Souleymane Diarrassouba, Minister of Trade, Industry and the Promotion of SMEs, representing the Ivorian government, and the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Abidjan, His excellency Mr. Ingo Herbert, signed an implementation contract on Thursday in Plateau, Abidjan.
Côte d'Ivoire and Germany are reinvigorating their cooperation to make the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) fully functional.
On Thursday 3 November 2022, in Plateau (Abidjan), the two countries signed an implementation contract for two major projects. These are the ‘AfCFTA Support Project and the “Advance Rulings Project”. Souleymane Diarrassouba, Minister for Trade, Industry and the Promotion of SMEs, represented the Ivorian side, while the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Abidjan, H.E. Ingo Herbert, on behalf of the German cooperation agency GIZ.
According to Souleymane Diarrassouba, GIZ is involved on two levels. It is contributing 1 million euros to the “AfCFTA Support Project”, and a maximum of €600,000 to the ‘Advance Decisions Project’. This represents total funding of more than one billion CFA francs. In addition, the institution will provide experts, equipment supplies, operating costs and other services.
Minister Souleymane Diarrassouba welcomed the implementation of these projects through the signing of this contract, which he said was ‘a lever for improving the conditions for the operationalisation of the AfCFTA’.
Moreover, it will empower Ivorian Customs to facilitate trade for the private sector in Côte d’Ivoire, enhance tax compliance, strengthen partnerships with the private sector, and foster a climate of mutual trust.
Souleymane Diarrassouba also assured the German government that it would “do its utmost” to mobilise Côte d'Ivoire's economic players and operators, particularly those in the export and import sectors.
The aim is to encourage the public to subscribe massively to these two GIZ projects, in order to achieve greater transparency. He also expressed Côte d'Ivoire's commitment to working alongside Germany and GIZ to “look after the interests of exporters and importers in Côte d'Ivoire, by signing this contract”.
Through this gesture towards Côte d’Ivoire, Germany, according to its ambassador, H.E. Ingo Herbert, aims to demonstrate its ‘unwavering support’ for the sustainable development and diversification of Côte d’Ivoire’s economy.
For the diplomat, the “Support for the AfCFTA” project offers assistance in conducting negotiations, strengthening the institutional framework and publicising the provisions and instruments of the AfCFTA agreement. The “Advance Rulings” programme aims to contribute to the transparency of trade transactions by setting up an advance ruling mechanism.
He expressed his satisfaction with the implementation of these projects and, by extension, the AfCFTA, which he emphasised represents a genuine opportunity for Africa's development.
Credit: Framatinfo