Côte d’Ivoire’s economy among Africa’s top 10
Cote D'Ivoire is among the 10 most competitive economies in Africa, with an average growth rate of nine per cent among the highest in the world for four consecutive years.
Advertisement
The country has also been designated the most attractive country in sub-Saharan Africa in terms of investment and seeks to return the country to the “top 60” countries of the World Bank “Doing Business” ranking in the next few years.
extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Cote d’Ivoire to Ghana, Republic of Togo and the Republic of Benin, Mr Bernard Ehui-Koutoua, stated.
The Ambassador, who was speaking at the 57th anniversary celebration of the independence of Côte d’Ivoire, noted that the Ivorian government had initiated significant reforms towards improving the business environment, adding that these efforts, which had been recognised by the World Bank, earned Côte d’Ivoire a rank among the 10 most reformist countries in the world for 2014 and 2015.
He said through international community partnerships, especially with the European Union (EU), the country had achieved exceptional successes, some of which include containing the inflation rate at below two per cent and keeping the budget deficit under control at about three per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (DGP).
Ambassador Ehui-Koutoua said Cote d’Ivoire remained the world’s largest cocoa and cashew producer, as well as being the first African producer of palm oil and natural rubber.
He noted that Eurobond 2017 raised US$1,250,000,000 and 625 million Euros, approximately CFA Francs 1,140 million.
International financial markets were also convinced that Côte d’Ivoire had a diverse and competitive economy, he pointed out, saying that investors also appreciated the country’s leading role in the sub-region.
Sub-regional hub
“Côte d’Ivoire has become a sub-regional hub for energy, telecommunications, air transport and financial centre in West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA),’’ he noted, saying in the energy sector, Côte d’Ivoire was becoming a hub in West Africa, having achieved a capacity of 2,000 MW in 2016 and was expecting to reach 4,000MW by 2020.
Today, he said, Côte d’Ivoire had one of the widest and most diverse infrastructural networks in Africa in the area of roads, sea ports and airports.
“Côte d’Ivoire put in place its diplomatic and consular mapping adopted in 2014 with 46 embassies of which 20 are in Africa, four in the Americas, seven in Asia and 15 in Europe and now covering 197 countries,” he disclosed.
That, he said, confirmed the repositioning and influence of Côte d’Ivoire on the international scene, as evidenced by the signing on March 15, 2017 of the supplementary headquarters agreement confirming the relocation of the International Cocoa Council from London to Abidjan.
Côte d’Ivoire, he noted, therefore, agreed to grant the privileges and immunities needed by the International Cocoa Council to fully carry its mission.
He recalled the second edition of the International Conference on the Emergence of Africa, held in Abidjan on March 27, 2017, where various African policymakers addressed the issue of “the implementation of emergence plans in Africa”.
Strong appeal
Ambassador Ehui-Koutoua, however, made a solemn and strong appeal to the Ivorian brothers still living as refugees in Ghana, numbering about 6,489 to return to Côte d’Ivoire and work towards rebuilding and developing their motherland.
He said there was nothing currently preventing these Ivorians from returning home and expressed appreciation to Ghanaians for the hospitality shown towards Ivorians.
Mr Ehui-Koutoua was grateful to the government of Ghana, for the effort made towards facilitating the voluntary return of Ivorian brothers and sisters.
Kofi Adda’s response
In response, the leader of Ghana’s delegation to the reception, the Minister for Water Resources and Sanitation, Mr Kofi Adda, said after more than 10 years in crisis, it was very pleasant and heart-warming to learn about the achievements of Côte d’Ivoire, in various areas such as economy, politics, diplomacy, peace and security, under President Ouattara.
Ghana, he said, continued to follow with keen interest and admiration the efforts that the government and people of Côte d’Ivoire were making to consolidate the democratic gains and pursue sustainable socio-economic development of the country.
He, however, pledged Ghana’s continued commitment towards working with Côte d’Ivoire at the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) levels, towards achieving our shared continental values and aspirations.
“As a strategic partner and neighbour to the west, the President pledged Ghana’s support to strengthen the cooperation in security, intelligence and information sharing to help maintain the peace and prosperity in our sub-region for the benefit of our peoples,” he said.
