The visit of the president of the transition of Gabon Brice Oligui Nguema continues in France, the delegation being on a seduction operation in Paris during a business forum bringing together nearly 600 Gabonese and French business leaders, Wednesday May 29. At the end of the day, several contracts were signed, for a total amount of more than one billion euros. The Gabonese government wants to reassure investors.
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There Gabonese delegation on seduction operation in Paris. Objective of this day: dialogue, forge new links, while the market share in Gabon of French operators has decreased in recent years. Welcomed with acclamations, the president of the transition Brice Oligui Nguema came at the head of his delegation to present the new Gabonhe said: “ We are before you to invite you to Gabon “, calling the country of ” land of all opportunities “.
Around ten memorandums of understanding and contracts have been signed: port, railway and road infrastructure. First of all, two protocols with the French government. One concerns the upgrading of the Transgabonais – the country’s railway. The other had already been announced during the One Forrest Summit: the rehabilitation of the saturated Mindoubé landfill.
“ French companies ” say to themselves ” ready to support government action » from the putsch
Other public-private partnerships have also been approved. With the Suez group and Pam Saint Gobain, in particular, for the modernization of water production and distribution infrastructures.
In the aisles of the show, we congratulate each other: last August’s coup absolutely does not slow down investment desires, explains a French entrepreneur. We must go even further, assures Philippe Labonne, president of the Africa Committee of Medef International: “ French companies are ready to establish a new Gabon-France economic partnership and to support the action of your government. »
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Fight against unemployment
Some concerns still dot the speeches. A third of the working population is unemployed and the public debt still remains very high: the road is still long, concede the various ministers present.
On this subject, an investment program between Prometal and the Gabonese state was also included in the list of negotiations, with 500 job creations at stake. Because it is one of the priorities which came up a lot in the speeches: the need to combat persistent unemployment which has now reached 32%.
The dynamic is there, rejoices Charles M’Ba, Gabonese Minister of Public Accounts: “ I have the impression that everyone has been massively interested in Gabon since August 30. It’s not worry, it’s enthusiasm. We have moved our growth assumptions to a single digit above 3% in perspective. This still means that things have restarted or started again. »
The Gabonese transitional president will meet French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday May 31.
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