BOTSWANA AT ITS BEST ZOOM SUR L'AFRIQUE DES ...

BELGIUM I LUXEMBOURG I AFRICA I CARIBBEAN I PACIFICChambre de Commerce, d’Industrie et d’Agriculture I Belgique, Luxembourg, Afrique, Caraïbes, PacifiqueKamer van Koophandel, Nijverheid en Landbouw I België, Luxemburg, Afrika, Caraiben, PacificChamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture I Belgium, Luxembourg, Africa, Caribbean, Pacific

56e année I Trimestriel I Avril, Mai, Juin 2021

BOTSWANA AT ITS BEST

ZOOM SUR L'AFRIQUE DES GRANDS LACS

Ensemble,allons plus loin !

Kasumbalesa

Likasi

Kalemie

Bukavu

Uvira

Kilwa

Goma

Butembo

Kisangani Beni

Bunia

KinduLodja

Kolwezi

Mbuji-Mayi

Matadi

Lubumbashi

Fungurume

Kamoa

Mbandaka

Bandundu

Kikwit

Mwene-Ditu

Mbanza-Ngungu

Kinshasa

Kamina

Kananga

Kenge

Gemena

Gbadolite

BomaMuanda

Logu

Kabinda

Manono

PERSONAL BANKING - BUSINESS BANKING - MOBILE BANKING I www.tmb.cd

La Trust Merchant Bank (TMB) est une des plus importantes banques commerciales en République Démocratique du Congo. Banque universelle et de proximité, la TMB se déploie à travers le plus vaste réseau d’agences bancaires du pays.

Reconnue internationalement comme la meilleure banque du pays, la TMB est un précurseur et un innovateur dans le secteur bancaire national. Première banque congolaise à proposer un service de mobile banking, la TMB demeure le leader incontesté dans le domaine, avec PEPELE Mobile, accessible sur tous les réseaux mobiles du pays et sur tout type de téléphone.

Banque de l’inclusion financière, la TMB gère un compte bancaire sur cinq en RDC. Elle est la première banque du pays en nombre de clients et en réseau d’agences, et la seconde en taille de bilan.

L’ancrage national de la TMB, son personnel expérimenté à l’écoute des clients, son professionnalisme et sa gamme inégalée de produits et services constituent la clé de son succès depuis plus de quinze ans.

© This content is protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without the formal authorisation of the editor.

VIP MEMBERS

www.deme-group.com www.transautomobile.com

CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE, D’INDUSTRIE ET D’AGRICULTURE ASBL

KAMER VAN KOOPHANDEL, NIJVERHEID EN LANDBOUW VZW

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, INDUSTRY AND AGRICULTURE NPO

SECRETARIAT

Rue Montoyerstraat 24 B5 1000 Brussels T +32 2 512 99 50 [email protected] www.cbl-acp.be

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Jacques EVRARD

EXECUTIVE MANAGER

Corine COURBET

MANAGER

Didier VERHELST

DEPUTY MANAGER

Jennifer LEFEBURE

RESPONSIBLE OF THE MAGAZINE

Michael STENGER Avenue Huart Hamoir 48 1030 Brussels T +32 2 242 05 10 [email protected] www.idealogy.be

EDITOR

Nicolas STENGER

SALES & ADVERTISEMENTS

Nada NEBBOU

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Céline BACHO Louise RIQUIER

COVER BY

Céline BACHO

CHIEF EDITOR Nicolas STENGER

www.perspectives-cblacp.eu

PICTURES

© shutterstock

Avril, Mai, Juin 2021

COMMUNICATION AGENCY

www.idealogy.eu

SOMMAIREEDITO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

FOCUS LA REGION DES GRANDS LACS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 République Démocratique du Congo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Uganda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Rwanda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Burundi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

FOCUS BOTSWANA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Interview with H.E. Samuel O. Outlule – Ambassador of

the Republic of Botswana to the Kingdom of Belgium

and Head of Delegation to the European Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Minerals development company Botswana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

CBL-ACP: FINANCIAL DIVISION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

CBL-ACP: EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

CBL-ACP: STAFF & MEMBERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

2 /2 / EDITO

EDITO

Le défi : Désenclaver l’Afrique des Grands Lacs

Cette fois c’est l’Afrique des Grands Lacs que notre revue met en évidence.

Loin des échanges maritimes et portuaires, sources inépuisables de commerce interna-tional et d’enrichissement national, cette ré-gion, ne disposant d’aucun accès direct à la mer, s’est constituée en formant une enclave territoriale distincte au sein du Continent.

Les Grands Lacs en question (ceux de la val-lée du Rift) donnent leur nom à une sous-ré-gion complexe, carrefour entre l’Afrique Centrale et l’Afrique de l’Est.

A l’inverse de la plupart des autres régions du Continent, les anciennes frontières de cer-tains royaumes y ont été largement conser-vées, entraînant ainsi localement une meil-leure cohérence économique et politique.

Pourtant la zone en question, située à la join-ture des zones francophones et anglophones, est bien trop diversifiée pour être considérée comme d’un seul tenant.

Il s’ensuit que, séparés par des frontières administratives strictes, les pays qui la com-posent ne donnent pas une image homogène des ressources et des richesses qu’ils abritent et doivent être analysés au travers du prisme des différents facteurs structurels contempo-rains qui leur sont propres.

Mais lesdites ressources et richesses, essen-tielles pour le développement économique et politique de la région, réclament surtout, pour être valorisées, des solutions adaptées aux réalités de notre 21ième siècle.

C’est sur base de ce constat que se pose la question du désenclavement, thème qui prend de l’ampleur à mesure que la mon-dialisation gagne du terrain et contraint les différents acteurs économiques à y participer coûte que coûte s’ils veulent peser dans le système économique international. Ce dé-senclavement sera d’abord physique.

Tout repose aujourd’hui logistiquement sur les trois corridors économiques existants : ce-lui qui rejoint Kampala au port de Mombasa via Nairobi ; celui qui part de Kigali, passe par

Dodoma et abouti à Dar es-Salaam et celui qui connecte Lusaka à Dar es Salaam.

Force est de constater que les performances de ces corridors sont assez faibles, occa-sionnant des surcoûts massifs sur toutes les portions des infrastructures routières et ferroviaires.

À cela s’ajoute une hyper-saturation des sites portuaires de Mombasa et de Dar es Salaam. Perte de temps, perte d’argent, mais aussi prolifération de barrières non-tarifaires (bar-rages routiers informels, manque d’harmoni-sation des procédures frontalières) autant de facteurs qui contribuent à des performances médiocres.

Et pour couronner le tout, les programmes de coopération supra-étatique aboutissent souvent à des processus décisionnels qui excluent les pays enclavés, aggravant la dé-pendance économique et politique de ces derniers vis-à-vis de leurs voisins.

Ceci pour dire que l’insertion nécessaire de la Zone des Grands Lacs dans les méandres du marché international passera impérati-vement par une revalorisation des corridors logistiques existants. Et seul l’adaptation de ces derniers aux réalités économiques d’au-jourd’hui et surtout de demain permettra de les consolider et de les mettre à niveau afin de leur permettre de remplir pleinement leur rôle d’interface entre les centres d’activités économiques régionaux et la façade mari-time orientale kenyane et tanzanienne.

Ce désenclavement devra aussi être adminis-tratif avec des objectifs de libéralisation in-terne, de coopération régionale, d’harmonisa-tion et de désengagement progressif de l’État. Des accords douaniers ainsi qu’un renforce-ment institutionnel régional permettraient de résoudre déjà de nombreux obstacles.

En conclusion, dresser un bilan exhaustif du dé-senclavement de l’Afrique des Grands Lacs re-lève de l’impossible. Mais il est évident que cette région, aux richesses naturelles et humaines im-menses, ressources souvent inexploitées voire négligées, dégage une capacité de croissance supérieure à bien d’autres régions.

Un opérateur économique averti aura vite compris le potentiel de développement que

représente l’Afrique des Grands Lacs et les opportunités qu’elle offre.

The challenge: opening up the Africa of the Great Lakes

This time our magazine puts the Africa of the Great Lakes in the spotlight.

Miles away from maritime and port related traffic, far from inexhaustible international commercial sources and domestic richness this landlocked region is characterised as a distinctive territorial enclave at the heart of the Continent. The Great Lakes in question (those of the Rift valley) give their name to a complex subregion at the crossroads between Central and Eastern Africa.

Contrary to most of the other regions of the Continent, here the borders of certain ancient kingdoms have largely remained in-tact, resulting locally in an better economic and political coherence. Yet at the same time the area, situated also at the seams of French speaking and English speaking territories, is far too diversified to be considered an inte-grated entity.

Separated by strict administrative borders the countries being part of the Great Lakes don’t paint a homogenous picture in terms of the resources and wealth they contain. And so they have to be analysed through the prism of their own different structural contemporary factors. Above all, in order to be correctly valorised, the aforementioned resources and wealth, so essential for the economic and political development of the region, require solutions adapted to 21st cen-tury realities.

It is based on this observation that the ques-tion of opening up the enclave should be examined. The topic gains more attention as globalisation grows and lures different eco-nomic actors, to participate at any cost, if at least they want to make a mark on the inter-national economic system.

First of all freeing the enclave will have to be done geographically. Today logistically eve-rything hinges on three existing economic corridors: one that connects Kampala to the port of Mombasa via Nairobi; another one

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GUY BULTYNCKChairman CBL-ACP

leaving Kigali and reaching Dar es Salaam by way of Dodoma; and lastly one that links Lusaka to Dar es Salaam. The score sheet of these corridors isn’t very solid, incidentally leading to massive incremental costs so as to sustain the road and rail infrastructure.

To make things worse there is the hyper-sa-turation of the ports of Mombasa and Dar es Salaam. The waste of time and money, but also the proliferation of rate-unrelated obstruc-tions (informal road blocks, lack of harmoni-sation in cross border procedures) are factors contributing to the poor performance.

And to cap it all supra-state cooperation pro-grams often culminate in decision-making processes which exclude enclaved coun-tries, thus deepening the economic and po-litical dependence of the latter vis-à-vis their neighbours.

All of this goes to say that the much needed in-sertion of the Great Lakes area into the mean-ders of the international market is subject to the revalorisation of existing logistical cor-ridors. And only aligning these with the requi-rements of the actual and upcoming economic realities of consolidation and upgrading will allow them to fully play their role of interface between the regional economic centres and the eastern seaboards of Kenya and Tanzania.

This access improvement of the enclave will also have to be achieved administratively with objectives of internal liberalisation, regional cooperation, harmonisation and progressive withdrawal of the state. Custom agreements as well as a regional institutional reinforcement would already solve many obstacles.

In conclusion drawing up a substantial balance sheet of opening up the Africa of the Great Lakes seems impossible. But evidently this region with its immense natural and human resources, often untapped and overlooked, provides a capacity of growth superior to many other regions.

An economic operator well aware of this would quickly understand the development potential of the Africa of the Great Lakes and the opportunities it offers.

De uitdaging: de ontsluiting van het Afrika van de Grote Meren

Deze keer belichten we met ons magazine het Afrika van de Grote Meren.

Ver weg van maritieme en haven gebonden trafieken, ver weg ook van onuitputtelijke, in-ternationale commerciële bronnen en binnen-

landse rijkdom, wordt deze regio zonder toe-gang tot de zee gekenmerkt als een bijzon-dere territoriale enclave in het hart van het Continent. De Grote Meren waarvan sprake (deze van de Grote Slenk vallei) hebben hun naam gegeven aan een complexe sub regio aan het kruispunt tussen Centraal en Oostelijk Afrika.

In tegenstelling tot de meerderheid van an-dere regio’s in het Continent zijn de meeste grenzen van de oude koninkrijken hier in-tact gebleven. Het resulteert lokaal in een betere economische en politieke coherentie. Tezelfdertijd echter is de regio, die ook op de grens ligt tussen Franstalige en Engelstalige gebieden, te gediversifieerd om van een geïntegreerde entiteit te kunnen spreken.

Afgescheiden door strikte administratieve grenzen vormen de landen, die deel uitmaken van de Grote Meren, geen homogeen ge-heel voor wat betreft beschikbare middelen en rijkdom. En dus moeten ze geanalyseerd worden door een prisma van de verschillende hedendaagse en structurele factoren, die hun eigen zijn. Om ze correct te kunnen valoriseren vereisen de eerder aangehaalde middelen en rijkdom, zo essentieel voor de economische en politieke ontwikkeling van de regio, vooral oplossingen in lijn met 21-eeuwse realiteiten.

Het is op basis van deze vaststelling dat de kwestie van de ontsluiting zich stelt, een the-ma overigens dat groeit in reikwijdte naarmate de globalisering terrein wint en verschillende economische actoren worden meegesleept om er kost wat kost in te participeren zodat ze kunnen wegen op het internationaal eco-nomisch systeem.

Eerst en vooral zal de ontsluiting van de enclave fysiek moeten gebeuren. Vandaag steunt de logistiek op drie bestaande eco-nomische corridors: één daarvan verbindt Kampala via Nairobi met de haven van Mombasa; een andere verlaat Kigali en be-reikt Dar es Salaam langs Dodoma; en de laatste vormt de link tussen Lusaka en Dar es Salaam. We kunnen alleen maar vaststellen, dat deze corridors zwak presteren, occa-sioneel uitmondend in enorme extra kosten gerelateerd aan alle onderdelen van de wegen spoorinfrastructuur.

Voeg hier nog de oververzadiging aan toe van de havensites van Mombasa en Dar es Salaam en je krijgt tijdverlies, kostenverslin-ding en ook de proliferatie van niet-tariefma-tige hindernissen (informele wegblokkades, gebrek aan harmonisatie van douane forma-liteiten); allemaal factoren die bijdragen aan het matig presteren.

Als om alles te bekronen zijn er nog de suprana-tionale samenwerkingsprogramma’s. Die leiden vaak tot besluitvormingsprocessen die landen in een enclave uitsluiten, waardoor hun econo-mische en politieke afhankelijkheid in vergeli-jking met landen uit hun buurt nog toeneemt.

Dit alles maar om duidelijk te maken, dat de noodzakelijke inclusie van het Grote Meren gebied in de meanders van de internationale markt imperatief en alleen zal verwezenli-jkt worden door een herwaardering van de bestaande logistieke corridors. En enkel de aanpassing van deze corridors aan de heden-daagse maar ook aanstaande economische vereisten zal een consolidatie en een kwa-liteitsverbetering tot aanvaardbaar niveau toelaten. Alleen dat zal het hen mogelijk maken hun rol van interface tussen de econo-mische centra en de oostelijk gelegen kustlijn van Kenia en Tanzania voluit te spelen.

De ontsluiting van de enclave dient ook op ad-ministratief vlak verwezenlijkt, met objectie-ven als interne liberalisatie, regionale coöpe-ratie, harmonisering en geleidelijke terugtrek-king van de overheid. Douane akkoorden en ook een institutionele regionale versterking zouden al vele obstakels oplossen.

De conclusie mag zijn dat een exhaustief bilan opstellen van de ontsluiting van het Afrika van de Grote Meren haast onmogeli-jk is. Toch is het evident dat deze regio met haar natuurlijke en menselijke rijkdommen, vaak vergeten en onaangeboord, over groei-mogelijkheden beschikt superieur aan deze van andere regio’s.

Een goed geïnformeerde economische ope-rator zou vlug begrijpen welk potentieel aan ontwikkeling het Afrika van de Grote Meren bie-dt en de opportuniteiten ervan te baat nemen.

Kenya

Tanzanie

Mozambique

Zambie

République Démocratique

du CongoOug

andaRwanda

Lac Victoria

Lac Malawi

Lac Tanganyika

Lac Kyoga

Lac Albert

Lac Edward

Lac Kivu

Lac Turkana

Malawi

Burundi

Lac RukwaLac Mweiu

- POPULATION -

170 000 000(environ)

- ACTIVITÉS ÉCONOMIQUES -

Agriculture, sylviculture et pêche, valeur ajoutée

(du PIB)

Burundi : 28.9 % (2019)

Kenya : 34.1 % (2019)

Malawi : 25.5 % (2019)

Mozambique : 26.0 % (2019)

Ouganda : 23.1 % (2019)

République Démocratique du Congo : 20.0 % (2019)

Rwanda : 23.5 % (2019)

Tanzanie : 28.7 % (2017)

Zambie : 29.0 % (2019)

- ADMINISTRATION -

Burundi, Kenya, République

Démocratique du Congo, Malawi, Mozambique,

Ouganda, Rwanda, Tanzanie, Zambie

- PAYS -

Burundi, République Démocratique du

Congo, Ouganda et Rwanda

- ALLIANCES EXISTANTES -

Communauté économique des États de l’Afrique

centrale (CEEAC) : 1976

Conférence internationale sur la région des Grands

Lacs (CIRGL) : 2008

FocusLA RÉGION DES GRANDS LACS

6 / LA RÉGION DES GRANDS LACS

RÉPUBLIQUE DÉMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO

PERSPECTIVES ÉCONOMIQUES

La République Démocratique du Congo est le plus grand pays d’Afrique subsaharienne, mais il est surtout le pays africain avec le plus grand potentiel hydroélectrique et c’est l’un de plus importants producteurs d’étain, de cuivre et de cobalt au monde. Les prix favo-rables des matières premières ont facilité une croissance économique robuste de 2001 à 2014, mais l'absence de volonté politique, la faiblesse des institutions et la persistance des conflits dans certaines régions ont continué à miner la résilience.

La RDC a atteint une croissance économique de 4.4 % en 2019, principalement soutenue par les exportations de cobalt et de cuivre. L’agriculture représente 21 % du PIB, l’extrac-tion minière et pétrolière 33 % et les services 47 %. Cependant, le pays a connu en 2020 sa première récession en 18 ans à cause du COVID-19 avec une croissance à 0.8 %. La contribution des activités non extractives du pays s’est effondrée de 4.1 % en 2019 à -1.9 % en 2020. L’industrie minière a elle pro-gressé de 6.9 % en 2020 (contre 1 % en 2019) grâce à la demande chinoise. Malgré cela, le déficit des comptes courants est passé de 3.8 % du PIB en 2019 à 5.4 % en 2020. Il n'a été que partiellement financé par des entrées de capitaux, ce qui a entraîné une baisse des réserves de change. Le déficit public a fai-blement augmenté de 0.8 % à 1.9 % du PIB. L’inflation est passée de 4.5 % en 2019 à 13 % en 2020 et le franc congolais s’est déprécié de 12.4 % par rapport au dollar américain entre 2019 et 2020.

Le PIB devrait croître à nouveau de 3.3 % en 2021 et de 4.5 % en 2022, essentielle-ment grâce à la hausse des prix des prin-cipaux produits miniers et à la reprise de la consommation et de l’investissement. La balance courante devrait cependant rester structurellement déficitaire (4.0 % du PIB) sur 2021-2022.

La faiblesse du secteur manufacturier, la porosité des frontières et la faiblesse des liens entre les régions, ont fait de la RDC une éco-nomie basée sur les importations. Les biens de consommation et les denrées alimentaires à bas prix introduits en contrebande en RDC depuis l'Angola et la Zambie ont réduit la production locale et entraîné une fuite des capitaux à grande échelle.

Il existe trois grands pôles économiques disposant de bases commerciales ou indus-trielles importantes dans le pays. Kinshasa, la capitale, est un centre économique dynamique où la plupart des entreprises étrangères opèrent. Les provinces du Haut-Katanga et du Lualaba forment le pôle écono-mique du sud. Lubumbashi, la deuxième ville de la RDC, est située à proximité de l'un des plus grands gisements de cuivre du monde. Aujourd'hui, la région abrite de nombreuses mines nationales et internationales. La zone d'activité économique, de Bukavu et Goma à la frontière rwandaise, à la ville portuaire fluviale de Kisangani à l'ouest, en passant par les mines d'or du Bas-Uele et de l'Ituri, consti-tue le troisième pôle économique du pays. La région est confrontée à une instabilité chronique à cause d’un conflit entre diverses factions armées qui se battent entre elles et contre le gouvernement de la RDC. Malgré des conditions difficiles, la région abrite un certain nombre de mines industrielles et artisanales extrayant du cobalt, de l'or et des diamants, ainsi qu'un riche secteur agricole présentant un fort potentiel d'exportation.

L'accession de Félix Tshisekedi à la présidence en janvier 2019 a représenté la première tran-sition pacifique du pouvoir dans l'histoire du pays. Avec l’appui retrouvé auprès du Parlement, le président Tshisekedi a nommé un nouveau Premier Ministre et remanié la coalition gouvernementale. Il a maintenant les coudées franches pour mener sa politique de redressement du pays et répondre aux attentes de la population.

LA RDC À L’INTERNATIONAL

La RDC est membre de l'Union africaine, de la Communauté de développement de l'Afrique australe (CDAA), du Marché commun de l'Afrique orientale et australe (COMESA), de la Communauté économique des États de l'Afrique centrale (CEEAC), de l'Organisation pour l'harmonisation du droit des affaires en Afrique (OHADA) et de la Communauté éco-nomique des pays des Grands Lacs (CEPGL). La RDC a signé, mais pas encore ratifié, l'Ac-cord de libre-échange continental africain.

INVESTISSEMENTS ÉTRANGERS

Dotée de ressources naturelles exception-nelles, d’importantes terres arables et d’une immense biodiversité, la RDC a tout pour devenir un pays riche, mais c’est sans comp-ter sur un climat des affaires complexe, un grave manque d’infrastructure et un taux de pauvreté très élevé.

Selon le rapport 2020 de la CNUCED, les IDE en RDC s’élevaient à 1.6 milliard USD en 2019 (-0.1 milliard USD par rapport à 2018), principalement dans le secteur minier et des télécommunications. Les principaux investisseurs sont l’Afrique du Sud, la Belgique et la Chine.

La RDC est classée 183e (sur 190) au classe-ment Doing Business, 170e (sur 180) à l'indice de perception de la corruption et 175e (sur 189) à l'indice de développement humain.

Les obstacles à l’entrée sur le marché peuvent devenir importants en RDC. L'absence d'élec-tricité et d'eau oblige souvent les entreprises à assurer leur propre approvisionnement. Le dédouanement de produits importés est souvent long et compliqué. Les entreprises font appel à un agent local qui peut faciliter le processus. En outre, le système fiscal est compliqué et son application souvent arbi-

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Nous avons suivi avec attention l’évolution de la RDC depuis les dernières élections de décembre 2018. Un nouveau Gouvernement est à pied d’œuvre depuis avril der-nier, avec 80 % de nouvelles figures. Et une moyenne d’âge de 47 ans. Il faut maintenant transformer l’essai en démontrant que la compétence, la rigueur dans la gestion débouchent sans tarder sur de réelles améliora-tions en matière de Gouvernance, pour le plus grand profit d’une popu-lation qui a trop longtemps été laissée pour compte.

Avec notre représentant en RDC, Monsieur Jean-Philippe Waterschoot, nous maintenons le contact avec les nouvelles équipes, pour préparer de prochaines rencontres et nous mettre à l’écoute des priorités qui sont en train d’être définies. Un projet de Convention bilatérale de Protection des Investissements entre la Belgique et la RDC est en bonne voie d’être rati-fié, ce sera un signal important pour les partenaires investisseurs belges. La volonté de laisser aux Provinces une plus grande autonomie dans la définition de leurs priorités est cer-tainement un signal positif. A condi-tion que les moyens suivent. Avec l’espoir de voir le trouble-fête COVID rapidement perdre son agressivité et assister à une relative normalisation d’ici la rentrée de septembre.

traire. Il est fortement conseillé de travailler avec un homologue local qui peut s'occuper de ce processus. La corruption et la bureau-cratie constituent un frein constant à l'acti-vité commerciale. Les lois sont appliquées de manière incohérente et le processus judiciaire est lent. C'est pourquoi les entreprises ont souvent besoin d'un conseiller juridique local.

LA BELGIQUE ET LA RDC

En 2020, la RDC était le 61e client et le 88e

fournisseur de la Belgique. Il importait principalement des produits chimiques (28.8 %), des machines et équipements (17.1 %), et des produits minéraux (11.4 %) de la Belgique et exportait des pierres pré-cieuses (62.9 %), des denrées alimentaires (15.4 %) et des métaux communs (12.0 %) vers la Belgique. La balance commerciale penchait en faveur de la Belgique pour 274.4 millions €.

SECTEURS PORTEURS

c TIC c Agriculture et industrie agroalimentaire c Energie c Infrastructure et construction c Industrie pétro-gazière c Industrie minière c Equipements médicaux

SECTEURS D'INTÉRÊT

Industrie minière

La RDC dispose d’immenses réserves encore inexploitées d’or, de cobalt et de cuivre à haute teneur. La production nationale de cobalt représentait 70 % de la production mondiale en 2019. Le cuivre de certaines mines est d’une qualité nettement supérieure à la moyenne mondiale.

En 2018, un nouveau code minier a remplacé le code minier de 2002, qui était particuliè-rement favorable aux entreprises minières. Ce nouveau code augmente les impôts sur les bénéfices, double la participation du gouver-nement dans les nouveaux projets miniers (de 5 % à 10 %), augmente les taux de redevance

pour les minéraux stratégiques (jusqu’à 10 %) et ouvre la voie à l'annulation des clauses de stabilisation de 10 ans, désormais limitée à 5 ans. Il comprend plusieurs dispositions relatives à la traçabilité des revenus et à la transparence du secteur. Il a introduit des amendes élevées pour les entreprises qui ne respectent pas ces dispositions.

Malgré les risques et l’environnement des affaires complexe de la RDC, l’environnement particulièrement lucratif du secteur minier reste très intéressant pour les entreprises ayant une grande tolérance au risque et l’ha-bitude d’opérer dans des environnement fra-giles et difficiles.

Les principaux sous-secteurs porteurs sont :

c Extraction de cuivre et de nickel c Extraction d'or c Extraction de cobalt c Location et financement d'équipements

miniers c Implantation d’entités de traitement et

de transformation des produits miniers

Agriculture

La RDC compte assez de terres arables et un potentiel d’irrigation impressionnant pour devenir une puissance agricole mondiale. Etonnamment, alors que le secteur repré-sente près de 60 % des emplois, il ne parvient pas à assurer la sécurité alimentaire du pays. Le gouvernement a annoncé que l’agricul-ture est une priorité, et pourtant le secteur n’a jamais reçu plus de 2 % du budget national (dont 80 % servent à payer les salaires des fonctionnaires).

Les principales cultures commerciales sont le café, l'huile de palme, le caoutchouc, le coton, le sucre, le thé et le cacao. Les cultures vivrières comprennent également le manioc, les plantains, le maïs, les arachides et le riz. La production agricole commerciale reste limitée, la plupart des producteurs pratiquant une agriculture vivrière de subsistance.

Il existe des opportunités d’investissement dans le secteur agricole allant de la produc-tion à la commercialisation, afin de créer une chaîne de valeur compétitive au niveau de la sous-région.

THIERRY CLAEYS BOUUAERT Head of Section DRC

[email protected]

Construction et infrastructures

La RDC a besoin de nouvelles infrastruc-tures dans presque toutes les facettes de la vie publique et privée, raison pour laquelle les banques internationales de développe-ment sont les principaux bailleurs de fonds des infrastructures. Sa position centrale en Afrique est sous-exploitée à cause du manque d’infrastructure permettant l’inter-connexion avec ses divers voisins.

Les entreprises étrangères dominent le sec-teur de la construction, et les entreprises chinoises représentent plus de la moitié de tous les projets de travaux publics, et une part importante des projets de construction privés. Les entreprises de construction euro-péennes sont également des acteurs majeurs de l'industrie de la construction en RDC.

De nombreuses possibilités de projets d’in-frastructures et de construction s’offrent aux

investisseurs, le plus souvent sous forme de partenariats public-privé. Il faut cependant faire face à la concurrence féroce des entre-prises chinoises.

Energie

La RDC dispose d'un potentiel énergétique immense et varié, composé de ressources non renouvelables (pétrole, gaz naturel et ura-nium), ainsi que de sources d'énergie renou-velables (hydroélectricité, biomasse, solaire et géothermie). L'énergie hydroélectrique représente la quasi-totalité de la production nationale d'électricité, dont la majeure partie est produite par les barrages d'Inga I et d'Inga II situés dans la province Kongo Central. L'installation ne produit qu'une fraction de la puissance prévue en raison de décennies d'entretien différé et de négligence.

La RDC figure parmi les pays ayant le plus faible taux d’électrification avec moins de

10 % de la population connectée (35 % en zone urbaine et moins de 1 % en zone rurale). La plupart des projets de production d'élec-tricité sont dirigés et financés par des sociétés minières qui cherchent à alimenter leurs ins-tallations. Le manque d'accès à des services électriques modernes compromet la santé, l'éducation et les possibilités de revenus de la population congolaise.

Le gouvernement du 1er Ministre Sama Lukonde cherche à augmenter le nombre de connexions électriques en faisant appel à des fonds de développement et en imposant aux compagnies d'électricité de fournir du cou-rant à la population en plus des compagnies minières.

L’approvisionnement et la fourniture d’éner-gie, la construction de lignes de transmis-sion ou la vente d’équipements spécialisés offrent de nombreuses possibilités d’inves-tissements pour les entreprises étrangères. Il existe également un besoin énorme de solu-tions électriques hors réseau. Outre l'énergie hydroélectrique, plusieurs stations géother-miques à travers le pays ont besoin d’être réhabilitées.

Sources :

c Agence Belge pour le Commerce Extérieur

c Banque Africaine de développement c Banque Mondiale c BusinessFrance c CNUCED c International Trade Administration

Nicolas Stenger Rédacteur

Filiale de Finasucre en République Démocratique du Congo1963, Route des Poids Lourds, Commune de La Gombe, Kinshasa

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UGANDA

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

Uganda is one of the fastest growing coun-tries in the world since the liberalization of its economy in 1986. Its growth is driven mainly by increased investment in value added activities in the agricultural and services sectors and government investment in public infrastructure. FDI inflow has been increasing over the past few years, mainly in the oil and gas sector.

Like most countries in Africa and in the World, Uganda suffered greatly from the COVID-19 pandemic and saw its GDP growth fall from 7.5% in 2019 to -0.5% in 2020. It is expected to grow back at 4.8% in 2021. The central bank managed to keep the inflation at 3.8% in 2020, 1% higher than 2019 but still under the 5% medium-term target. In 2019, the primary sector accounted for 22% of the GDP, the secondary sector for 27% and the services for 43%.

The primary sector is the key driver of growth, with agriculture the major source of livelihood and the main sector of employment. Small scale farms provide the majority of agricul-tural production, mainly in the south of the country, more fertile and prone to rainfalls. The main cash crops for export are coffee, cotton, tea, and tobacco. Food crops are numerous and various, such as maize, sweet potatoes, soybeans, cabbage, carrots, pep-pers, etc. The production of the major root crops, plantain banana and pulse has been steadily growing. The bulk of exports are to members of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the rest to the European Union.

With nearly 20% of the country covered by lakes and rivers, fishing is another main sec-tor of export. Around 700.000 Ugandans are involved in the fishery sector, and fish is the main source of animal protein for the popula-tion. The production volumes and export had

been increasing for the past few years, but the exports have gone down by nearly 70% due to COVID-19 in 2020.

The secondary sector is mainly construction, mining and manufacturing and the service sector comprises financial, trade, transport, and telecommunication activities.

Uganda is one of the African countries where the non-performing loans have increased the most, which could on the long term hinder the recovery of the country.

Although debt levels have been rising since 2006, Uganda is currently classified as a low risk of debt distress, with a debt-to-GDP ratio at 40.8% in June 2020 (35.9% in 2019) expected to rise at 48.8% in 2021 and over 50% in 2023.

Uganda had been shifting its workforce from the agricultural sector to the industrial sector, especially in agro-processing. This structural transformation was accompanied by a decline in poverty over the last decade. Poor people remained highly vulnerable, as seen with the impacts of the pandemic. Widespread closures and job losses led back to an increase in the agricultural workforce.

The lockdowns and border closures resulted in a decrease in private consumption and public investment and the most impacted sectors were tourism and hospitality, man-ufacturing, retail and wholesale trade, and education, with schools closed for over 200 days (second highest in Africa after Ethiopia).

FOREIGN INVESTMENT

Uganda remains attractive and offers oppor-tunities but also challenges for foreign inves-tors. The country’s market economy, liberal trade and foreign exchange regime, ample arable land and young population makes it

particularly attractive. The agricultural, con-struction, infrastructure, healthcare, power, and technology sectors present the best opportunities for business and investments. The country has a large reserve of recover-able oil, and the Ugandan oil sector is only emerging and is expected to start producing and exporting by 2024/2025. On the other hand, poor economic management, corrup-tion, weak rule of law and lack of national investment in healthcare and education may impede investments.

The amendment of the Investment Act in 2019 created a One-Stop Centre for informa-tion and service transactions for investors, reducing the amount of bureaucracy needed for licenses and permits. The services offered by the Centre and the presence of regional financial institutions facilitate and support investments in the country.

Uganda is ranked 116th (out of 190) at the Doing Business ranking, 142nd (out of 180) at the Corruption Perceptions Index, 159th (out of 189) at Human Development Index. All these ranking have improved over the years.

BELGIUM AND UGANDA

The cooperation between Belgium and Uganda goes back to 1995, and a series of cooperation programs focused on the improvement of education and healthcare and the reduction of poverty in Uganda. It is the 6th biggest beneficiary of Belgian devel-opment aid in the world.

In 2020, Uganda was Belgium’s 115th client and 97th supplier. They imported mainly chemicals (37.7%), foodstuffs (21,2%) and machinery and equipment (12.9%), and exported mainly live animals (53.4%), vege-table products (43,4%) and foodstuffs (3.0%) to Belgium. The trade balance was in favor of Uganda for 10.0 million €.


LEADING SECTORS

The Uganda Investment Authority list the following sectors as investment opportuni-ties and priorities in line with their National Development Plan:

c Agro-industrialization c Energy, oil, and gas c Tourism c Mining and mineral beneficiation c ICT c Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals c Infrastructure and Construction c Edible oils c Electronics

SECTORS OF INTEREST

Agricultural sector

Still the most important sector, employing over 70% of the population, Uganda’s agricul-tural potential is considered to be among the best in Africa. With 80% of the land arable, the country has the capacity to produce food to feed 200 million people, according to the FAO, but only around 35% is being cultivated. The country is among the leading producers of coffee, bananas, and oil seed crops. It is also a major producer and exporter of tea, cotton, tobacco, cereals, vegetables, etc. The sector’s growth is limited by the quality of seeds, the lack of irrigation infrastructure and the limited use of fertilizers, but also by insufficient storage facilities, high freight costs, poor post-harvest handling practices and limited knowledge of modern produc-tion practices. The country is experiencing a significant locust infestation coming from

Kenya, but not yet reaching the most agri-cultural areas of Uganda.

There are serious investment opportuni-ties in the sector, in production, input sup-ply, value addition processing, export, and post-harvest handling. There is a lot of room to increase crop production and exportation.

The Investment Authority identified the fol-lowing opportunities for investment in the sector:

c Commercial farming in both crops and animal industries as well as aquaculture

c Value addition (agro-industries, agro food industries)

c Manufacturing of inputs such as impro-ved seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides

c Cold storage facilities and logistics c Farm machinery manufacturing and

assembly c Packaging c Irrigation schemes

Energy, oil and gas

Uganda has a very sizeable hydro-, geo- and solar thermal energy capacity, but only a fraction of the potential is exploited. The country is also very rich in natural resources, with an estimated reserve of 6.5 billion bar-rels of oil, of which 1.2 billion are recovera-ble. There is an investment opportunity in a petroleum-based industrial park in Kabale Hoima.

In April 2021, the Presidents of Uganda and Tanzania and representatives of TOTAL and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) met to sign agreements for the

construction of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline Project (EACOP). This USD 3.5 bil-lion pipeline will bring oil from Lake Albert in Uganda to the Port of Tanga in Tanzania.

With one of the lowest electrification rates in Africa, increasing the energy production is one of the government’s priorities. The commission of the Isimba hydro power dam in 2019 and the Karuma hydro power dam, delayed to 2022 should offer a 380 MW excess of power generation capacity. Only 19% of Ugandans have access to electricity (55% in urban areas and 10% in rural areas), because of lacking transmission and distribu-tion infrastructure and uncoordinated intra- and inter-sectoral planning.

Opportunities exist in production, especially small hydropower projects, transmission sectors, the government plans to build over 10.000 km of new transmission lines, with substations, switching stations and trans-former capacity, and distribution, to develop mini grids for small communities.

Tourism

Uganda is considered as a top tourist des-tination, especially thanks to their popula-tion of endangered mountain gorillas. Game viewing is one of the most popular tourist attractions. The country has a unique high-end eco-tourism potential.

The Investment Authority identified the fol-lowing opportunities for investment in the sector:

c Constructing high quality accommoda-tion facilities

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c Operating tour and travel circuits c Development of specialized eco and

community tourism facilities and faith-based tourism

Mining and mineral beneficiation

Uganda has large underexploited mineral deposits of oil, gold, tin, tungsten, beryllium, cobalt, iron, kaolin, salt, iron, glass sand, phosphates, uranium, vermiculite, and rare earth elements. Over 80% of the country has been surveyed for minerals.

The government offers various incentives for foreign investments, such as allowing foreign companies to own 100% of the business and zero-rated import taxes for all mining equipment.

ICT

Uganda is connected to the three marine fiber optic cables in the Indian Ocean and hun-dreds of kilometers of fiber optic cables have been laid in major cities in Uganda by Google and Facebook (through partnerships). The cost of commercial internet dropped radi-cally since 2017. The increasing availability of internet is accompanied by an increasing demand for local data services, data security and content delivery. Additionally, the use of complementary technologies is also growing, such as IoT devices and services, especially connected devices in the agricultural sector.

Investment opportunities exist in telecommu-nication hardware, with a high demand in data transmission equipment, cellular and wireless telephone systems, fiber optic equipment, VSAT, voice over internet telephone, etc.

The tech and digital sector are booming in East Africa, according to a study in 2020 by the World Bank’s IFC, stating that the digital economy could represent 5.2% of Africa’s GDP by 2025. The countries of the East African Community (EAC) have committed to working together on a standardized tax regulations for the ICT sector, which should enable better deals with the global digital groups.

The World Bank just approved in June 2021 the USD 200 million Uganda Digital Acceleration Project – GovNet, to expand access to high-speed internet, improve effi-ciency of digital service delivery in the public sector and strengthen the digital inclusion of communities and refugees.

Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals

Due to the lack of medical infrastructure in Uganda, the demand for various medical and pharmaceutical equipment rises, such as complete management systems, ventila-tors, electrocardiographs, ultrasounds, lab equipment, etc. There is also a growing need for pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, as almost the totality of Uganda’s medicines and health supplies are imported. The gov-ernment offers favorable tax incentives to implement such facilities in Uganda.

Infrastructure and Construction

Infrastructure, whose funding comprising of about a third of Uganda’s total annual expenditure, is a key priority of the govern-ment. The country’s infrastructure needs remain considerable, in road, railway, air and water transport (in addition to the Energy and

ICT infrastructure needs). The government is looking for strategic partners and investors for managerial, financial and technical ser-vices for their various construction projects, such as the Kabaale Industrial Park (construc-tion of a refinery, petrochemicals industries and the Hoima International Airport).

The road network is severely overburdened, especially in and around cities, and poorly maintained, with an increasing number of car owners. Major roads are needed to accom-pany the government’s plan to build oil and gas industrial parks in the western part of Uganda.

Commercial and residential constructions in Uganda are also booming, with an estimated 300.000 housing units needed per year. Domestic production of the equipment and materials for large-scale infrastructure pro-jects is also lacking and the country’s growing industries needs modern industrial zones and business centers to operate.

Sources:

c African Development Bank c Bank of Uganda c Belgian Foreign Trade Agency c Britannica c BusinessFrance c International Trade Administration c Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry

and Fisheries of Uganda c The World Bank c Uganda Investment Authority

Nicolas Stenger Editor


IN A NUTSHELL, WHY INVEST IN UGANDA

Uganda enjoys a unique location at the heart of Sub-Saharan Africa within the East African region and is bordered by Sudan in the north, Kenya in the east, the United Republic of Tanzania in the south, Rwanda in the southwest and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the west. This land linked position, gives the country a strate-gic commanding base to be a regional hub for trade and investment. Because of this, Uganda enjoys pivotal trade partnerships that create a viable market for business.

Uganda is the most open country to Foreign Direct Investment within the East African region with all the sectors fully liberalized for investment and 100% foreign ownership permitted. The eco-nomy also offers free movement of capi-tal to and from the country high returns on investment after the mandatory taxes have been paid thus making Uganda your preferred investment destination. In Uganda, the investor is guaranteed security of investment and is protected under the Constitution of Uganda and the Investment Code 1991, as well as the major international investment related agreements / treaties to which Uganda is signatory.

With an economical growth of 7% every year and a Return on investments pro-jected between 5% and 7%, Uganda is one of the greatest business markets to venture in and to start a business as her economy is shining and booming once again. Compared to all the other regions in Africa, Uganda quietly mushrooming into a prime investment destination, receiving the most foreign direct investment (FDI) in the last three years, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) World Investment Report as a result of her political stability and economic policies.

The government of Uganda has made efforts to ease investments and is deve-loping an integrated electronic (on-line) system that will connect all investment relevant agencies, which will cut down on time and money spent to set up businesses. Currently, potential investors can apply for a license on-line via the UIA website and receive their license for free in 24 hours.

UGANDA’S PRIORITY SECTORS FOR INVESTMENT

1. Commercial Agriculture and Agro proces-sing; Uganda has the unrivaled potential to be the food basket of the East African Community, as well as the Great Lakes regions, with the capacity to export pro-cessed food stuffs to the wider COMESA economic bloc if more investment is tar-geted at processing more of the agro products.

2. Adding Value to Minerals; there are several unexploited and confirmed mineral deposits in Uganda. These minerals include but not limited to Iron-Ore, Phosphate, Gold, Oil & Gas, High grade tin, Zinc, Petroleum, Diamond, Limestone, Tungsten/Wolfram, Salt, Beryllium, Cobalt, Kaolin, Iron-Ore, Glass Sand, Vermiculite, Phosphates (ferti-lizer), Uranium and rare earth elements.

3. Tourism; Uganda has been dubbed the ‘Pearl of Africa’ due to its strong tourism potential with lots of forests, lakes and rivers and it is estimated that 50% of the world’s population of mountain gorillas lives in Uganda. Uganda is also home to the source of the Nile, the longest and only river in the world that flows north and offers the best white-water rafting experience globally.

4. Packaging; Many Ugandan enterprises are missing out on the opportunities in larger markets because their packa-ging doesn’t meet international stan-dards. In order for Ugandan processed honey, fruit juices, mineral water, herbal medicines and chemicals, among other products to be competitive nationally, regionally and globally, the packaging has got to be quality.

5. Pharmaceuticals; Uganda’s pharmaceu-tical industry presents numerous oppor-tunities for new investors as reflected by the growing local and regional demand for medicines and health supplies. 90% of the medicines in Uganda are imported mainly from India, Kenya, Netherlands, China and Denmark.

6. Real-estate; Uganda’s real estate is booming and you can be sure that your money is in a profitable business. There is an opportunity for profits when

time comes that you will decide to sell the property. Real estate prices in the country are always affordable. However, it is best to analyze market prospects before taking steps towards investing in the real-estate industry.

For more information regarding investing in Uganda and the necessary steps to regis-ter your investment, please visit:

JORIS DE NOCKER Head of Section Uganda

[email protected]

AGATHA MUHUMUZA Managing Director of APMS

Solutions Ltd in Kampala

www.ugandainvest.go.ug

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RWANDA

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

Rwanda is a small and landlocked East African country bordered by the RDC, Tanzania, Uganda and Burundi. The economic growth of the country for the past decade has been made possible thanks to important economic and structural supported by the IMF and the World Bank. Rwanda was in the middle of an economic boom before the COVID-19 pan-demic, with an averaged 7.2% growth over the decade and a growth of 9.4% in 2019, mainly driven by large public investments in the sub-sectors of construction, wood and paper products, rubber and plastics. All sectors recorded growth in 2019, agriculture accounted for 24% of the GDP, industry for 18% and the services for 49%.

In 2020, the GDP growth is estimated to have dropped to 0.4%, but is expected to grow to 5.1% in 2021, 7.0% in 2022 and an average of 7.8% in 2023/24, driven by the same sectors that were the source of the pre-pandemic growth. The most affected sectors are trans-portation, trade and tourism, but foreign investments and exports were also impacted. Inflation grew from 2.4% in 2019 to 6.6% in 2020 due to rising food prices caused by disruptions. Unemployment rose by over 5% since the beginning of the pandemic.

The public debt rose from 45% of GDP in 2018 to 51.4% in 2019 and 61.6% in 2020. It is 80% external, with two-thirds held by multilateral donors and the rest is shared equally among commercial creditors, bilaterals and guaran-tees held by state-owned enterprises. The IMF raised the risk of debt distress from low to moderate in June 2020. Rwanda’s trade balance has been continuously in deficit for the past 15 years, with a balance rising from USD - 200 million in 2002 to USD - 1.5 billion in 2019.

The IMF's loosening of the country’s pub-lic deficit target should facilitate continued public investment. In 2019, the IMF agreed to the establishment of a non-funding program (Policy Coordination Instrument), which was accompanied by a relaxation of the budget deficit target from 3.0% to 5.5% of GDP for 5 years renewable. This flexibility should allow for additional funding for major projects, education and health.

Despite the crisis, the banking sector remains liquid and well capitalized, with a Liquidity Coverage Ratio of 252.8% (June 2020).

Because of the country's geography, most imports and exports are transported by road through the ports of Mombasa (Kenya) and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), over up to 1,500 km. The country’s isolation, exacerbated by the high cost of infrastructure (the most expensive electricity in East Africa) and the poor quality of roads, limit the possibility of Rwanda’s aim to become a technologi-cal, financial and business hub and a pivot between East and West Africa. The country aims to become an upper-middle income country by 2035 and then a high-income country by 2050.

On the political side, the country has been stable since the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi and the accession to power of President Paul Kagame and the Rwandan Patriotic Front, which still has the absolute majority in the Chamber of Deputies. In 2018, for the first time, two opposition parties have won two seats each in the parliament. President Kagame was re-elected for a third term thanks to a constitutional change voted in 2015 that would permit him to govern until 2034.

FOREIGN INVESTMENT

Rwanda is a member of the East African Community, which uses the East African Community Customs Act (EACMA) to col-lect import duties. The EACMA common external tariff system for goods originating outside the customs union provides for three rates of duty: 0% for raw materials and capital goods, 10% for intermediate goods and 25% for finished goods.

Taxation levels:

c VAT: 18% c Corporate income tax: 30% c Withholding tax on foreign products: 5% c Withholding tax on public tenders: 3% c Customs duties:

» Raw materials and capital goods (plants and machinery): 0%

» Intermediate goods: 10% » Finished goods: 25%

According to the World Bank, low domestic savings, skills, and the high cost of energy are some of the major constraints to private investment. According to UNCTAD, inflows increased from USD 382 million in 2018 to USD 420 million in 2019, mainly in the sec-tors of mining, construction and real estate, infrastructure and information and commu-nication technologies. The FDI stock was esti-mated at USD 2.6 billion at the end of 2019.The Bugesera International Airport construc-tion project alone absorbed USD 400 million.

With the aim to attract more FDI, the gov-ernment approved in 2015 a new Investment Code providing tax breaks and other incen-tives to investors. Furthermore, all economic activities are open to foreign investors, who have the same rights as domestic investors to establish and own businesses in the coun-try and there are no general limits on foreign ownership or control.

Rwanda is ranked 38th (out of 190) at the Doing Business ranking, 49th (out of 180) at the Corruption Perceptions Index, 160th (out of 189) at Human Development Index. Rwanda remains the second highest ranked country at the DB ranking in Africa after Mauritius, and the only low-income coun-try in the top 50, despite the 9 places drop between 2019 and 2020. It performs well in transferring property (3rd) and obtaining loans (4th). However, while the legislative framework seems optimized for this ranking, serious difficulties remain, such as obtaining a work visa for foreign workers, the lack of competence of the tax authority's middle management (poor and lengthy audits) and the very low quality of the local workforce.

Nevertheless, Rwanda offers many opportu-nities to investors such as a large methane reserve and an expanding mining potential (cassiterite, coltan, gold and precious stones) yet to be fully explored. It is also one of the least corrupt countries in Africa and the gov-ernment has continuously developed liberal policies to transform the country into a hub of trade and services. This strategy included the construction in Kigali of new international business class hotels, a new inland container terminal, a convention center and a bonded warehouse. The construction of the new Bugesera International Airport is also part of the government’s plans of modernization.


BELGIUM AND RWANDA

In 2020, Rwanda was Belgium’s 106th client and 138th supplier. They imported mainly chemicals (41.2%), machinery and equipment (14.7%) and live animals (7.2%), and exported mainly vegetables products (70.3%), textiles (23.5%) and fat and oils (4.7%) to Belgium. The trade balance was in favor of Belgium for 60.6 million €. In 2019, 640 Belgian com-panies exported to Rwanda.

LEADING SECTORS

c Infrastructure c Energy c Agriculture c Tourism c Manufacturing c ICT c Mining c Financial services c Real estate c Construction

SECTORS OF INTEREST

Agriculture and agribusiness

Agriculture is one of the most important sectors in Rwanda's economy, employing over 70% of the population and contributing to around 30% of GDP growth. It is a prior-ity sector in Rwanda’s Vision 2050 national development strategy. The country’s ideal climate, fertile soil and a large labor force is perfect for the horticultural sector. In recent years, the sector has experienced significant growth of 4.5% to 6% per year and is gradually moving from a subsistence to a market-driven model. In 2019, food crops were the dominant sub-sector, accounting for 58% of the sector in terms of contribution to GDP, followed by forestry 21%, livestock 12%, traditional export crops 7% and fisheries 1%. Principal exports are coffee, tea and some value-added agri-cultural products such as canned tomatoes, macadamia nuts, honey, etc.

The production of food and cash crops have been steadily increasing in recent years and it is expected to keep growing. It can be linked to the crop intensification program launched in 2007, which aims to increase agricultural productivity in high potential food crops.

Promising sub-sectors in agriculture:

c Cereal industry c Irrigation c Mechanization and agricultural machinery

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c Industrial crops c Quality fertilizers c Support for commercial and small-scale

farmers

The development of the agricultural sector is accompanied by the growth of the food processing industry for the domestic market, stimulating the sales of agribusiness’ equip-ment. Rwanda's food exports are expected to shift towards more processed products, generating more value added. The existence of free trade zones and agreements at the regional and continental levels facilitates the access to the national market for foreign companies. Belgium is Rwanda’s first supplier of agribusiness equipment, followed by China and India.

The beverage sub-sector continues to be dominant in Rwanda with revenues exceeding USD 190 million in 2019. Most of the production is for local consumption. The beverage sector includes companies such as Braliirwa (market leader and subsidi-ary of Heineken), Brasseries des Mille Collines (UNIBRA) or Inyange industries.

Promising sub-sectors in agribusiness:

c Cold chain equipment - Refrigerated trucks, cold chambers etc.

c Equipment for the beverage industry (excluding wines and spirits)

c Equipment for the bakery, pastry and confectionery industry

c Equipment for the dairy industry c Machinery for the preparation and pro-

cessing of meat and poultry

Energy

Access to electricity varies between 35% in rural areas and close to 100% in urban areas, with about half of the population connected. The country has access to large natural energy resources (hydro, solar and meth-ane gas). To achieve the goal of becoming a middle-income country, Rwanda targets uni-versal access to electricity by 2024, through a mix of on-grid and off-grid connections. According to the national development agency of Rwanda, 51% of the investments were made in the energy sector in 2019.

To position itself as a service hub for the region, the government agreed to numer-ous power purchase agreements with inde-pendent power producers. They also want to improve the grid network to avoid losses and to connect with neighboring countries, to import and export power.

To attract private companies in the energy sector, the government implemented some measures:

c Provision of an investment certificate c A variety of non-tax and tax incentives:

» Tax exemption including VAT on the import of equipment, free repatria-tion of profits

» Preferential corporate income tax rate of 15%

» Tax exemption on corporate income for seven years for energy projects producing 25 MW with an investment of US$ 50 million

c Provision by RDB of assistance to regis-tered investors

The government has also put in place signifi-cant facilitation for private sector investment to ensure their participation in the energy sector:

c Power Purchase Agreements between EUCL and Independent Power Producers: minimum 25 years

c Legal framework established to stimu-late PPPs (PPP Law established in 2016) » Renewable Energy Fund to support

the development of off-grid and clean cooking technologies:

» Financial assistance » Results Based Financing » Technical assistance to private com-

panies and consumer awareness campaigns

Promising investment opportunities:

c Power transmission and distribution equipment and services

c Off-grid energy solutions, such as roof-top solar products and solar powered irrigation

c Technical assistance and services

Mining and minerals

The mining sector is the second largest source of export revenue after tourism. It is one of the world’s biggest producer of the 3Ts (tin, tantalum and tungsten) and also exports gold and gemstones. The country wants to develop the sector by intensifying mining, but also by expanding and improv-ing its finished and semi-finished processing industry of mineral products. To do so, the government wants to formalize the sector (around 80% of the country’s output is from small-scale mining) and attract international investors.

The Rwanda Mining, Petroleum and Gas Board founded in 2017 oversees regulation

and mining licensing. It identified investment opportunities in the entire value chain from exploration to value addition.

c Promising investment opportunities: c Mineral exploration c Mining equipment and services c Processing plant c Gemstones cutting and polishing

ICT

Rwanda is one of the fastest growing African countries in ICT and the sector grew by 29% in 2020. It is one of the few sectors record-ing a positive growth during the pandemic, with the increasing use of mobile money, credit and debit card. The government aims to provide internet access to the entire pop-ulation. It has already installed over 5000 km of fiber optic cables and has built a national high-speed 4G wireless broadband network.

The cell phone operator MTN Rwanda was listed on the Rwanda Stock Exchange in May of this year and is opening to new shareholders.

Promising investment opportunities:

c E-commerce and E-services c SMART energy grid c Internet data centers c Training of ICT professionals c Software development

Sources:

c African Development Bank c Belgian Foreign Trade Agency c BusinessFrance c FAO c International Trade Administration c Rwanda Development Board c Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board c Rwanda Ministry of Infrastructure c Santander c The World Bank

Nicolas Stenger Editor


BURUNDI

PERSPECTIVES ÉCONOMIQUES

Le Burundi est l’un des pays les plus densé-ment peuplé de la région des Grands Lacs, avec 11.6 millions d’habitants. Une crise socio-politique et économique a suivi les élections nationales de 2015 et a entraîné un impor-tant ralentissement économique, dégradant un climat d’investissement déjà difficile. La modeste croissance économique en cours reste insuffisante pour créer des emplois dans un pays qui vit une forte croissance démographique et qui connaît un taux de chômage des jeunes particulièrement élevé (plus de 60 %). Près des deux tiers des burun-dais vivent sous le seuil de pauvreté, faisant de ce pays où environ 80 % de la population dépend de l’agriculture de subsistance, l’un des plus pauvres du monde.

Le Burundi est entré en récession en 2020 principalement à cause de la pandémie de COVID-19, qui a interrompu la remon-tée économique fragile que le pays vivait. La croissance économique est estimée à 0.3 % en 2020, contre 1.8 % en 2019 et l’in-flation a atteint 7.5 % après deux années de déflation. Les secteurs de l’industrie et des services ont particulièrement été frappés par la pandémie, avec une baisse de production de 4.5 % et 1.8 % respectivement, par rapport à 2019, et les investissements ont chuté d’en-viron 3 %. En 2019, le secteur de l’agriculture comptabilisait 28.9 % (+3.9 %) du PIB, le sec-teur secondaire 11.0 % (+2.1 %) et les services 47.9 % (+1.0 %). Le déficit budgétaire a doublé pour atteindre 8.7 % du PIB et les dépenses courantes ont augmenté d’environ 4 % en 2020. Les déficits commerciaux et courants se sont aggravés à cause de la baisse mon-diale des prix du café et du thé.

Sous réserve d’une reprise économique mondiale et de la hausse du prix du café, la croissance est projetée à 3.5 % pour 2021 et à 2.1 % pour 2022. L’inflation retomberait à 5.4 % en 2021 et à 3.2 % en 2022 et le déficit budgétaire devrait lui aussi redescendre à 7.9 % du PIB, grâce aux mesures d’augmen-tation des recettes fiscales prévues par la Loi de finances 2020-2021.

LE BURUNDI À L’INTERNATIONAL

Le Burundi est membre de la Communauté d’Afrique de l’est (CAE), du Marché Commun

de l’Afrique orientale et australe (COMESA) et de la Communauté Economique des Pays des Grands Lacs (CEPGL). Le pays repré-sente un pont entre la CAE et la Communauté Economique des Etats de l’Afrique centrale (CEEAC) par le lac Tanganyika, sur lequel se trouve Bujumbura, centre d’affaires de la région. Le gouvernement a récemment adopté de nouvelles lois sur la zone de libre-échange afin d'accélérer son intégration dans d'autres blocs commerciaux tels que la zone de libre-échange continentale africaine (AfCFTA), la zone de libre-échange tripartite (TFTA) entre le COMESA, l'EAC et la SADC (Southern Africa Development Community).

Un dialogue politique entre le gouverne-ment du Burundi et l'Union Européenne a débuté ce mois de février sur une éven-tuelle levée des sanctions budgétaires prises à l'encontre du Burundi depuis la crise de 2015, en raison de « graves violations des droits de l'homme ».

Le Burundi est classé 166e (sur 190) au classement Doing Business, 165e (sur 180) à l'indice de perception de la corruption, 185e (sur 189) à l'indice de développement humain. Tous ces classements se sont à peine améliorés ou n'ont pas évolué depuis une décennie.

INVESTISSEMENTS ÉTRANGERS

Toutes les activités économiques sont ouvertes aux investisseurs étrangers, qui ont les mêmes droits que les investisseurs natio-naux pour établir et posséder des entreprises dans le pays, avec toutefois des restrictions dans l'armement, les munitions et toute sorte d'entreprise militaire ou paramilitaire. Il n'y a pas de limites générales à la propriété ou au contrôle étrangers. Pour des entreprises minières, le gouvernement du Burundi doit détenir au moins 10 % des actions de toute société étrangère disposant d’une licence d’exploitation minière industrielle dans le pays.

Pour attirer des investisseurs étrangers, le Burundi a mis en œuvre des réformes, notam-ment le renforcement de son guichet unique pour la création d'entreprise, les permis de construire et l'enregistrement des biens, la simplification des procédures fiscales pour les PME, le lancement d’un guichet unique élec-tronique pour les transactions commerciales et l'harmonisation des lois commerciales avec celles de la Communauté d'Afrique de l'Est. Le Burundi a un score nettement au-dessus de la moyenne sub-saharienne pour la créa-tion d’une entreprise, selon le Doing Business 2020. L'enregistrement d'une entreprise

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prend environ quatre heures et coûte 40 000 francs burundais (environ 18 €).

Le Burundi a créé une Zone Economique Spéciale, la ZES-Burundi, dans le but d’en-courager différents opérateurs économiques à développer leurs activités économiques dans les secteurs de l’agro-industrie et l’in-dustrie lourde.

Divers avantages fiscaux et douaniers poten-tiels sont accordés aux investisseurs, notam-ment : trois années ou plus d'exploitation en franchise d'impôt, l'exonération des charges sur le transfert de propriété, l'exonération des droits sur les matières premières, les biens d'équipement et les véhicules spécialisés, l'exonération des taxes sur les biens utilisés pour créer de nouvelles entreprises, l'exo-nération des droits de douane si les biens d'investissement sont fabriqués au sein de la CAE ou du COMESA, un taux d'imposition des sociétés de 30 % avec une réduction à 28 % si 50-200 Burundais sont employés et à 25 % si plus de 200 sont employés, et le libre transfert des actifs et des revenus étrangers après paiement des taxes dues.

Les investissements directs étrangers (IDE) sont assez limités au Burundi, s’élevant à 1 million d’USD en 2018 et 2019, principale-

ment dans les secteurs minier et agricole et en provenance notamment de la France et du Japon. La construction de barrages hydroélectriques est planifiée, avec l’aide de la Banque Mondiale et des Pays-Bas.

Malgré le bon vouloir de certaines instances du gouvernement, de nombreuses politiques d’investissement étrangers ne sont pas trans-parentes et certaines lois ou réglementations sont souvent inefficaces ou non appliquées. Les procédures comptables, juridiques et réglementaires sont généralement transpa-rentes ou conformes aux normes interna-tionales sur le papier mais sont inégalement mises en œuvre dans la pratique.

LA BELGIQUE ET LE BURUNDI

Le Burundi a signé en 1989 des trai-tés bilatéraux d’investissement (TBI) en vigueur avec l’Union Economique Belgo-Luxembourgeoise.

En 2020, le Burundi était le 134e client et le 146e fournisseur de la Belgique. Il impor-tait principalement des produits chimiques (42.6 %), des machines et équipements (16.7 %), et des produits maraîchers (13,9 %) de la Belgique et y exportait des produits

maraîchers (99.8 %), des instruments d'op-tique (0.1 %) et des machines et équipements (0.1 %). La balance commerciale penchait en faveur de la Belgique pour 24.0 millions €.

SECTEURS PRIORITAIRES

c Agro-industrie c Education c Santé c Finance et banque c Energie c Mine c Transport et infrastructure

SECTEURS D'INTÉRÊT

Agriculture

La grande majorité de la population du Burundi travaille dans le secteur de l’agricul-ture et le pays offre de vastes plaines très fer-tiles qui conviennent à l'agriculture moderne, des précipitations pendant 9 mois par an, un réseau abondant de rivières pour l'irriga-tion et la possibilité de 2 récoltes annuelles. Le pays a un bon climat qui convient à la pro-duction de riz, de coton, de thé, de café, de cultures vivrières, de fruits et de légumes.


L’Agence Burundaise de Promotion des Investissements (API) considère les sous-sec-teurs agricoles suivants comme propices aux investissements :

c Agriculture mécanisée c Production d'engrais c Agriculture à grande échelle c Mise en place de systèmes d'irrigation c Industrie de transformation alimentaire c Chambres froides pour conservation à

long terme c Production d'huile de palme et de pro-

duits dérivés c Production de fruits et légumes c Elevage c Abattoirs c Pêche et aquaculture

Finance et banque

Les services des finances et bancaires restent largement sous-développés au Burundi. Pour améliorer l’efficacité du secteur, le gouverne-ment s’est engagé dans un programme de libéralisation afin d’aider à corriger les distor-sions du marché tout en créant des conditions de concurrence pour tous les prestataires. Cette réforme devrait aussi améliorer la mobilisation des ressources et permettre une allocation efficace des ressources dans tous les secteurs de l’économie.

Des opportunités existent dans le domaine de la banque mobile pour atteindre le plus grand nombre de personnes possible. Les secteurs agricole et industriel de l'économie burundaise ont également un besoin urgent de meilleures facilités de crédit.

Transport et infrastructure

90 % des biens importés arrivent par la route, malgré l’existence du port de Tanganyika, clairement sous-exploité. Plusieurs projets ont été lancés pour la modernisation et l’agrandissement du port de Bujumbura, sur le lac Tanganyika. Quant à l’infrastructure fer-roviaire, la Tanzanie a lancé un grand projet qui la reliera au Rwanda, en passant par le Burundi, qui doit construire près de 200 km de rails sur son territoire. La connexion du Burundi au port de Dar-es-Salaam offrirait une grande opportunité économique pour ce pays enclavé.

L’API considère les secteurs suivants comme propices aux investissements :

c Dragage du port de Bujumbura c Développement du transport maritime

de marchandises et de passagers

c Augmentation de l'utilisation du réseau sous-régional (Tanzanie, Ouganda, RD Congo et Zambie) pour le transport aérien

c Installation d'une chaîne de froid à l'aé-roport et au port de Bujumbura

c Amélioration de la planification automa-tisée des chargements dans le port de Bujumbura

c Construction d'un chantier naval

Energie

Le Burundi souffre d’un déficit énergétique malgré des conditions favorables et ne dis-pose pas d’infrastructures énergétiques suffisantes pour satisfaire la demande gran-dissante. Plus de 90 % de la population n’a pas accès à l’électricité. Le pays dispose d’un énorme potentiel hydroélectrique sous-ex-ploité, avec plus de 150 sites appropriés à travers le pays.

L’API considère les secteurs suivants comme propices aux investissements :

c Développement d'installations d'énergie solaire

c Production d'énergie éolienne au bord du lac Tanganyika

c Production d'énergie hydroélectrique c Production commerciale d'énergie

géothermique c Création de centrales solaires à Mubuga,

Bubanza et Gitega

Sources :

c Agence Belge pour le Commerce Extérieur

c Agence Burundaise de Promotion des Investissements

c Banque Africaine du Développement c Banque Mondiale c CNUCED c US Bureau of Economic and Business

Affairs c ZES-Burundi

Nicolas Stenger Rédacteur

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CHÂTEAU DE LA SOLITUDEAVENUE CHARLES SCHALLER 54B-1160 AUDERGHEM

WWW.REDFOXEVENTS.BE

T : +32 2 242 05 10

[email protected]

-POPULATION-

2.3 million(Wolrd Bank)

-PRESIDENT-

MOKGWEETSI MASISI

-OFFICIAL LANGUAGES-

ENGLISHSETSWANA

-CURRENCY-

BOTSWANA PULA(BWP)

-MAIN SECTORS-

MININGTOURISM

AGRICULTUREFINANCE

-HDI-

0,728

K E Y FAC TSBOTSWANA

-AREA-

581 730 KM²

SWOT

STRENGTHS

OPPORTUNITIES

WEAKNESSES

THREATS

• Political stability• Democracy• Prudent financial management• Good credit rating• No foreign exchange controls• Low, predictable and sustainable

inflation• Low and sustainable public debt• Peaceful and stable environment to its

citizens and investors• Zero tolerance for corruption,

consistently rated as the least corrupt country in Africa by Transparency International

• Educated and skilled workforce• Centrally located in Southern Africa• Educated labour force with limited

labour tensions• Peace and low crime levels

• Investment opportunities in mining and mineral beneficiation, education, agriculture, transport and communication, leather and leather goods, tourism, digitalisation, infrastructure, Financial and Knowledge Intensive Business services (FKIBS)

• Customs Duty Exemption on raw materials for goods exported outside of Southern African Customs Union (SACU)

• No restrictions on business and property ownership

• Duty rebate on importation of machinery for manufacturing

• Liberal tax regime and negotiable holiday tax

• Central location ideal for intra-regional and extra-regional hub

• Overreliance on minerals (diamonds) revenues

• Limited industrial activity• Unemployment and inequality,

particularly among youth and women• Low population

• Economic dependence on a fluctuating and market vulnerable commodity - diamonds

• International concerns on anti-money laundering controls

• Persistent drought

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FocusBOTSWANA

22 / BOTSWANA

INTERVIEW WITH H.E. SAMUEL O. OUTLULE – AMBASSADOR OF THE REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA TO THE KINGDOM OF BELGIUM AND HEAD OF DELEGATION TO THE EUROPEAN UNION

HOW WOULD YOU PRESENT BOTSWANA FROM AN ECONOMIC POINT OF VIEW?

Since independence in 1966, Botswana has pursued open economy policies that set off foreign direct investment in the mining sector. These policies led to rapid economic growth and development that enabled Botswana to graduate from the list of least developed countries. Furthermore Botswana has enjoyed strong and stable economic growth that is well supported by good gov-ernance and transparency, prudent manage-ment of resources, an independent judiciary and respect for the rule of law. In 2005 the World Bank classified Botswana as an upper middle-income economy.

The economic activity is mainly supported by mineral resources, especially diamonds, tourism and the beef industry. The three sectors make significant contributors to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and have been the cornerstone of Botswana’s economic success. Despite the good reviews, the economic growth rate remains low, mak-ing it difficult to achieve national develop-ment goals to create jobs, especially for the youth. In 2020, Botswana’s economy

contracted by an estimated 8.9%. This was subsequent to a 3.0% growth rate in 2019. The contraction is attributed to a number of factors such as COVID–19 lockdown and other restrictions on movement which constrained the economic activities. On the supply side, mining output declined significantly, mainly due to falling global demand. In this regard, the Government is looking into increasing investments in agriculture, services, tourism, digital transformation and manufacturing in order to diversify the economy and reduce the high dependency on the mining of rough diamonds alone, which is subject to volatility.

I must underscore that COVID-19 has put a great burden on our economy. Due to this, Botswana developed an Economic Recovery and Transformation Plan (ERTP) to bol-ster resilience to the pandemic aftershocks. The ERTP is an addendum to the Mid-Term Review of National Development Plan (NDP) 11 and is aligned to the National Vision 2036. The Plan is expected to revive the economy by supporting local businesses, attracting pri-vate sector investments, diversifying exports as well as creating jobs. Other recovery meas-ures that Botswana undertook include among others: provision of food relief packages, wages subsidies, increased utilisation of the ICTs to support sectors like education through online learning; economic stimulus packages for small and medium enterprises that were severely affected by the pandemic; deferment and restructuring of loan obligations; tempo-rary suspension and concessions tax payment until business recovers as well as a roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines.

I would also like to indicate that the Government of Botswana has created strat-egies such as the Economic Diversification Drive (EDD). The EDD aims to address the identified weaknesses and threats that have over the years delayed the achievement of economic diversification, while simulta-neously propelling the exploitation of our strengths and opportunities. Botswana has designated eight (8) Special Economic Zones (SEZs) which are dedicated to specific sec-tors and provide an investor-friendly business environment that will make Botswana the most preferred location for both domestic and foreign investment. The main objective of these SEZs is to diversify the country’s eco-nomic and export base into sectors that will

H.E. Samuel O. Outlule – Ambassador of the Republic Of Botswana to the Kingdom of Belgium and head of delegation to the European Union

continue to grow long after diamonds have run out. The 8 SEZ and their functions are as follows:

c Gaborone: Provides for mixed use and entails the following; diamond benefici-ation, pharmaceuticals, aerospace and aviation, finance & technology services, electronic equipment.

c Lobatse: Meat and leather processing c Selebi-Phikwe: Base Metal Beneficiation c Francistown: Mineral beneficia-

tion, freight and logistics, electronic equipment

c Pandamatenga: Integrated agriculture (cereal. Agro-processing, water man-agement solutions, food processing and storage facility)

c Tuli Block: Agro processing and food processing

c Palapye: the focus area is the energy sector (coal beneficiation, Oil & Gas and renewable energy)

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE BILATERAL RELATIONS BETWEEN BELGIUM AND BOTSWANA?

Botswana and Belgium share excellent and mutually beneficial bilateral relations since Botswana’s independence in 1966 as well as the multilateral relations that dates as far back as 1975, under the first Lomé Convention which was designed to provide a new frame-work of cooperation between the then European Economic Community (EEC) and developing African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. This was followed by the Cotonou Partnership Agreement in 2000, the EU-SADC EPA in 2016 and the soon-to-signed Post-Cotonou Agreement between the EU and the Organisation of Africa, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS). Belgium is widely known as the “heart of Europe” with its cap-ital city, Brussels being an important cen-tre of European economic, commercial and political activity and the capital of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The two countries have similar traits as Botswana is also strategically located in the heart of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and provides alternative routes to SADC’s other highly congested corridors, such as the route from South Africa through Zimbabwe and further north to Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

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REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA

Furthermore, SADC as an inter-governmen-tal organisation that exists to achieve devel-opment, peace and security and economic growth within the Southern African States is headquartered in Botswana.

A significant part of bilateral relations between Botswana and Belgium can be traced to the discovery of diamonds. Belgium is a very important market for Botswana’s rough diamonds with an estimated export value of BWP 76,608.677,963 for the period 2016 to 2020. Antwerp is a major world dia-mond centre. A large number of diamontaires have invested in the city and are involved in the cutting, polishing and retail sectors of the industry. Many of the diamontaires were DeBeers sightholders and purchased most of their diamonds from the Diamond Trading Centre in London. With the development of Gaborone as a Diamond Centre, some of the Antwerp based diamond companies have been licensed to buy diamonds from the Diamond Trading Company Botswana and Okavango Diamond Trading Company. This means that there is a continuing part-nership and cooperation between Botswana and Belgium. Belgium also participates in the Kimberley Process under the umbrella of the EU, its role is to verify rough diamonds imports that are destined anywhere in the EU and issue the KP certificate.

Bilaterally, Botswana has signed two Agreements with the Kingdom of Belgium namely; the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Bilateral Cooperation in Agriculture and Tourism between the Government of Botswana and the Flanders Government in May 2017; and the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement signed in 2018. Let me also high-light that a successful and exemplary twin-ning arrangement exists between the two cities of Francistown and Genk in Botswana and Belgium, respectively. The MoU, first signed in 2004, is seen as a mechanism to exchange ideas and best practices in areas of urban sustainable development and to deepen the bilateral agreement already exist-ing between Botswana and Belgium.

We are therefore hopeful that collaboration with CBL-ACP will contribute towards diver-sified trade between Botswana and Belgium and the rest of the European Union as well as open doors for sustainable investments.

WHAT ARE THE KEY SECTORS IN WHICH YOU WOULD ADVISE BELGIAN INVESTORS TO INVEST IN BOTSWANA?

As I stated earlier, Botswana Government is looking to diversify the economy to avoid

over-reliance on mining. Based on this, the following sectors have shown potential for investment; manufacturing, energy, benefi-ciation in the mining sector, education, agri-culture, Finance and Knowledge Intensive Business Services (FKIBS), transport and logistics, tourism, health, ICT, digitalisation, cultural and creative industries. The Special Economic Zones also presents opportuni-ties in the Agro-processing, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution and logistics as well as internationally traded services.

On this point, I wish to highlight that ICT and digitization in particular as an interesting area of investment as the Government of Botswana is currently implementing a digital transformation strategy called SmartBots, which will also support the goal of transform-ing Botswana from an upper-middle-income country to high-income status by 2036. The aim is to become a knowledge-based economy.

In other sectors, the underdeveloped nature of Botswana pharmaceutical market presents

24 / BOTSWANA

considerable investment opportunities. Here, innovative manufacturers have the opportu-nity to branch out from Botswana’s domes-tic market to the wider market of the SADC region. Belgian investors could also consider establishing partnerships between Botswana and Belgian businesses, chambers of com-merce, academic institutions, women and youth organisations, cultural and creative organisations, among other opportunities. Botswana has abundant energy resources, receiving over 3 200 hours of sunshine per year with insulation. The government has put in place policy and legal frameworks to ena-ble investors to develop the sector.

YOUR EMBASSY IS THE FIRST POINT OF CONTACT FOR BELGIANS WHO ARE HERE. HOW DO YOU HELP THEM? ARE THERE OTHER AGENCIES WITH WHOM IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE IN CONTACT?

Indeed, our embassy is the face of Botswana and first point of contact for citizens of Botswana, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, as well as other national-ities who are interested in investing and/or visiting Botswana, as well as EU institutions for bilateral and multilateral cooperation with Botswana. We are available 24/7 by email, telephone, website and in-person visits for the citizens of the BENELUX and Italy. We also have Honorary consulates in Luxembourg, Italy and the Netherlands who are also man-dated to assist with consular duties. The role of the Embassy is to advance Botswana’s national interests and articulate our foreign policy in our bilateral relations and in interna-tional fora. Our primary mandate is to attract investments, promote trade and tourism, promote Botswana’s culture, arts and crafts, and facilitate movement of people by provid-ing a range of consular services such as visa and national document processing.

We work closely with strategic stakehold-ers and partners such as the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC), the Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO), the Special Economic Zones Authority (SEZA), as well as other government ministries, aca-demic institutions and civil society. BITC is our investment promotion agency which is mandated to attract and promote invest-ments as well as promote Botswana exports abroad. BITC also facilities the ease of doing business in Botswana through provision of prompt and efficient services offered through its One Stop Service Centre. The Embassy, in collaboration with BITC and other key insti-tutions carry out and participates in tourism exhibitions in countries of accreditation, and undertakes investment promotion activities

where we work closely with the Botswana business community to promote their busi-ness interests abroad. This includes organis-ing meetings between potential investors and local business people, especially where for-eign investors are looking for local partners.

The Embassy is an interface between Botswana and Belgium as well as Botswana and Europe at large. Botswana Embassies in Europe collaborate very closely and engage in regular exchange of information to ensure the seamless provision of services to the public. In this respect we represent the interests of Botswana and Batswana in Belgium and the Europe continent. We also connect Belgium and Europe to the country by dispersing information on profiled business opportu-nities for investment, promoting tourism and informing the development priorities. The Embassy works to serve Botswana’s national interests.

IS THERE A MESSAGE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEND TO OUR MEMBERS?

Let me take this opportunity to indicate that the Embassy is open and ready to engage your membership on any informa-tion they may need about Botswana, be it on investment, trade, tourism, international cooperation or any issue where we can be of assistance. This includes, among other services, helping to link potential investors to Botswana’s key institutions and business leaders. An increase in investment from Europe will certainly help Botswana to suc-ceed in diversifying and expanding its econ-omy. We see a bright future for the economy and people of Botswana, and the SADC region as a whole. We hope that European investors will recognise and seize the myriad of opportunities which Botswana has to offer. In this regard, the Embassy stands ready and willing to facilitate all travellers and investors.

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MINERALS DEVELOPMENT COMPANY BOTSWANA

COMPANY PROFILE

Minerals Development Mining Company (MDCB) is an investment company that holds and manages mining & minerals assets for the Government of Botswana (GRB).

Established as a commercial entity, the com-pany is mandated and well positioned to grow, optimise and diversify its mining and minerals portfolio as well as facilitate the development of the local mining and mine-rals sector. MDCB also provides the GRB with commercial and technical advisory services.

The company’s vision is to be a globally com-petitive investment company, contributing to Botswana’s financial security through gene-ration of attractive returns from a resilient mining and minerals investment portfolio by being an active, innovative and responsible shareholder.

MDCB, which is mandated to invest in and out of Botswana, has interests in Morupule Coal Mine Minergy Coal, De Beers Group and BCL1.

OPPORTUNITIES IN THE MINING & MINERALS SECTOR

Botswana is endowed with sizeable mineral resources, including diamonds which have played a key role in turning the country from being one of the poorest countries at inde-pendence to the middle-income economy it is today. Due to responsible mining backed by prudent macro-economic management, the country’s minerals have built social infrastructure, continuously improved the quality of life of its citizens and positioned the country well as one of the leading mining destinations of choice.

Opportunities for investment exist across the whole mining value chain and include benefi-ciation of minerals and as well as participation in related ancillary services. Enhancing use of technology in ways that leverage off the well qualified and experienced local mining human capital is a national imperative. In addition, the need to diversify the local mining and minerals sector, which has been

1. BCL is in final liquidation.

is a key focus area of Botswana, is getting renewed impetus to unlock potential identi-fied in other mineral resources that exist in Botswana.

While undergoing the first horizon of its investment strategy which is primarily focused on identifying and pursuing com-mercially attractive investment opportunities in Botswana, MDCB has become aware of the opportunities listed below. Given some of these opportunities have their independent owners and sponsors, MDCB cannot warrant the accuracy of the information provided herein. Further, this document is not meant to be an invitation to invest but merely to show case Botswana mineral endowment and probable opportunities as highlighted from publicly available information. Therefore, MDCB does not assume nor incur any liabi-lity for any loss arising from any use of the information herein or otherwise in connection therewith. Potential investors are strongly advised to carry out their own comprehen-sive due diligence ahead of considering any investments.

COAL

Overview:Botswana is richly endowed with coal with relatively thick seams at shallow depths and suitable for power stations, the regional industrial industry and international export. In addition to the two operating coal mines Morupule Coal Mine and Minergy Coal, there are six known coal projects at advanced stages of development, with an opportunity to create a coal mining Hub in the country with a few more companies coming on the near horizon.

According to Fitch-affiliated market analyst BMI Research, “the Botswana government’s efforts to develop the coal mining sector will yield steady progress, supported by low operating costs, a solid project pipeline and rising domestic demand. Furthermore, coal-fired power generation plays an important role in southern Africa’s electricity mix, par-ticularly in South Africa and Botswana, where BMI forecasts coal to account for over 95%

of Botswana’s power mix by 2025. Botswana will be well placed to supply the region’s increasing coal demand.”

Probable business case:Under investment leading to global supply gaps vis. installed global coal fired-power capacity.

Competitive advantages:Relatively low stripping ratios, thick coal seams, proximity to regional markets.

Possible constraints:Rail capacity, funding constraints, pace of technological innovation for power storage from renewables.

Known active projects: 4-5 projects.

SODA ASH AND POTASH

Overview:Botswana has the only soda ash deposit in the region, with growth options that have potential upside trajectory. The expansion of the current mine will support poten-tial increase in salt and soda ash off-take, potential diversifying into potash and other related production. The brine reserves have the potential to plug demand for fertilizer and some other industrial supplies. MDCB sees material opportunity to increase regional salt exports with supportive rail-line capacity.

Probable business case:Growth options for new products such as fertilisers and potash, growth in agriculture to push demand for fertilisers.

Competitive advantages:Captive inland market

Possible constraints:Rail capacity, competition from overseas suppliers.

Known projects: 1

26 / BOTSWANA

IRON ORE

Overview:The country has an iron ore project located in the North-West District. Initial assessments indicate an initial Block 1 resource of 441 Mt at 29.4% Fe (translates to circa. 146.2MT of concentrate valued at circa. US$14.9 billion in situ). It should also be noted that metallur-gical results confirm a premium product of c. 67% Fe, with great in-country beneficiation potential. The project identified an explora-tion target of potentially 5 to 7 billion tonnes at 15-40% Fe, with a possible life of mine of over 100 years and highly scalable.

The resource offers a number of production options including a large mine of 63mtpa of ROM.

Possible business case:Growing demand for growing infrastructure projects, strong demand from China and South East Asia projected.

Competitive advantages:Possible existence of an extensive ore body.

Possible constraints:Logistics, possible competition from seaborne suppliers.

Known projects: 1

COPPER

Overview:Botswana is endowed with good, but smal-ler, copper deposits of a similar style of mineralization to that in the Central African Copperbelt but at shallower depths. There are currently two key long-life projects at advanced stages of development to be consi-dered by MDCB. Selecting the right Strategic Partnerships is seen as critical for long-term success if copper is included in MDCBs near-term strategic options. These developments are also supported by Government’s commit-ment to deliver 400Kv electric supplies.

Possible business case: Growing global long-term demand from a drive for greener technology and electrification (making more projects viable) .

Competitive advantages:Developing Kalahari Copper Belt region with potential for a hub of copper projects, future consolidation of projects possible, projects with low capital intensity.

Possible constraints:Logistics, possible competition from the Zambian and the Democratic republic of Congo copper belts.

Known projects: 2

MANGANESE

Overview:Botswana has manganese bearing deposits near in the Southern part of the country, with this mineralization seeming to be bet-ter suited for the making of batteries – Thus the use in batteries is most exciting prospect for investment potential. According to the International Manganese Institute, in 2017 total Mn demand for cathode production in Li-ion batteries was 21,000Mt and expected to increase to 163,000Mt by 2027. This pro-vides a good opportunity for the country to continue with further studies to unlock this exciting opportunity. An ongoing project being monitored has recently updated its mineral resource to 1.7Mt at 25.7% MnO.

Possible business case:Growing global battery market and possibi-lity of producing battery grade product.

Competitive advantages:Proximity to rail and road network into South Africa’s ports and facilities, possible low capi-tal intensity and operating costs.

Possible constraints:Relatively smaller deposits, competition from well-established producers, establishment of

non-manganese based battery and/or other power storage technologies.

Known projects: 1

COAL BED METHANE (CBM)

Overview:The Botswana CBM gas resource is signifi-cant, thought to be third in terms of availabi-lity in southern Africa at an estimated 30 tcf (trillion cubic feet), with a conservative 5 tcf of the above gas technically and economi-cally recoverable. There is one hybrid power station ready for CBM uptake and a power project underway, further exploitation of the resource could lead to a large 300 MW gas-fired power station in the country as well as several smaller power peaking stations. Potential of the resource could also facilitate Gas-To-Liquid projects, LNG plants as well as piped gas and CNG to smaller consumers. Liquefied gas has significant demand in a neighbouring country, which could be served by Botswana.

Possible business case:Possible export option to South Africa given small market size of Botswana.

Competitive advantages:Steadily developing projects and a sizeable countrywide resource base.

Possible constraints:Slow government support as facilitator and operator, narrowing window from growing renewable energy production.

Known projects: 1

GOLD

Overview:Botswana has a small known gold resource with one long running mine currently in ope-ration. The mine produced between 24,000 – 35,000 oz annually over the past five years.

/ 27

Gold price increases over the last year have favoured such operations. Exploration and mapping continue in its lease areas.

Possible business case:Small sustainable operations could provide alternative revenue and diversification, explo-ration potential.

Competitive advantages:Existing operation could be maintained with good prices supporting.

Possible constraints:Relatively smaller resources, historically low exploration activity (resource extension required) therefore short life-of-mine.

Known projects: 1

DIAMONDS

Overview:Botswana’s established diamond mining sec-tor as one of the leading revenue generators for the country has a long and stable history as the largest producer by value. Mining projects in all stages are ongoing and value chain activity is steadily increasing. The two large producers, Lucara and Debswana, have announced and commenced expansion plans up to 2040+.

Possible business case:Making most of the available resource, skill-set, infrastructure and operating environ-ment could develop smaller mines for added revenue.

Competitive advantages:Sustained government support, established and stable industry with relatively good labour, policy and operating environment; most require simple extraction methods.

Possible constraints:Changing industry/market fundamentals such as increasing competition from syn-thetic diamonds and ESG factors, increasing costs for established mines.

Known projects: +4

BATTERY METALS

Overview:Botswana is endowed with nickel, copper, manganese and cobalt resources that are being re-reviewed and explored. Further, there is activity at varying stages for minerals such as vanadium.

Possible business case:With sustainable long term prices existing assets could be revived and exploration increased, decarbonisation is gaining signi-ficant momentum.

Competitive advantages:Existing infrastructure, abundant solar resource, proximity to inland market should Botswana become a hub for battery metals beneficiation.

Possible constraints:Resources still underexplored.

Known projects: TBC

Sources of information:

1. MDCB Corporate Strategy of 2019.2. http://www.tsodiloresources.com/s/

Metals.asp?ReportID=6099473. https://www.sandfire.com.au/

site/Business/sandfire-emea/Tshukudu-Operations

4. https://giyanimetals.com/projects5. https://www.minergycoal.com/

about-masama/ 6. https://www.galanegold.com/

operations/mupane/7. http://www.tsodiloresources.com/s/

Diamond.asp 8. https://botswanadiamonds.co.uk/

operations/botswana/9. https://www.gemdiamonds.com/opera-

tions.php

For more Informations:

Special Economic Zones Botswana

Doing Business in Botswana

28 / CBL-ACP: FINANCIAL DIVISION

THE EU EXTERNAL INVESTMENT PLAN (EIP)

WHY EIP – RATIONALE AND BACKGROUND

EIP – WHY

The Sustainable Development Goals

On September 25th 2015, countries adopted a set of goals to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all as part of new sustainable development agenda. Each goal has specific targets to achieve over the next 15 years.

The Investment gap

The estimated global investment gap in key SDG sectors, 2015 –> 2030 are tril-lions of USD, annual average. The Official Development Aid (ODA) alone cannot cover this gap. Consequently, the European Union Institutions need to partner with the private sector in order to cover it.

c Total Annual investment needs = 3.9 tril-lions of USD

c Current Annual Investment = 1.4 trillions of USD (2020 figures)

c Total Investment Gap = 2.5 trillions of USD/year (2014 UNCTAD)

EIP - GOALS

c Contribute to Sustainable Development c Improve Investment climate c Encourage investment (especially private) c Tackle root causes of irregular migration c Focus on jobs and growth

EIP - HOW

EIP’s Integrated Approach: the 3-Pillar Structure. It is a one-stop-shop for public and private investors.

Pillar I - European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD)

c New guarantee to reduce risk c Blending loans and grants (Africa

Investment Platform, EU Neighbourhood Investment Platform)

EFSD guarantee

c A risk mitigation mechanism to stim-ulate investments in Africa and in the Neighbourhood

c Will leverage additional financing, in particular from the private sector (crowding in), by reducing the risk

c A guarantee capacity for credit enhance-ment will ultimately benefit the final investments

c Will provide liquidity from its guarantee fund (liquidity cushion)

What is Blending?

It is a strategic use of a limited amount of EU financial support in order to mobilise financ-ing from partner International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and other sources (includ-ing private sector) and enhance the develop-ment impact of investment projects as long as this EU support is “additional”. This means otherwise the project would not materialise or would materialise in a sub-optimal way.

* EU contribution vs funding by IFIs, private and

public sector

Pillar II - Technical Assistance (TA)

c Support local authorities and companies preparing bankable projects

c Improving the investment climate in close engagement with the Private Sector

What is Technical Assistance?

c Provision of know-how: training, short and long-term personnel, research, pol-icy and advisory services, studies, com-munication or knowledge sharing

c Typically a TA project could also include other support activities: supplies and equipment, visibility, works...

c Ownership by partner government, through Steering Committees

c Supported by specialised consulting firms and agencies

Pillar III - Investment climate

c Structured dialogue with business c Market Intelligence & Analytics c Policy and political dialogue c EU Cooperation

EIP INTEGRATED APPROACH – THIS IS HOW THE DOTS CONNECT

Funding by IFIs, private and public

sector

Eu contribution

EU DelegationGovernment

EU MSIFIs

Private sector

TA identifies & prepares investment proposals

Dialogue identifies obstacles to investmentTA addresses

investment climate

constraints

Blending & guarantees materialise investment projects

Tangible results generate investors & Government interest

/ 29

NDICI - GLOBAL EUROPE

EIP has ambitious plans for the future.The European Commission is aiming to achieve a more efficient financial architec-ture for investment outside the European Union. The new investment architecture is the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) also known as Global Europe.

The NDICI combines all EU external action pro-grammes into one broad financing tool. This new instrument is made of three main components

MANON KIZIZIÉAdvisor

Financial Division - CBL ACP

(geographical, thematic and rapid response) and a more flexible element to counter emerg-ing crises. Funds can easily be shifted from one issue to another within the broader scope of the instrument. It also provides a more policy-driven and inclusive approach, with potentially more direct input from local and national stakehold-ers. The new instrument can help closing gaps and avoiding overlaps in the multitude of EU external programmes. This means that EU poli-cies focusing on poverty reduction, protection of human rights and crisis response would now all be financed via this single instrument.

In a nutshell, the NDICI Global Europe’ objec-tive is to uphold and promote the Union’s val-ues and interest worldwide via

c Simplification c Consistent and flexible approach c Rapid response and programmed

cooperation

It is the main instrument for EU cooperation and development with partner countries.

GEOGRAPHIC

c Neighbourhood

c Sub-Sahara Africa

c Asia and Pacific

c Americas and the Caribbean

Emergency challenges and priorities cushion

Official development assistance - At least 93% of total amount

Climate - 30% of total amount

Human development - At least 20% of ODA funding

Gender - 85% of actions as principal or significant objective

Geographisation

EFSD + ERASMUS +

THEMATIC

c Human Rights and Democracy

c CSOs

c Peace, Stability and Conflict prevention

c Global Challenges

RAPID RESPONSE

c Crisis Response and Conflict Prevention

c Resilience and linking human-itarian and development actions

c Foreign policy needs and priorities

NDICI - GLOBAL EUROPE - FEATURES

NDICI - GLOBAL EUROPE - STRUCTURE

Source:

EIP website: https://ec.europa.eu/eu-external-investment-plan/home_en

NDICI related: EU – Private sectors consultations slides (May 2021)

30 /30 / CBL-ACP: EVENTS

EVENTS ET ACTIVITÉS DE LA CBL-ACP

MISSION ECONOMIQUE VIRTUELLE BENIN-BELGIQUE - 22 & 23 JUIN 2021

21 May 2021- Work meeting with Mr Khalid M. Ali Executive Director of the European Chamber of Commerce in Sudan and Mr G. Bultynck Chairman of CBL-ACP and Mr H.Cherif, Head of bilateral section.

In June, the CBL-ACP organized, in collabora-tion with the embassy of Kenya, a presiden-tial working breakfast. During this successful event a new cooperation agreement was signed between the KNCCI and CBL-ACP.

Tuesday 18th of May Virtual General Assembly of the CBL-ACP.We wish to welcome the new elected board members:APEC- Antwerp/Flanders Port Training Center vzw – Mrs. Nele VOORSPOELSDENYS N.V. – M. Johan VAN WASSENHOVEQGM Holding Ltd, - M. Quentin GAUDISSARTM. Frédéric GEERTS – Banque Rotschild Martin Maurel – Membre fondateur du CEMAPOLYTRA N.V.- M. Amaury LUYCKXPPMGL SRL – M. Frédéric LERNOUXTEXAF S.A. – M. Jean-Philippe WATERSCHOOT

Our warmest congratulations to the newly ap-pointed Vice-chairman M. Amaury LUYCKX.

Pourquoi le Bénin ?

Grand de 114 763 km², le Bénin possède des frontières avec quatre pays (Togo, Burkina Faso, Niger et Nigéria) ainsi que 121 km de côte. Nous avions déjà présenté les multi-ples potentialités du pays dans un article que vous pouvez trouver dans l'édition de mars 2021. Celui-ci expliquait comment les institutions gouvernementales avaient engagé des réformes afin de soutenir l’en-treprenariat et attirer l’investissement privé dans un but de faire éclore ces potentialités économiques.

La crise du coronavirus n’a pas épargné le Bénin, bien au contraire, et il est impé-ratif d’initier des échanges économiques aujourd’hui tout en ayant une perspective à long terme à l’esprit. C’est dans cette pen-

sée que s’inscrit cette mission économique virtuelle Bénin-Belgique.

Firmin Akpagbe, notre représentant per-manent au Bénin nous confie : « Cette présente mission permet aux entreprises belges d’identifier, à travers des entre-prises du Bénin, des niches d’opportunités. La présente mission économique virtuelle s’inscrit dans une approche de réduction de l’incidence financière qu’engendrent les recherches et négociations de partenariats d’affaires. Elle contribue également à lever des contraintes induites par la pandémie du coronavirus sur les activités économiques et commerciales au plan international. La gestion du Port Autonome de Cotonou déléguée au Port d’Anvers de la Belgique est déjà une réalité avec des résultats significatifs et fort encourageants » A ce sujet, Edouard

Jourdain qui représente le port d’Anvers lors de la séance d’ouverture de la mission nous fait l’honneur d’une présentation PowerPoint sur la présence du Port d’Anvers à Cotonou. Présentation que vous pourrez retrouver grâce au QR Code en bas de cet article.

Comment cette mission a-t-elle été organisée ?

Au vu de l’engouement des divers acteurs économiques impliqués, nous avons décidé, malgré les limites que pose la situation sani-taire, d’organiser une rencontre B2B Bénin-Belgique. Nous avons décidé de faire appel à la plateforme B2Match pour le support virtuel de cette mission économique.

Après l’enquête menée par notre représen-tant permanent, nous avons ainsi décidé de cibler 10 secteurs clés :

Les 22 et 23 juin a eu lieu la mission économique virtuelle Bénin-Belgique, une première pour CBL-ACP. Avec près de 110 inscriptions, CBL-ACP est honoré de vous annoncer que cette mission fut un succès car, malgré les

limites que pose le virtuel, il permet également une plus grande flexibilité dans l’organisation de B2B. Zoom sur cette première mission économique organisée totalement en virtuel !

/ 31

c Agriculture c Agro-industrie c Énergie & Énergies renouvelables c Construction & BTP c Mines & Hydrocarbures c Transport & Logistique c Digital & Économie Numérique c Technologies de l’Information et de la

Communication (TIC) c Élevage & Pêche c Tourisme & Artisanat

Après prospection et une motivation accrue des entreprises participantes, nous avons entamé la mission avec plus de 100 ins-criptions, belges et béninoises confondues. La mission s’ouvre avec les discours inspi-rants du Managing Director de CBL-ACP, Jaques Evrard, de Son Excellence Monsieur l’Ambassadeur Belge, Xavier Leblanc et des représentants de CBL-ACP au Bénin, Mr Firmin Akpagbe, du port d’Anvers, de la CCIB, du CNBP, d’ENABEL, d’EUROCHAM Bénin et finalement de Credendo.

Après cette petite heure discursive ponctuée d’aléas techniques inhérents à la rencontre virtuelle, les rendez-vous pris les semaines précédant l’événement peuvent commencer.

C’est ainsi que, via cette plateforme, plus de 70 rendez-vous ont été fixé entre les entreprises belges et béninoises. Tel un speed-dating professionnel, ceux-ci se font par tranches de trente minutes afin de per-mettre l’efficience dans le temps. Les entre-prises qui « matchent » ont la capacité par la suite de rester en contact et d’initier un éventuel partenariat.

Les missions virtuelles, l’avenir ?

Organiser une mission économique virtuelle, il fallait y penser et surtout il fallait oser. Le virtuel ne remplacera jamais la chaleur des rencontres en présentiel, cependant, il n’enlève rien à la pertinence des missions économiques dans leur rôle initiatrices et cultivatrices de projets économiques.

Si le virtuel présente certes des limites, il offre également un potentiel organisationnel non négligeable. Comme nous explique notre repré-sentant permanent au Bénin, les approches sont très différentes dans les deux cas : « La mission économique virtuelle a été organisée suivant une approche sélective des entreprises au Bénin. Un profil a été défini. Par contre pour toute mission en présentiel, les participants sont nombreux et c'est à travers les échanges que les deux parties apprécient la capacité ou non d'établir un partenariat d'affaires. De même pour les entreprises belges, l'inci-

dence financière est certainement moins éle-vée. » - Firmin Akpagbe.

Le contexte sanitaire actuel et son inscrip-tion dans un univers toujours plus digita-lisé, toujours plus distancié tout en étant davantage connecté demande une capacité d’adaptation rapide. Pour ce faire, rester à l’écoute du monde et être à l’affut de l’ouver-ture des opportunités est primordial. Avec l’aide de Mr. Akpagbe, ces opportunités ont été identifiés dans l’article susmentionné : « Les entreprises béninoises cherchent à saisir, densifier ou développer l'exploitation des potentialités en lien avec des entreprises qui peuvent contribuer à l'identification des marchés notamment le marché aval qui est l'écoulement des produits » - Firmin Akpagbe.

C’est ainsi que, grâce à un cadre macroé-conomique favorable de partenariat Public-Privé, des secteurs comme celui de l’agriculture (32 % des entreprises par-ticipantes), la construction (21 %) et bien d’autres trouvent la possibilité de se déve-lopper via ces rendez-vous virtuels et mal-gré le contexte sanitaire actuel. L’heure est au virtuel et au digital, la représenta-tion forte du secteur des Technologies de l’Information et de la Communication avec 37 % de la totalité des entreprises le prouve : « Concernant le secteur de l’éco-nomie numérique et la digitalisation, l’ex-ploitation optimale des investissements en infrastructures réalisés par les pouvoirs publics et les opérateurs privés pourra être suscitée à travers des relations avec des entreprises belges et celles du Bénin. Cela est d’autant plus indiqué que le gouverne-ment est dans la dynamique du développe-ment des infrastructures aux fins de faire du pays une référence dans la sous-région » - Firmin Akpagbe.

Comment va se concrétiser la suite de cette mission ?

L’objectif est de déboucher sur une mission en présentiel à partir des résultats des entre-tiens B2B et des opportunités identifiées par les entreprises belges, nous explique Firmin Akpagbe : « Il est indiqué de faire le point avec elles pour davantage appréhender les contours d'une telle mission. La deuxième raison est que cela a été annoncé par l'Am-bassadeur dans son discours. Il pourra être également associé à la préparation. »

Le virtuel n’a donc pas remplacé le voyage, il l’a seulement précédé et facilité. Pour connaitre la suite, restez « branché » !

LEILA BOUITAChargée de la mission économique

virtuelle Bénin-Belgique [email protected]

FIRMIN AKPAGBEReprésentant de CBL-ACP au Bénin

[email protected]

PDF de présentation du port d'Anvers & du port autonome de Cotonou

32 /32 / CBL-ACP: STAFF & MEMBERS

CBL-ACP: STAFF & MEMBERS

NEW MEMBERS

MANAGING DIRECTOR

EXECUTIVE MANAGER MANAGER DEPUTY

MANAGER

Jacques EVRARD

Corine COURBET

Didier VERHELST

JenniferLEFEBURE

FINANCING DIVISION

VICE-CHAIRMANAlexander HERRING

ADVISORManon KIZIZIÉ

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

HONORY VICE-CHAIRMAN MauriceVERMEESCH

Paul FRIX

ADVISORManon KIZIZIÉ

ADVISORS

Henri CHALON

Paul FRIX

Jacques NYSSEN

Solange PITROIPA

Jorge SANTOS

Thierry CLAEYS BOUUAERT

HONORY VICE-CHAIRMAN MauriceVERMEESCH

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