ABIDJAN - An 80-km peripheral road, a 500-hectare free zone and 25 thousand residential units are as many infrastructure and construction projects planned in Abidjan for the period 2015-2020 of which brief overviews were offered to Tunisian businessmen visiting the economic capital of Cote d'Ivoire from December 2 to 5.
Among the major projects there is also the construction of a leisure park in a forest in the region, the construction and equipment of a hospital and the construction of tramway, noted Toure Mathieu, officer at the cabinet of Abidjan Governor, adding that the district of Abidjan plans to create a town planning agency to be the contact of operators in this area.
Special adviser to the Governor, Doy Akou Joseph said all these projects are the axes of partnership. "The district of Abidjan, which has financial autonomy, has 6 million residents and is home to 80% of the country's economic activity.
It abounds with untapped tourist potential and the Tunisian experience can service in this area."
The visit of the Tunisian businessmen delegation is part of participation in the 5th edition of the architecture and construction fair "ARCHIBAT 2015" held in Abidjan.
This participation, organised by the Tunisian Export Promotion Centre (CEPEX), aims to provide Tunisian companies the opportunity to draw on the economic dynamics experienced by Cote d'Ivoire in general and the construction and public works sector in particular. This sector would experience a growth of 27.5% from 2015 to 2017. Fund allocated to it should rise from 77.9 billion FCFA (1 euro=666.9 CFA Francs) in 2015 to 160 billion FCFA in 2017, according to data from CEPEX.
The country receives a strong financial support from international donors, particularly the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), said Jade Ghazwani, Tunisian chartered account to a French firm in Abidjan.
Ghazwani, who was speaking Thursday at a meeting at the Chamber of Commerce in Abidjan, said all economic sectors are eligible for the advantages provided for by the Ivorian investment code, except for building for commercial use.
The Tunisian construction and public works sector, which has 2,800 companies contributes around 25% to the overall investments in Tunisia. It provides 40 thousand jobs, including 500 engineers, according to CEPEX.
© Tunis-Afrique Presse 2015
