Industry & Retail
From The Report: Cote d'Ivoire 2013
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Once the industrial engine of post-colonial West Africa, Côte d’Ivoire still retains a commercial and manufacturing fabric that is enviable by regional standards, although its lead over its neighbours has all but disappeared recently. As with other areas of the economy, industry has suffered from the years of political turmoil and economic stagnation from 1999 to 2011. Recovery has been rapid and impressive since 2011, however, and Ivoirian industrialists are optimistic about a return to sustained growth.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Future oriented: Sector seeks growth in the transition to downstream manufacturing
OBG
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Once the industrial engine of post-colonial West Africa, Côte d’Ivoire still retains a commercial and manufacturing fabric that is enviable by regional standards, although its lead over its neighbours has all but disappeared recently. As with other areas of the economy, industry has suffered from the years of political turmoil and economic stagnation from 1999 to 2011. Recovery has been rapid and impressive since 2011, however, and Ivoirian industrialists are optimistic about a return to sustained…

Analysis

Laying the table: Government initiatives aim to encourage industrial investment
OBG
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To support industrial and economic development, the government has adopted a multipronged approach: a public investment programme to rebuild and improve infrastructure; mobilisation of private sector investment through public-private partnerships; improvements to the business environment to stimulate private sector investment more broadly; and promotion of the transformation of raw materials prior to export (see Economy chapter). GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES: In a joint survey put out by the Ministry…

Interview

OBG talks to Marie Gabrielle Boka-Varlet, Managing Director, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Côte d’Ivoire (CCI-CI)
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Interview: Marie Gabrielle Boka-Varlet What are the principal challenges faced by companies in getting their goods to clear Customs? MARIE GABRIELLE BOKA-VARLET: One significant challenge is related to the Customs value of imported merchandise as determined by BIVAC, a subsidiary of Bureau Veritas. Operators do not always understand changes in Customs value and sometimes opt to contend these. There is an arbitrage committee to resolve cases, of which so far in 2013 some 656 have been submitted…

Analysis

Going downstream: Value-added manufacturing holds promise for an export-led economy
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Accounting for a third of all cocoa exports, and blessed with an ideal climate for a range of cash crops, Côte d’Ivoire has long derived the bulk of its export income from raw, unprocessed agricultural produce. This reliance has, however, made it dependent to a large degree on the vagaries of international commodity markets, while much of the value added during processing has gone elsewhere. COCOA & CASHEWS: Only a third of the 1.5m tonnes of cocoa produced in the country during 2010-11…

Overview

Creating demand: Activity increases in line with a shift to the formal sector
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Outside of Abidjan and the major population centres, goods are sold almost exclusively by small operators in the informal sector, often in open-air markets. In the country as a whole, the informal sector dominates retail, accounting for an estimated 70-90% of all sales. Supermarkets and high-street stores are more prevalent in Abidjan, with the Lebanese community historically playing a central role in the formal retail sector. The two largest groups, Prosuma and Compagnie de Distribution de Côte…