip to Abidjan since the fall of Laurent Gbagbo, April 11, to unlock investments pending. Olivier Bouygues, deputy CEO of the Bouygues group, already received twice ADO (May 11 and June 23) announced the relaunch of gas operations through its subsidiary Foxtrot. The group is also working to start the construction of the third bridge in Abidjan-Riviera Marcory. The project (255 million) is on track with the release of 45 million euros by the African Development Bank.
Blocked for the moment, the proposed international airport of San Pedro is promised to Bouygues, Vinci and Fougerolle for the shell, and Aéroports de Paris for the operation - an investment of 185 million euros funded by the ... Deutsche Bank. Vinci is also working with the architect Pierre Fakhoury into participating sites to transfer the political capital of Abidjan to Yamoussoukro.
In mid-June, the businessman Roger Franco-Ivorian Abinader presented to Ivorian authorities Stéphane Charriau, Director for Africa energy group Alstom. It was received by the Minister of Energy, Adama Toungara, before holding talks on the phone with Philip Serey-Eiffel, special adviser to ADO responsible for economic and infrastructure. Objective: To revive the expansion projects of thermal power plants and Azito Ciprelli 4, Vridi. Alstom is well positioned to take over as the Chinese Sinohydro the construction of the dam Soubré (300 million). "The President's priority is to bridge the gap energy production," says a close associate of the Ivorian head of state.
Trucks
French companies feel (too) confident. The principle of competition between foreign companies set up by Gbagbo to diversify the origin of investors and reduce French influence in the country, proved ineffective, but this measure still had a psychological impact in creating a climate of uncertainty around the hexagonal companies.
When the battle is played without them
French groups are everywhere. Americans Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) remain the main Ivorian cocoa chargers. June 23, they have already exported nearly 350,000 tons of beans, 40% of the 2010-2011 campaign, which ends Sept. 30. In palm oil, Olam (the Indo-Pakistani Kewalram Chanrai) and Indonesian Wilmar acquired a monopoly position through a partnership with the Ivorian private Sifca.
In hydrocarbons, except Foxtrot (subsidiary of Bouygues), operators are American (Vanco Energy), Russian (Lukoil), British (Tullow Oil), Belgium and Ivory Coast (Yam's Petroleum), Nigeria (Ornato), Canada (NRC) Italian (Edison) or UAE (Al-Thani). In the iron, the Indian Tata Steel and Taurian lead the pack with a contract estimated at over 3.5 billion euros for the first. Gold is the case of South Africa's Randgold Resources and Cluff Gold UK. Finally, China National Geological & Mining Corporation is in the manganese.
Of course, the breakthrough of new investors, including China, has reduced the market share of France increased from 12% to 9.8% between 2009 and 2010. However, it remains the second trading partner. According to a note of the economic mission of the Embassy of France in Abidjan, bilateral trade between Paris and Abidjan have reached 1.4 billion euros in 2010. A record. During the boom years before the crisis, they peaked at 700 million euros. On their own, French companies (600 SMEs are present next to large groups) generate more than 50% of tax revenues, estimated at over 2.3 billion euros in 2011.
Other heavyweights attest to this strong French presence. Societe Generale and BNP Paribas, which share 35% of the Ivorian banking market, have had confirmation that they could continue to host the accounts of large public companies in the country as well as approximately 100 000 employees, two thirds of the public service. Similarly, Bolloré and Bouygues dominate the business on the banks of the lagoon Ébrié. The Ivorian subsidiary of Bolloré Africa Logistics is the first private investor. In the port of Abidjan, is preparing the relaunch of its development plan of the container terminal (75 million) and expects 285 million euros of investments in twenty years to leave its subsidiary Sitarail (railway transportation) .
But Total, CFAO and other Accor above all the eyes on the huge project of privatization or redistribution of the cards in the public sector. The head of state has requested an audit of 43 public enterprises (national refinery company [SIR], National Investment Bank, Bank Versus ...) and some of them could be privatized. Already, Sonangol is asked to give up its 22% stake in the SIR. Officially, the Angolan group is evicted for not keeping its promises of investment of about EUR 140 million - not because of his country's support to Laurent Gbagbo ...
Lucrative opportunities ahead. Yet friendly pressure exerted on the power by the Ivorian international donors including the World Bank, to encourage him to launch tenders for more transparency. It remains to see where the yellow line.
Baudelaire Mieu, Abidjan
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