Investing Guinea 2019

DOING BUSINESS IN AFRICA GUINEA 2019

Potential for positive economic outcomes Infrastructure, mining, agriculture, trade, housing, urban development and more – 60 years after its independence, guided by an ambitious development plan, Guinea is putting its potential into play across all key sectors of its economy. This sends a positive message to investors, while also generating resources and jobs. CONTENTS

ECONOMY AND BUSINESS SERVICES ENVIRONMENT

8 OUTLOOK Mining and services back on track 42 HOSPITALITY Conakry catches up 14 BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT Business climate change

20 INTERNATIONAL All-round diplomacy

24 FOREIGN TRADE Port traffic boosted by mining

46 BANKING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES Diversification bodes well for the future

INFRASTRUCTURE 48 ICT Guinea 2.0 Mentoring young entrepreneurs

52 REAL ESTATE AND CONSTRUCTION TRANSPORT 26 Build 120,000 homes Energy and logistics pick up the pace

SOCIETY

56 ENTREPRENEURSHIP Incubators: bringing an idea to life

SMB 60 AGRICULTURE AND AGRIBUSINESS Agriculture is a true engine of growth 30 PORTS The Port of Conakry, a West African giant in 66 EDUCATION the making Teachers seeking schools

32 EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES 68 HEALTH Bauxite spearheading mining Strengthening the health system

The Boké Mining Company leaves 70 YOUR TRIP nothing to chance Choosing your hotel in Conakry Excursion 38 ENERGY Guinea’s hydroelectric dreams come true 72 USEFUL INFORMATION

/ 3 4 \ The Autonomous Port of Conakry is undergoing unprecedented expansion. VINCENT FOURNIER/JA

/ 5 GUINEA IN NUMBERS

Location Savanes Investment/business indicators Macroeconomic indicators (%) Boké Labé 2016 Guinea enjoys a strategic geographical position Mamou 8.5% $594 Faranah Kankan $8.48 $683,50 Kindia 6.7% million in the heart of ECOWAS billion and shares 3,400 km of borders 2020 with Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Nzérékoré (est.) Liberia, Mali, Senegal and Sierra Leone. 2016 Investment rate: With its 320 km long coastline, the country is €21.7 billion Pledges registered by Guinea 25.2% of GDP $1.341 a potential maritime outlet for its landlocked neighbours. Almost four times billion to ﬁnance its National BANK, IMF SOURCE: WORLD Foreign exchange Economic & Social more than Real growth Inﬂation rate Nominal GDP GDP/capital reserves Development Plan the year before (PNDES) 2020 2019

SOURCES : PNDES, APIP, BANQUE CENTRALE DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE DE GUINÉE SOURCES : PNDES, APIP, 7.7%* General indicators Business environment indicators Increasingly strong growth 7.3%*

2013 Population Life expectancy 2014 2015 * According to Guinean 12.4 million 61 years 3.9% 3.7% 3.5% government estimates taking into account the PNDES priority projects SOURCE: IMF Foreign direct +25 Area Average age 8,793 72 hours investment: Places in the “Doing 2 companies founded in 2017 The time it takes Trade still in pole position (PIB en 2016) 245,857 km 17.3 years Business” rankings at the Investment Single $1,668,8 million to set up a company almost twice as much as between 2013 and 2018 Trade Extractive industries Public administration Agriculture Window, against Livestock, hunting, fishing, fish farming, forestry Market services Population Fertility rate 3,037 in 2014 in the previous four years Manufactured goods Taxes Construction Transport growth rate 4.8 children Non-market services Other Food products Electricity, gas, water 2.5% per woman of childbearing age 3% 4% 2% 1% 4% 19% Gross reproduction Birth rate Non-mining sector rate 38.7 / 1,000 5% revenues Mining sector 2.4 people 3.5/6 29 days 8,614.6 revenues The World Bank's CPIA The time it takes 7% billion 2,320 billion economic management to get a building 13% Mortality Child mortality rate Guinean Guinean score for Guinea in 2016, permit 7% rate 76.4 / 1,000 francs francs up from 2.3 five years earlier live births GUINEA ANNUAL, STATISTICS SOURCE : NATIONAL 10.6 / 1,000 COOPERATION OF PLANNING AND INTERNATIONAL SOURCE: MINISTRY 8% 10% Air links from Conakry 8% 9%

Dakar Abidjan Casablanca Paris Addis-Ababa 1h25 1h50 3h35 8h30 9 hours 6 \ Location Savanes Investment/business indicators Macroeconomic indicators (%) Boké Labé 2016 Guinea enjoys a strategic geographical position Mamou 8.5% $594 Faranah Kankan $8.48 $683,50 Kindia 6.7% million in the heart of ECOWAS billion and shares 3,400 km of borders 2020 with Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Nzérékoré (est.) Liberia, Mali, Senegal and Sierra Leone. 2016 Investment rate: With its 320 km long coastline, the country is €21.7 billion Pledges registered by Guinea 25.2% of GDP $1.341 a potential maritime outlet for its landlocked neighbours. Almost four times billion to ﬁnance its National BANK, IMF SOURCE: WORLD Foreign exchange Economic & Social more than Real growth Inﬂation rate Nominal GDP GDP/capital reserves Development Plan the year before (PNDES) 2020 2019

SOURCES : PNDES, APIP, BANQUE CENTRALE DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE DE GUINÉE SOURCES : PNDES, APIP, 7.7%* General indicators Business environment indicators Increasingly strong growth 7.3%*

Dakar Abidjan Casablanca Paris Addis-Ababa 1h25 1h50 3h35 8h30 9 hours / 7 ECONOMY AND BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

OUTLOOK

Mining and services back on track

Confronted with a serious health crisis and a decline in the cost of raw materials, Guinea has proved its resilience. Its recovery will consolidate the investments planned under the National Economic and Social Development Plan.

ince 2010, the Guinean government has strived to restore normality to Sthe national political context while stabilising the macroeconomic environment, in close cooperation with the IMF. Before reaping the benefits of its efforts, the country had to face the consequences of the Ebola epidemic – officially over in the country by June 2016, according to the WHO – and policy. According to the Guinean govern- Growth up then the decline in mineral prices on the ment, it fell to 6.5% in 2017 and is estimated to 6.6% by world market. By 2016, growth was at 6.6%. to have fallen to 4.8 % in 2018. It even reached 6.7% the following year, 2016. well above the sub-Saharan average. This Partners came to the party rebound can be linked to the stronger-than- The National Economic and Social expected increase in mining production, Development Plan 2016-2020 (PNDES), a due to the start-up of new projects, better tool for implementing the government’s agricultural yields and improved electricity Vision 2040, will intensify this momentum. production. Inflation, which is still above Based on four pillars – governance, economic sub-regional norms (at just over 8%), has transformation, human capital develop- nevertheless been dropping since 2010 and ment and sustainable resource management contained thanks to the relative stability of – it advocates stepping up investment in the exchange rate and a prudent monetary infrastructure, as well as in the productive

8 \ Katougouma mineral port, Boké mining company. economy. When Guinea’s technical and $650 million per year, in addition to other financial partners met in Paris in November financing already identified in the 2017-2020 2017, they showed their support for this pro- three-year plan. gramme by pledging a total of $21.7 billion (€18.4 billion). Conakry can also count on Tertiary sector leads the way the support of China, with whom it signed Accounting for 18% of GDP in 2016, the pri- a $20 billion 20-year investment agreement mary sector employs the largest number of 18% in September, again for the strengthening of Guinean people, particularly in agriculture. Primary sector its infrastructure development (see inter- While growth was moderate in 2016 (+3.1%), contribution to GDP. view with the Minister of Planning, p. 12). it is expected to reach 4% per year by 2020. In 2017, Guinea signed a second Extended Despite being the lowest on average, this Credit Facility (ECF) programme with the sector’s contribution to the national eco- IMF, the first one having been signed in nomy is the most stable. The secondary sector, 2012. It thus has non-concessional loans of which contributed 28% of GDP in 2016, is ➙

/ 9 ECONOMY AND BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK

Agriculture is still the sector that employs the biggest number of Guinean people.

➙ largely dominated by the extractive sector (13% of GDP), led by bauxite and gold, which makes up nearly 80% of the value of Guinean exports. Its strong growth will continue and, after an initial leap of 16.1% in 2016, is expected to stabilise at 10% per year until 2020. Building and public works, as well as the electricity sector, have also played their part in this performance. The tertiary sector alone accounts for almost half of GDP, driven mainly by trade activities and market services. It is experiencing relatively moderate growth (+3.1% in 2016), which should rise to 5% per year by 2020. share. The current account deficit, which is Flourishing FDI rising due to strong inflows of capital goods, The investment Guinea is enjoying surging interest in its is expected to continue to widen. rate more than economy, demonstrated by a tripling of the More efficient budget tripled from investment rate between 2015 and 2016, going from 7.3% to 25.2% of GDP. This trend is due management 2015 to 2016. to the rebound in Foreign Direct Investment Since 2010, there has been strict adherence (FDI), which rose over the same period from to an ambitious reform agenda, leading to a 3% to 18.8% of GDP, mainly due to the star- streamlining of public finances, and streng- ting up of major bauxite mining projects. thened and more transparent monetary and The trend is expected to continue at around fiscal management and governance, with the 13% in the coming years, while diversifying support of the IMF and the World Bank. New – especially in infrastructure projects – with laws have been adopted to better regulate significant input from the private sector in certain sectors of the economy (investments, the implementation of PNDES projects. Apart public-private partnerships, mining, etc.), from mining, this FDI flows into banking, including an anti-corruption law, and jus- insurance and telephony, with agriculture tice system reforms are still ongoing. A new being the only sector not getting a big enough structural reform plan is part of the second programme negotiated with the IMF at the end of 2017. Several global rankings have praised and recognised this progress in political and Inflation contained and deficit reduced economic governance. 6.5 4.5 Spending down, revenues up 8.2 8.1 Having reduced current expenditure, post- poned certain infrastructure projects and 2015 2016 2017 -1.8 2018 -1.4 aligned public expenditure with available -1.5 -1.8 non-inflationary financing, the country has -8.9 -3.4 managed to reduce its budget deficit, which -6 had reached -16.7% GDP in 2011. It also -12.9 benefits from an increase in government reve- Inflation Budget balance (% of GDP) Current account (% of GDP) SOURCE: 2017 AFRICAN ECONOMIC OUTLOOK SOURCE: 2017 AFRICAN nues, which rose from 7,976 billion Guinean

10 \ How Guinea’s economy will change

The 2016-2020 National of good governance aims at Economic and Social consolidating the rule of law, Development Plan (PNDES) democracy, security and social follows the third Poverty cohesion, and making public Reduction Strategy Paper action effective; the sustainable (PRSP), which expired in 2015. and inclusive transformation of Designed to make Vision2040 the economy relies mainly on operational, it lays the mineral resources to develop foundations for the structural agriculture, diversify industry transformation of the country’s and invest in infrastructure; economy and promotes the development of human inclusive growth capable of potential must be made substantially improving the possible through better access daily lives of the Guinean to health, education and people. This plan is based training, and through greater on the four major pillars that empowerment of women; francs in 2012 to 11,391 billion in 2016 (from support Guinean society. In this sustainable management of sense, it is building a unifying natural capital aims to improve €855 million to €1.142 billion). framework for all current resource protection and better However, with a revenue share of 14.8% of GDP sectoral strategies, which it prepare the country for natural in 2016 (10.6% in 2010), Guinea’s performance coordinates: the promotion disasters. n remains below that of most of its neighbours. Their growth potential, estimated at between 3% and 5%, remains high, particularly in mining, and reforms are being implemented 52 flagship projects in the pipeline to improve revenue recovery and broaden the tax base. The PNDES, two thirds of which The cost of the PNDES is estimated at $14.6 billion, of which is financed by external funds and through 49.3% and 38.2% are for the second and third pillars. The State is public-private partnerships, provides for contributing 30% through the national budget, while private financing public spending increasing by 14% per year (via partnerships with the public) is expected to contribute 38.2%. over the 2016-2020 period. Capital expenditure The PNDES has 675 projects and programmes, but a list of the is expected to increase from 36% of the total 52 most mature, known as “flagship projects”, has been established. government budget in 2016 to 48% in 2020, There are 16 in infrastructure, 11 in the environment, eight in while the share of current expenditure (wages education and six in the energy sector. Forty-three are to be carried in particular) will continue to fall. out as public projects, six through public-private partnerships and three by private stakeholders. Debt policy Since the completion point of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative $21.7 billion pledged was reached in 2012, Guinea’s public debt, estimated at 40.9% at the end of 2016, has All these projects were presented at the consultative group meeting become one of the lowest in the sub-region. held in Paris on 16 and 17 November 2017. At this time, pledges The launch of the PNDES flagship projects will totalling $21.7 billion were made by Guinea’s technical and financial lead to an increase in external debt, although a partners. The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation significant part of it will consist of concessional is in charge of monitoring the implementation of the PNDES. The or semi-concessional loans. It could also be Ministry is currently adopting a draft decree on the establishment, offset by the planned reduction in domestic allocation, organisation and operation of the institutional monitoring debt, which must be cleared to give a boost and evaluation system of the PNDES implementation. to local SMEs. n

/ 11 ECONOMY AND BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK

INTERVIEW

“Our priority targets are infrastructure and energy.” KANNY DIALLO, Minister of Planning and Economic development

An economics and finance graduate of the American University of Washington DC and the University of Paris X-Nanterre, KANNY DIALLO is a development specialist. After beginning her career at the IMF in 1981, she joined the AfDB five years later and remained there until she was appointed to head the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation in 2016.

What is the For all development which means we were We are going to provide government’s roadmap financing, we try able to convince them transversal solutions for development? to standardise a of the quality of the at several levels: When we presented the process of planning, Plan, the relevance training, recruitment, PNDES to our partners programming, of our objectives and civil service upgrades, in November in Paris, budgeting, monitoring the sincerity of our etc. The results have we also presented the and evaluation. The commitment. We’re been limited until now National Investment partners to whom we facing our governance because previous Programme, focusing presented our strategy problems head on, regimes took a on 52 structuring subscribe to this in order to generate sectoral and piecemeal projects. This process. enough domestic approach, including document constitutes resources to finance within the framework of our roadmap for the Did their support our development. the plans established next three years, live up to your with the World Bank, whether it concerns expectations? Guinea’s whereas ours is the funds obtained to It was very strong. administrative capacity transversal. implement the PNDES, The PNDES is a is often seen as an with $21.7 billion real opportunity for obstacle to achieving The PNDES was [€18.4 billion] in our country. From development prepared in record commitments, or those the beginning, we objectives. How did time. Why? from the agreement presented a concept you overcome this? Guinea has undergone signed with China in note to the partners, We know that long periods of September i.e. $20 telling them what we insufficient capacity instability with a military billion over twenty expected from them, can be a handicap in regime, a transition and years. Focusing while inviting them to achieving our goals. then a severe Ebola investment on such share their comments. To overcome this, we crisis. So we had to a programme is new This facilitated their took the problem into grab the bull by the to Guinea. Previously, coming on board. We account by creating horns, take stock of the it was demand that needed $14 billion and a national capacity- country, and develop guided our investment. we got $21.7 billion, building programme. our strategy. We could

12 \ “We refocused our objectives on the agricultural and rural sector, in order to have a more controlled approach to financing our development.”

have taken two years areas: infrastructure, projects funded and projects worth $1 to to do this work, but the rural development, the signed. Some are $2 billion. This will be urgency of the situation, social field and energy. underway. based on two aspects: we compounded by falling These can, of course, will provide China with commodity prices, include transversal What can you tell us mining concessions on pushed us to get it done projects. The first project about the agreement the one hand and China in six months. We did not signed in 2018, with the with China, which will offer us financial want to put the whole African Development received a mixed resources on the other. focus onto mining, as Bank [AfDB], for about reaction? This year, for example, it’s too uncertain, so we $42 million, concerns our I don’t know why we are negotiating four refocused our objectives electricity interconnection this caused so much urban road and sanitation on the agricultural and with Mali. In 2017, three misunderstanding and projects for about rural sector, in order to major infrastructure suspicion. Guinea has $200 million, as well as a have a more controlled projects were signed always worked with major road from Coyah to approach to financing our for the building of roads China and is the first Mamou-Dabola for about development. to Sierra Leone, Côte African country to have $300 million. There is d’Ivoire and Mali in recognised it. The also talk of one university, Which part of the order to open up an framework agreement out of the planned four, PNDES is most urgent? entire production area, consists of Beijing making that will cost about Everything is urgent, particularly mining. $20 billion available to $200 million and, lastly, but given our limits in Between 2016 and 2017, Guinea, over a period of roads in Upper Guinea terms of capacity and we recorded almost almost twenty years. Each for about $250 million. It financial arrangements, $1 billion in commitments year, we will meet around is a clear and transparent we have defined priority for eighteen [public] a table to negotiate approach. n

/ 13 ECONOMY AND BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

BUSINESS CLIMATE V. FOURNIER/JA Business climate change Between 2013 and 2018, Guinea moved up 25 places in the World Bank’s “Doing Business” ranking. And it’s not staying put: the country’s voluntary policy of improving the environment for investors continues in its National Economic and Social Development Plan.

14 \ Since 2010, the government has PPPs focus on energy (Share of projects per sector) worked hard to improve Guinea’s busi- Sness climate and most of the country’s Sanitation key economic governance indicators are 3% Autres 2% improving. The World Bank welcomed this Telecom 3% progress by moving the country up a total of 25 places in its “Doing Business” ranking Roads since 2013; it shot up 10 places between 14% 2017 and 2018 alone, positioning it 153rd Energy out of the 190 countries ranked. 39% Water Setting up 16% a business is easy Guinea’s significant progress is due, in particular, to the simplification of incorporating Ports and airports a business (72 hours, with lower minimum 23% capital requirements), reduced taxes on property transfers and notary fees, and a smoo- Businesses set up at the investor ther granting of building permits (29 days). Single Window New legislation by the Organisation for the 2016 2017 Harmonisation of Business Law in Africa 8,814 8,793 (OHADA) in 2014 also strengthened investor protection. 2015 4,911 Single Window 2014 TOTAL simplicity 3,032 25,537 The institutional framework has been strengthened to promote and stimulate private sector development: the restructu- red Private Investment Promotion Agency (APIP) now houses a Single Window for Trade is booming investors (see pages 18-19) providing a (Number of companies founded by sector, 2014-2017) one-stop shop for informing, advising and Trade Communication/ICT Tourism, hospitality, art accompanying domestic and internatio- Services Agriculture/livestock/ﬁsheries Education, health nal entrepreneurs. The mining sector has Building & Public Works Energy & Mining Financial institutions its own Single Window, set up in 2016 to Transport & Logistics Industry process the digitised cadastre and mining licences. During the course of 2018, the land 21.27% 3.65% transaction department will also acquire its 48.81% 13.18% own Single Window. 2.92% Contributing to the streamlining of business 2.78% formation, a more attractive investment 2.64% code was promulgated in 2015. That of the 1.82% mining sector was passed in 2011, following 1.59% Guinea’s joining the Extractive Industries 0.82%

Transparency Initiative (EITI). A new ➙ SOURCE: BUSINESS FORMALITIES CENTRE 0.15%

/ 15 ECONOMY AND BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT BUSINESS CLIMATE

➙ petroleum code is also being ratified, Forging ahead as well as one governing livestock farming with reforms! and products. A portfolio of potential projects, mainly in the fields of energy, transport and water, has A law been constituted. It was determined on the for partnerships basis of six criteria: the level of public sector Guinea, with the support of the International priority, the solidity of the expected revenues, Finance Corporation (IFC), adopted a new fra- the ease of implementation, the expected mework law for public-private partnerships in economic impact, and the level of prepa- July 2017. This simplifies the signing of this type ration and attractiveness for private inves- of contract and allows for the establishment tors. At the end of 2017, the President of the of institutions that will promote them. The Republic also launched the Guinean Private 6 law provides for the setting up of a committee Sector Consultation Platform to strengthen The number of criteria in charge of defining a policy dedicated to dialogue between the private and public used to evaluate PPPs as well as a steering committee within sectors. There are several priority actions potential projects. the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The to be pursued within the framework of the sectoral ministries are designated as contrac- PNDES, through private sector development ting authorities and, accordingly, they draft and investment promotion strategies, such contracts with the private sector. The Ministry as improving access to financial services, of the Economy, for its part, implements public simplifying the tax system (in particular commitments and controls the use of funds the SME/SMI system) and procedures for through the Public Procurement Regulatory construction, property transfer and access Authority (ARMP) and the General Director of to water and electricity. Progress must also Administration and Control of Major Projects be made in formalising the Guinean private and Public Procurement (ACGPMP). sector and strengthening its capacities. n

The time it takes to grant a building permit was reduced to 29 days. Here, the Dolphine Residence, in the Camayenne district. In 2017 the country adopted a new framework law on public-private partnerships.

16 \ FOCUS

Better governance A credible justice system In 2012, the IMF had granted Guinea an In the same vein, a National Justice Reform extended credit facility for the first time, which Policy (PNRJ, 2014-2024) was launched following it renewed in 2017. In so doing, the international the general meetings of the sector organised institution also provided technical assistance in 2011, in order to make the institution more to the authorities in modernising Guinea’s tax accessible to citizens and give credibility to system, reforming the foreign exchange market, the system. The Court of Auditors, set up three central bank liquidity management, access to years ago, presented its first report in January, credit for the private sector and strengthening covering the year 2016. In addition, several national statistical capacities. projects aim to modernise commercial law and legal action, such as simplifying procedures and More transparency promoting alternative dispute resolution methods: In parallel with the ongoing Programme of State conciliation, mediation, arbitration. Reform and Modernisation of the Administration (PREMA), a law has been in place since 2017 to Progress applauded around the world strengthen corruption prevention and sanctions. Guinea’s progress in “economic management” An audit was carried out between 2014 and 2016 was recognised by the World Bank in its Country to identify bad practices in terms of investment Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA) ranking: expenditure in infrastructure (roads, energy, between 2010 and 2016, it rose from 2.3 to 3.5 etc.), which encouraged the authorities to speed out of 6, exceeding the sub-Saharan African up the strengthening of procedures for public average (3.2). In the World Economic Forum’s procurement. The publication of an annual Global Competitiveness Report, Guinea moved up review of public enterprises of an administrative 21 places between 2015 and 2017, to reach 119th place. In 2017 the World Bank Group’s Investment nature by the Ministry of Budget along with the Competitiveness Forum placed Guinea among quarterly publication of budget execution also the top five reformers in attracting foreign direct testifies to this desire for transparency and good investment (FDI), which has indeed increased. n governance.

A more competitive Guinea from every point of view (World Economic Forum, from 0-6)

2.4 2.8 3.4 3 Institutions* 4.1 Macroeconomic environment* 4 3.5 Infrastructure* 2.4 Health and primary education* 2015 - 2016 2017 - 2018 Financial market development 1.8 Goods market e ciency 2.2 4.4 3.5 Higher education and training Labour market e ciency 3.3 Technological readiness 3.5 2.9 4.7 2.7 4.3 * 4 basic requirements SOURCE: WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS REPORT ECONOMIC FORUM GLOBAL SOURCE: WORLD

/ 17 ECONOMY AND BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT BUSINESS CLIMATE

INTERVIEW

“The country’s improvement is gaining momentum” GABRIEL CURTIS, Minister of Investments and Public-Private Partnerships

GABRIEL CURTIS has headed up the Private Investment Promotion Agency since 2014 and also acts as the Permanent Secretariat of the Presidential Council for Investment and Public-Private Partnerships. As such, the former business banker is responsible for designing and implementing investment promotion policy and improving the business climate.

Which reforms set Where has the most Association of Building was introduced to Guinea on the road remarkable progress and Civil Engineers and check that the new to being a country to been made? the Land Conservation company’s name is not invest in? The progress made Office. already in use and offer For several years, in obtaining building a choice of different the country has been permits and setting up Which measures models. Access to gaining momentum in businesses has been most improved the computerisation within the improvement of particularly important. procedure for starting the Single Window its business climate, Guinea climbed a business? has also been positive, galvanised by the 89 places on the first The country has as has the launch of policy of the President criterion and ranks 75th climbed eight places in the National Business of the Republic and in the world for this this regard. To reduce Registration System in his Prime Minister. indicator. This progress the administrative the Republic of Guinea The Prime Minister was achieved by procedures within the (Synergui). This platform meets monthly with reducing the application Private Investment puts an end to the the heads of ministerial processing time from 69 Promotion Agency’s manual system, the departments to to 28 days, facilitating [APIP] Single Window single physical office implement and monitor the application of the for investors, all the and the paper trail. reforms. These efforts 2015 Construction various application Now there’s a single have had a positive and Housing Code forms were reduced electronic counter impact on perception by adopting five to a single document, bringing together all indexes, which have implementing texts and an online tool the administrative steps all improved. Since last and improving the year, the government accessibility of has recorded 22 notable information, thanks to reforms out of seven of the updating of several Lower fees, simplified procedures, better the ten indicators in the websites: the National World Bank’s “Doing Council of Architects informed investors... Setting up a business Business” ranking. of Guinea, the National has never gone so smoothly.

18 \ Computerisation of the APIP Single Window greatly simplified procedures.

required to set up a up and running, as well which is a website services. The Business company. the one for Foreign dedicated to local and Assistance Department The reduction of costs Trade. And the new foreign investments that is dedicated to helping – through the adoption investment code must be centralises information, entrepreneurs access of a decree allowing implemented effectively. connects public and financing and markets. the value of a share private companies, It offers a service to be freely set for a How does APIP enables the registration to Guineans living limited liability company, practically support of companies in the abroad, which serves whereas in the past private investors, APIP registry and as a point of support 100,000 GNF [nearly €9] be they Guinean or promotes public and for the diaspora had to be paid – has also non-Guinean, in their private projects. This wishing to invest in been beneficial. efforts? site presents Guinea the country. It helps to Investor monitoring is as a whole through complete formalities, What are the most one of the agency’s sections that highlight provides information urgent reforms still priorities. It facilitates the reasons to invest. and presents business to come? starting a business by It was produced in opportunities. And in the We have to move ahead minimising costs and collaboration with our coming months, through with the establishment procedures, but also regional offices in key the Synergui platform, of a commercial court by providing better counties. The “live Guineans from abroad in Conakry, get the information, thanks chat” also allows us to will be able to create Land, Construction and to the launch of the interact with visitors online businesses from Housing Single Window investment portal and direct them to our their host countries. n

/ 19 ECONOMY AND BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

INTERNATIONAL

All-round diplomacy Alpha Condé has handed over the reins of the African Union to his Rwandan counterpart, but Guinea is still a driving force for strengthening the institution’s effectiveness and independence, consolidating peace and promoting better economic integration of the continent.

he election of Alpha Condé, winner of subjects discussed at summits so that they last the presidential run-off on 7 November only a day and not two thereby also ensuring T2010 and inaugurated on 21 December that Heads of State participate without using of the same year, signalled the first act of a busy schedule as an excuse to send repre- Guinean diplomacy. Following this return sentatives in their place. He would have liked to constitutionality the African Union (AU) to put an end to the fighting in the Central reinstated Guinea on 9 December, having African Republic, support the organisation suspended it for two years after the military of elections in the Democratic Republic of President coup in December 2008. And so the historic Congo and even help the Libyan parties in Condé was very opponent became the first democratically conflict to find a consensus. These tasks are elected president since independence in 1958. now the responsibility of Paul Kagame, who involved in The replaced him, and whom Alpha Condé, a Gambia and A year at the head of the AU pan-Africanist from the start, supports. The Guinea-Bissau. Since then, Guinea has put its diplomatic Rwandan president will most notably lead expertise at the service of peace-building and the institutional reform which aims to intro- economic integration. This was particularly duce a 0.2% tax (already applied in several true when Alpha Condé was at the head countries) on a list of imported goods in order of the African Union from January 2017 to to finance the AU and make it independent January 2018. The Head of State had been very from this point of view. involved in resolving the crises in Guinea- Bissau and The Gambia, mediating under Hand in hand with Europe the auspices of the Economic Community After the military coup in December 2008, of West African States (ECOWAS). It was the EU supported Guinea in its process of under his presidency that Morocco rejoined political transition and return to consti- the AU – without the tensions leading to the tutional order. Since 2010, Conakry has €244m unrest predicted by many observers – and strengthened its ties with Brussels, notably The amount of the 11th that the AU-European Union (EU) summit through the eleventh European Development European Development was successfully held in November 2017 in Fund (EDF), a traditional vector of coope- Fund granted to Guinea Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. ration between the two stakeholders, which amounted to €244 million. In particular, Advocating for greater the EU supports Guinea in three main sec- effectiveness tors through the EDF National Indicative From a methodological point of view, Alpha Programme (2014-2020): Condé stressed the need to build a more • the consolidation of the rule of law and the effective Union by reducing the number of building of an efficient administration ➙

20 \ The Head of State during a press conference at the 5th UA-EU Summit in Abidjan on 20 November 2017.

CYRILLE BAH/ANADOLU/AFP CYRILLE / 21 ECONOMY AND BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL

Alpha Condé hands over the reins of the AU to Paul Kagame in Addis Ababa on 28 January 2018. MULUGETA AYENET/AP/SIPA MULUGETA

➙ • the development of sanitation infras- Agency (JICA) announced the opening of an tructure and services office in Conakry and its participation in the • improving access to quality essential care implementation of the National Economic and and health system governance. Social Development Plan (PNDES, 2016-2020). A few months later, in November, it collected Outward-looking economic nearly $21.7 billion in pledges from Guinea’s diplomacy technical and financial partners. Relations between Guinea and France were also strengthened during the former President Strengthened administrative François Hollande’s visit to Conakry in 2014, capacity then during Alpha Condé’s visit to Paris in In addition to the huge investments planned, 2017. Guinean diplomacy has also led to the PNDES also aims to promote Guinea’s two IMF Extended Credit Facilities (ECFs) growth, limit the risks associated with an signed in 2012 and 2017, as well as a colossal unstable region and strengthen its resilience, investment agreement of $20 billion (€16.8 by taking advantage of its membership of sub- billion) over 20 years concluded with China, regional groups (AU, ECOWAS, and UEMOA, which forms part of the global strategic coo- etc.). As such, it provides for the strengthen- peration launched at the end of 2016 during ing of the capacities of the Ministries of Alpha Condé’s trip to China. Following the Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation Guinean President’s visit to Japan in June and Regional Integration, as well as those of 2017, the Japan International Cooperation Guinean organisations abroad. n

22 \ 5 reasons to invest in Guinea

After years of political crises and a devastating Ebola epidemic, the country is getting back on track, methodically creating the conditions necessary for the development of its mining, agricultural and tourism potential.

INFRASTRUCTURE HEALTHY BUSINESS IN ALL SECTORS ENVIRONMENT Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has risen With a determination and results hailed sharply in recent years. It has mainly gone throughout the world, Guinea into the mining sector over the past three is improving the regulatory framework years, but this is set to change with the State’s for business without leaving a single ramping up of major infrastructure projects which sector behind: legislative reforms, it is carrying out with its private and public partners currency control, specialist Single to give agriculture and industry the wherewithal to Windows, streamlined company attract FDI. The significant energy deficit that holds back incorporation procedures and more. Everything has been done company and industry performance might soon be just to make sure that investments flow towards the productive a bad memory, as Guinea builds its hydroelectric power economy and ensure that the private sector becomes the stations. country’s real engine of development.

EXCEPTIONAL A CLEAR NATURAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN RESOURCES A National Economic and Social Development Plan (PNDES) has been established to serve as a road map for the government and Slowly but surely its public and private partners. Supported by several countries Guinea is shaking (Europe, China, and Japan, etc.) and international institutions off its decades (World Bank, African Development Bank, etc.), it has received old “geological $21.7 billion in pledges. scandal” reputation, acquired because of the non-exploitation of its mineral resources. The increasingly attractive A TRADE HUB business environment will no doubt lead Guinea, which shares borders with six countries, is not investors to discover that there are other yet able to take full advantage of this location from a “scandals” to be stopped – in agriculture, commercial point of view. The roads under construction tourism and industry, where abundant will eventually allow it to make the most of cross border local natural wealth is just waiting to be trading, bolstered by the application of the ECOWAS developed. common external tariff.

/ 23 ECONOMY AND BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

FOREIGN TRADE

Port traffic boosted by mining

Guinea benefits from dynamic trade between Top imports - equipment exports of its mineral resources to Europe, and food In terms of imports, transport equipment Asia and the Middle East and imports of transport skyrocketed in 2016, mainly due to the many equipment and food products. infrastructure projects underway. Food industry purchases also increased but to a much lesser degree. Guinea continues uinea’s exports have risen sharply to import rice (555,000 tons in 2016), twice over the past two years, boosted by a as much as six years ago, as well as sugar Ghealthy mining sector, particularly (140,700 tons) and milk (31,400 tons), via bauxite (48.2% of export value in 2016), the Autonomous Port of Conakry. Flour which attracted several billion dollars in imports have dropped off, probably due to investment. Gold (30.9% of exports in 2016) an increase in production by Guinea’s own also contributed to this increase in exports, flour mills (see report p. 64-65). estimated at 17% between 2014 and 2018. On the other hand, the value of imported Almost 80% of Guinea’s external revenue plant and vegetable produce has increased The sector has thus comes from its mineral resources. In fivefold in six years according to the NSI, attracted many the nomenclature of the National Statistics reaching 4,440 billion GNF in 2016, while thousands Institute (NSI), mineral “products”, which that of animal products has increased four- represented 424 billion GNF (€44.6 million) fold, reaching 215 billion GNF in 2016. Asian of dollars in in 2011, rose to 4,327 billion in 2014 and countries, led by China, which is already investment. 16,740 billion in 2016. one of Guinea’s main import partners, Three areas were fairly represented in were Guinea’s leading suppliers in 2016, 2016 as Guinea’s export destinations for far ahead of Europe, while East Africa is its mining industry products: Europe – leaping ahead. declining, Asia and the Middle East – rising In value terms, Guinea’s main partner in sharply. Year after year, vegetable products the Economic Community of West African represent a low and uncertain value of States (ECOWAS) is Ghana, with which it Guinean exports, with 71 billion GNF in trades gold. Far behind comes Mali and 2013, 291 billion in 2015 and 135 billion Senegal. Guinea also applies the ECOWAS the following year. common external tariff. n

24 \ V.FOURNIER/JA

Companies are importing a lot more equipment to build the Imports of Asian products are skyrocketing… (In billions of GNF) infrastructure they need. Seen here, everything needed to build 286 333 a cement factory. 177 393 2,236 4,558 2010 495 1,462 3,195 3,691 6,474 23,113 2016

… But so are exports 664 343 531 729 2,704 3,039 2010

343 509 2,127 5,097 6,100 6,329 2016

Other countries in Asia and Oceania European Union Middle East Eastern and Southern Africa West Africa North America Other European countries SOURCE: NSI/FOREIGN TRADE SUB-DIRECTORATE/MPCI SOURCE: NSI/FOREIGN TRADE SUB-DIRECTORATE/MPCI

/ 25 INFRASTRUCTURE

TRANSPORT

Energy and logistics pick up the pace

The lack of socio-economic infrastructure is hampering the country’s growth. If the country is to benefit from its strategic location in West Africa, upgrading its infrastructure is a priority.

uinea is without doubt one of the countries in the world where the gap between cur Grent and potential development is the widest. This is largely due to the inadequacy or poor quality of its basic infrastructure in transport, energy and logistics. Between 2010 and 2016, the number of kilometres of national paved roads even decreased from 2,332 km to 2,220 km. So did the dirt road and the prefectoral road networks during the same period. The Ebola outbreak at the end of 2013 revealed, if necessary, these shortcomings in emergency response capacity. This is why the government has made infra China, Europe, structure improvement the core of its National Japan and Economic and Social Development Plan multilateral (PNDES). For this purpose, it is stepping up the mobilisation of domestic resources, already institutions all on the rise for two years, while resorting more support the to non-concessional loans and is already able National Economic to count on the support of its partners. and Social Facilitate sub-regional trade Development Plan Transport infrastructure is all the more impor tant for Guinea as the country is in a strategic geographical location. It shares 3,400 km of bor ders with Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Senegal and Sierra Leone. Trade with these countries is an important means of combating poverty. Guinea also has a 320 km coastline. By

adopting a multimodal approach to the ➙ SMB

26 \ What will Conakry look like in 2040?

Grand Conakry Vision 2040 is first and foremost a study on the issues of the “metropolisation” of the Guinean capital and its greater suburbs. Financed by The Malapouya mining the European Union and carried out road towards Dapilon in 2016 by Louis Berger, in association and its bridge over with Arte Charpentier Architectes, it is National Highway 3, in the Boké region. a step towards the development of a territorial coherence scheme, a PNDES priority project estimated at a cost of $13.1 million (€11 million). Greater Conakry 2040 aims to better distribute the population, which is set to double in twenty years and reach 6 million people, throughout the capital. To provide mobility and improve degraded health infrastructure, its strategy consists of restructuring the city’s expansion by controlling the “spontaneous” aspect of its urbanisation, as well as improving the attractiveness of neighbouring secondary towns. Among the most advanced projects are the development of the Kouriah industrial zone, social housing projects, the Port of Conakry expansion and the development of waste-to-energy projects. In October 2017, the government presented its urban development master plan for the Kaloum Peninsula and Loos Islands municipality, to the extreme south of the capital. It includes optimising the waterfront and building or renovating social housing and road infrastructure. n

/ 27 INFRASTRUCTURE TRANSPORT

➙ development of its transport infrastruc ture (roads, rail, sea and air routes), it has the potential to become a hub for regional trade, by offering landlocked countries such as Mali access to the sea, as provided for in the works under way at the Autonomous Port of Conakry. At the same time, the PNDES aims to improve traffic on prefectural and community roads, which are essential to agricultural growth, par ticularly cotton, coffee, oil palm, pineapple and food crop plantations. The expansion of the capital will be given a maximum of conside ration in the urban transport policy that will be implemented through the Greater Conakry 2040 project (see box on previous page). 3,000 km of road paved by 2020 The PNDES aims to increase the total length of paved roads from 2,220 km in 2016 to 3,000 km by 2020, and will increase the density of the road network over the same period from 17.63 km of road per 100 km² of land area to 20 km per 100 km². At least half of the rural agglomerations will have to be opened up, and special attention will be paid to those prefectures currently not served by paved roads. Thirteen of the PNDES’s In February, the Boké largest projects focus on transport infrastructure. Mining Company began Several road projects are already under discus building a communal road sion with China under the agreement initialled on 5 September 2017, which provides for loans from Beijing amounting to $20 billion (€16.8 billion) over two decades, backed “by future Aviation takes o Length of 2,332 revenues from mining projects carried out by again after a decline in arrivals and departures the road network 5,293 Chinese companies in Guinea”. The building in 2010 and 2016 Africa Europe Domestic ﬂights 2010 19,845 of the Coyah-Mamou-Dabola road has thus In km 43,348 begun while the sanitation of Conakry’s roads Departures Arrivals km is underway. There are numerous projects 1,777 991 1,935 1,907 984 1,802 15,878 that will provide opportunities for local and international entrepreneurs. 2012 In order to improve the business environment in 2,220 this sector, in the short term several institutions 543 871 1,245 1,215 997 579 5,255 will be established – including a road agency 2014 Communal road 2016 – and reforms implemented to make the road Prefectoral road 20,378 National road: 43,368 database and the Public Works Laboratory 611 1,114 1,916 1,867 1,113 665 km operational, and boost the resources of the dirt road 15,515 2016 paved road second generation road maintenance fund, etc. n DE L’AÉROPORT ET D’EXPLOITATION SOURCE: SOCIÉTÉ DE GESTION OF TRANSPORT/NATIONAL MINISTRY (SOGEAC), DE CONAKRY DIRECTORATE AVIATION

28 \

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 An integrated, multimodal approach

Surrounded by six West African countries, Guinea plans to take advantage of its location by developing its road infrastructure, but also by combining rail, air and shipping networks in a multimodal approach.

Conakry-Kankan line construction back on track Another of the PNDES transport priorities is getting construction work on the Conakry-Kankan line going again, under a public-private partnership (PPP). The government sees the practicalities of combining the transport of people and goods with mining, which is the way things have been done on the Conakry (Kaloum commune)-Kagbelen (Dubréka commune) line, in the greater suburbs of the capital since 2010. The mining and other extractive industry projects implemented that require the building of a rail network can be used to open up agricultural areas and even to develop passenger transport.

Upgrading airports While there is still talk of building a new airport at Mafèrinyah under a public- private partnership (PPP), the PNDES favours the maintenance of existing Aviation takes o Length of 2,332 structures, in particular the rehabilitation again after a decline in arrivals and departures the road network 5,293 of the Boké, Labé, Nzérékoré, Faranah and Siguiri in 2010 and 2016 secondary airports, under the same PPP mechanism. Africa Europe Domestic ﬂights 2010 19,845 In km 43,348 The upgrading of these airports will provide ideal Departures Arrivals km conditions just in time for the first regional flights of 1,777 991 1,935 1,907 984 1,802 15,878 Guinea Airlines, founded in February 2017 and which, in January of this year, formed a strategic alliance with 2012 2,220 Ethiopian Airlines and Asky Airlines. This partnership covers the airline management, equipment and 543 871 1,245 1,215 997 579 5,255 maintenance as well as personnel training. Guinea 2014 Communal road Prefectoral road 2016 20,378 Airlines’ fleet comprises two Dash-8 Q400s and a National road: 43,368 Boeing 737, with which it will make domestic flights 611 1,114 1,916 1,867 1,113 665 km and fly to certain capitals in the sub-region – the first of dirt road 15,515 2016 n SOURCES: NATIONAL ROAD MAINTENANCE ROAD SOURCES: NATIONAL OF PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTORATE/MINISTRY paved road which is due to take place in June.

/ 29

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 INFRASTRUCTURE

PORTS

The container terminal at the Port of Conakry has been operated by Bolloré Africa Logistics since 2011. V.FOURNIER/JA The Port of Conakry, a West African giant in the making The Autonomous Port of Conakry is undergoing unprecedented expansion which will boost its cargo and mineral handling capacity.

uinea is experiencing steadily increa of equipment and execution of infrastructure sing maritime traffic which the works under the EPC (engineering, procure GAutonomous Port of Conakry (PAC) ment, construction) regime, signed a memo can no longer handle in its current form. The randum of understanding with the Guinean state therefore embarked on an ambitious government in April 2013. The social and extension project, the likes of which Guinea environmental impact study was comple has never seen before, that provides for an ted and the commercial contract signed in In the early extra 88.7 hectares to develop the eastern zone October 2016. Industrial and Commercial in order an increase its capacity to handle Bank of China (ICBC) has established a frame 2000s, China cargo and minerals, both its own and those work agreement with a consortium of five Harbour of neighbouring Mali. Chinese banks for the financing of 85% of Engineering the project, whose total cost is $774 million An extra 88.7 hectares (nearly €650 million). More specifically, CHEC Co executed China Harbour Engineering Co (CHEC), will build two multifunctional docks and harbour works which is responsible for the design, supply a mineral dock, for a length of 846 metres,

30 \ Mining companies, new port operators Several mining Apparatus Stock (TBEA) a $100 million loan Société Minière de projects include the for the construction of for a railway, port and Boké-Winning Africa building of ports that the Amaria hydroelectric mine project between Port (SMB-WAP) could eventually power plant, as well Boké and Kamsar, in consortium had already become multi-sector as bauxite mining and north-west Guinea, commissioned an infrastructure. The processing structures to be carried out extension to the port Guinean Ministry of and a deep water port by Guinea Alumina of Katougouma, in Mines and Geology has in Tayigbé. Similarly, Corporation (GAC, a Dapilon – also in the signed a global contract in December 2017, the subsidiary of Emirates Boké region – in order with the Chinese African Development Global Aluminium). to increase its export company Tebian Electric Bank (AfDB) approved In October 2016, the capacity. n

with dockyards adjacent to the 41.6 hectare Cargo packaging types wharf. The construction of a 4 km long road (in tons) and an 11 hectare parking area capable of 2012 2016 accommodating 600 trucks is planned, as Imported goods is the backfilling of a 35.7 hectare quayside platform. CONTAINERISED 1 207,495 1 659,283 PACKAGED 782,744 734,309 Fourth generation ships CHEC, which has already handled several NOT PACKAGED 72,152 123,012 port upgrades on the continent (Côte d’Ivoire, BULK 1 212,044 2 412,312 Cameroon, São Tomé and Principe, etc.), was already at work in Conakry in the early 2000s. It carried out the work on the PAC container Exported goods terminal quay, officially commissioned in CONTAINERISED 222,925 219,493 November 2014 by Conakry Terminal, a sub sidiary of Bolloré Africa Logistics (BAL). This PACKAGED 1,295 11,992 infrastructure upgrade has enabled the PAC to become one of the region’s most competitive NOT PACKAGED 1,497 39 ports, capable of handling fourth generation BULK 3 421,403 3 432 584 vessels with a capacity of 5,000 twenty-foot OF TRANSPORT MINISTRY DIVISION/STAT./ OPERATIONS SOURCE: PAC/ equivalent containers (TEUs). At a cost of €47 million, the project increased the total Shipping traffic (in tons) quay length to 600 m and the BAL storage area within the PAC site to over 226,000 m². At 4.928,916 3.659,113 the same time, BAL improved its productivity by accelerating its handling rates, from 19 movements in 2011 to 35 in 2014. The Bolloré 2012 2016 group plans to invest a total of €500 million over its 25-year concession term, which it Import Export was awarded in 2011. n MALIENS EN GUINÉE SOURCE: ENTREPÔTS 3.388,771 3.647,337

/ 31 INFRASTRUCTURE

EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES

Bauxite spearheading mining For the past two years, the sector has exploded. And that’s just a start. Guinea’s ground is packed with minerals which the country intends to take full advantage of to improve its infrastructure and boost its agricultural sector.

n 2016, extractive industries accounted for recent years, due to strong demand from 80% of Guinea’s exports, nearly 13% of its China, the leading producer and consumer IGDP and about 15% of government revenue. of aluminium, and the somewhat fluctuating These are impressive figures, even though exports of its former suppliers (Indonesia and the country exploits only a tiny fraction of its Malaysia), bauxite, of which Guinea holds exceptional mining resources. The National more than half of the world’s known reserves, Economic and Social Development Plan is attracting investment, particularly in the (PNDES) has made agriculture and services Boké region. 13% Guinea’s engines of economic growth, as Ever increasing investments Extractive industries they generate far more jobs than the extrac tive industries. Nevertheless, the revenues In 2015, the historical producers Compagnie share of GDP created by mining and oil must serve as a des Bauxites de Guinée (CBG, 49% state- catalyst for development. Bauxite (48.2% in owned and 51% Halco Mining) in Boké and 2016) and gold (30.9%) account for almost the international giant Rusal, established in all ore exports in value terms. Given their Fria and Kindia, saw a new player, Société potential and what the country has to offer Minière de Boké (SMB), start operating its (see box on next page), mining production mines. has considerable scope for growth, which Not only do these companies plan to raise the authorities intend to make the most of considerable funds to increase their capacity, by improving the sector environment. In but several new entrants are following suit. CBG received a $643 million (€580 million) loan agreement from several international Gold sector shines up its act institutions for this purpose in 2016, while Gold export revenues are estimated at $470 million (€412 million) SMB has also announced major investments. at the end of the first six months of 2017, compared to $304 million Rusal is preparing to operate the Dian-Dian the previous year. This progress is not only due to the pace bauxite and alumina mine, which required of gold mining which is being maintained at a healthy level, nearly $220 million, and is also restarting its but also because the sector has undergone a clean-up, started alumina refinery in Friguia, which has been in May 2016. n shut down since 2012, at an estimated cost of $825 million.

32 \ A rich range In addition to bauxite, iron, gold and diamonds, Guinea has enviable mineral wealth and a rich range of natural resources that the government is committed to exploring fully through geological research. These include limestone, copper, lead, zinc, cobalt and nickel. The National Oil Board, with its private partners, continues to drill for hydrocarbons in areas where their existence has been confirmed. n

Malapouya extraction plateau, in the Boké region SMB

One of the new players, Guinea Alumina system and develop port facilities in Kamsar. Corporation (GAC), a subsidiary of Emirates Chinese company Tebian Electric Apparatus Global Aluminium (EGA), plans to start opera Stock (TBEA) is building the Amaria hydro ting its Boké site in 2019 to secure supplies for electric dam in Dubréka prefecture as part its planned Dubai refinery. In February 2016, of a $2.89 billion global agreement that also the British company Alufer Mining signed an covers bauxite mining. The operation alone agreement to operate the Bel-Air deposit in of the Mount Simandou iron ore deposit, the town of Boffa, where it initially invested for which the contract is in the process of nearly $185 million. being transferred from Rio Tinto to Chinalco, In addition, Alliance Minière Responsable requires the construction of a 650-kilometre (AMR) and China Henan International railway, 35 bridges, 24 kilometres of tunnel Cooperation Group also intend to operate and a port. n bauxite, while China Power Investment Corp. wants to found an alumina refinery.

Constraint and opportunity Mine and quarry production (in thousands of tons, ounces, carats and m³) When setting up operations in Guinea, com panies often have to build the infrastructure 2012 2014 2016 needed to transport their minerals to the BAUXITE 19,530 20,170 26,917 coast. In 2014, to create a stronger regulatory framework for this constraint, which also ALUMINA 167.02 - - represents an opportunity for Guinea, the INDUSTRIAL PROD. 519.4 754.2 973.3 government adopted a Master Plan for the development of mining-related infrastruc ARTISANAL PROD. 0.03 0.2 - ture. Companies are invited to pool their INDUSTRIAL DIAMOND PROD. infrastructure and make them available to 278.8 162.1 117.2 other sectors of activity. ARTISANAL DIAMOND PROD. 266.8 164.1 - Under this new framework, Guinea Alumina Corporation, estimated at $1.4 billion, plans GRANITE 275.5 1,637.1 162.7 to modernise an existing multi-user rail SOURCE: OFFICE OF STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT/MINISTRY OF MINES AND GEOLOGY

/ 33 INFRASTRUCTURE EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES

INTERVIEW

“We have created a favourable investment environment”

ABDOULAYE MAGASSOUBA, Minister of Mines and Geology since 2016, is a specialist in public and private investment projects. Previously an advisor to the Presidency’s Monitoring and Support Office, he managed priority projects, mainly in energy and agriculture.

What makes it worth reformed the mining acquired $3 billion. development of the investing in mining in cadastre, which is We have also more country. Guinea today? now one of the most than doubled our The country’s potential modern in the world, bauxite production in How do you ride in terms of quantity, and we publish all three years, and this out world price diversity and quality is contracts in the trend is continuing. fluctuations? well known. What has sector. It is available But our fundamental Firstly, we are working fundamentally changed online and investors objective is processing. towards diversifying in recent years is that, have access to the Nine projects to mining to compensate in addition to our main information. manufacture aluminum for potential mineral natural advantages, Since 2014, the from bauxite and price declines by we have created a country has been in a programme to promoting the variety favourable investment compliance with the manufacture aluminium of minerals to be environment. We first Extractive Industries from alumina are under found underground adopted a mining code Transparency Initiative. discussion. Most are in and by improving our in 2011, then amended Recently, we opened the study phase. knowledge through it in 2013 in line with a single window for geological research. the global context. mining investors and How does the mining We were recently Beyond traditional we are continuing our code balance the presented with a incentives, it introduces efforts to improve the needs of investors graphite mining new requirements, conditions for them with those of the project and it has particularly in terms entering the sector. state? a good chance of of good governance. It is a win-win being launched. In the Institutional reforms Are these reforms approach. Guinea has negotiations, we also have also been attracting investors? to reap the benefits take into account the implemented to make Yes, if the overall of mining and needs specific context of a the administration intentions announced partners primarily project, i.e. the level of more efficient in for the 2016-2020 motivated by profits. investment required, managing investment period are anything to We have created the difficulty of access processes, following go by. They amount favourable conditions to resources and all the the results of an audit to about $7 billion for both stakeholders, other parameters that carried out by KPMG. [nearly €6 billion], of which also enable determine its economic We have profoundly which we’ve already us to ensure the viability.

34 \ Around $7 billion in intentions has been announced for the sector. Here, the Dapilon ore port.

Where are you the mining code, companies invest in companies’ projects with the transfer of as with any other infrastructure? more economically control of the Mount partner. Secondly, In 2014, we adopted viable. Simandou deposit? what we plan to do the Master Plan for We have signed with future revenues Mining Infrastructure Are you satisfied with an agreement in makes this strategic Development, one of companies’ ‘local principle for the partnership innovative, the key ideas of which content’ performance? takeover of Rio Tinto’s because mines do is joint use. Thus, the We have made shares by Chinalco not create enough facility built by one significant progress, and are working to jobs. Alone, with finite stakeholder is intended but not to the point finalise detailed legal resources, they will to be shared with other of satisfaction. We contracts. There have not make it possible mining operators as are building our been some delays to fight poverty and well as with different project-tracking but the complexity of guarantee Guinea’s sectors, especially capabilities to improve this project no doubt development. We are agriculture. Recent environmental impact. justifies them. We are using this sector as a agricultural sector We are also in the confident and expect catalyst for economic imports as part of the implementation phase it to be up and running transformation: it will presidential initiative of the local economic rapidly. enable us to build came through a mining development fund, basic infrastructure port, as did some of financed by mining Is China just like in transport, energy, the equipment for the companies. We have any other partner, health, education and Souapiti dam. The a policy of promoting after signing the so on. The ultimate signing of a joint-use local content, with investment contract objective is to gain agreement between established rules and, guaranteed by independence from the CBG [Compagnie des in 2017, evaluated mining? mines. Bauxites de Guinée], the companies that Firstly, everything Rusal and GAC [Guinea take into account the with China has been In which context Alumina Corporation] shortcomings we have done according to do mining in 2015 made these identified. n

/ 35 INFRASTRUCTURE EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES

The Société Minière de Boké leaves nothing to chance In four years, Boké mining company SMB has become one of the country’s leading bauxite operators. It even built two ports on the Rio Nunez River in record time to export its ore.

asonry tools in hand, Pascal Camara Like everything it has done since getting its and his colleagues are busy working reconnaissance permit in October 2014, the Mon the entrance to the Dapilon river Société Minière de Boké (SMB)-Winning Africa port in Boké. With a workers’ collaborative, the Port (WAP) consortium, whose mine began Union Préfectorale des Entrepreneurs de Boké, operations in July 2015, built the port of Dapilon 10% he’s building a weighbridge to weigh the trucks in record time in order to boost its bauxite export State share in the that unload the bauxite ore mined some 30 km capacity. Located downstream from the port of company away. “Union” is a bit of a misnomer for five Katougouma, built by the same consortium with sole proprietors who, judiciously, have grouped its own funds, it was commissioned in October together to win contracts which they would not 2016 and comprises three loading docks capable be able to bid for alone. of accommodating six barges.

36 \ The consortium commissioned the Dapilon Port in October 2016. It is located downstream from that of Katougouma.

SMB bauxite mining company is the result of A Guinean flag is flying over the customs three companies’ need to set up a consortium building in this private port. Several pro that would quickly be able to operate and jects are in progress to improve the mining export bauxite to China. They are Winning port infrastructure as it is currently equip Shipping (40%), the largest transporter of ped with only the bare necessities, whereas bauxite to China, United Mining Supply Katougouma is fully equipped with quays (UMS, 27%), the sub-region’s leading mining and cranes, roads and tracks. If heavy trucks logistics company, present in Guinea for are pulling up covered in red mud despite over 20 years, and Shandong Weiqiao (22%), a blazing sun, it is because tankers spend one of the largest aluminium producers in the day watering the laterite tracks running the world. The skills and resources of these between the two river ports and the mines, companies have enabled them to finance, to keep the clouds of red dust under control along with the Guinean government, a 10% so that the residents don’t complain. SMB shareholder in SMB, as required by the mining moved fast to take advantage of a favourable code, a perfectly integrated project from the situation which could change, but perhaps mine to the plant to the tune of €500 million it was a little too quick for the surrounding to date, for a 12 to 31 million ton production population’s liking. So, at the same time that increase between 2016 and 2017. it started improving its own working condi tions (expanding and rehabilitating the mine Commercial base, building port infrastructure, etc.) the and multi-sectoral company multiplied its efforts in the field Since late 2017, SMB has been purchasing pro of social and environmental responsibility. duct from the Alliance Minière Responsable (AMR). With strong Chinese demand and a Supporting communities declining supply, great opportunities have The affected communities have been pro arisen, and Guinea is seizing them with its perly compensated, with about $3.5 million private partners. It’s through AMR that Pascal (€2.9 million) having been paid out since Production Camara and his colleagues were awarded the SMB set up, and two schools and two increased from their first subcontract with an international health centres have been built. An interloc company. Local content levels are still on the king paved road is being built to open up 12 to 31 million low side in the extractive industries, but the several villages near the mining sites. The tons between government is pushing for more examples consortium estimates its contribution to 2016 and 2017. like this in the context of corporate social community development in 2016 and 2017 at responsibility. The river port shows what approximately $2 million. And 10,000 direct mining companies could bring in addition and indirect jobs have been created. to taxes and revenues. Used by SMB barges, In March 2018, SMB announced its partner which unload their cargo onto ore-bulk- ship with Louis Berger, a global engineering oil carrier ships of more than 175,000 tons consulting firm, to strengthen its environ moored off the coast, it could become a multi- mental and social management plan. From sector commercial port, as envisaged in the an industrial point of view, it had indicated Master Plan for the Mining Infrastructure in December 2017 that it was carrying out Development, adopted in 2014. Already, in studies on the construction of an alumina 2017, agricultural equipment was delivered refinery and a railway line, for an investment via Dapilon. amounting to approximately $3 billion. n

/ 37 INFRASTRUCTURE

ENERGY

Guinea’s hydroelectric dreams come true

The country is at last exploiting its river system While the Konkouré River already hosts the Garafiri dam, which came into operation in capacity that is unequalled anywhere else in 1999, the numerous projects in existence West Africa. National demand is soon to be since the colonial period to improve Guinea’s hydroelectric production capacity, particu satisfied by the Kaléta, Souapiti and Amaria larly to supply the bauxite plateau mining dams which will even serve neighbouring states, industry, have never been implemented. provided the distribution networks are improved. Kaléta will deliver an extra 240 MW The first of three new hydroelectric structures ittle or no access to electricity is one of built by the government on the Konkouré the main obstacles to household and River, the Kaléta dam was commissioned Lbusiness activity in Guinea, which has in September 2015. It is a source of an addi an electrification rate barely approaching 30% tional 240 megawatts (MW) for the national and that’s mainly around Conakry. However, grid and has been hailed as an exemplary the government has great ambitions in this success by the Programme for Infrastructure Objective 2020: area and forecasts that the accessibility to Development in Africa (PIDA). PIDA, formed Increase rate electricity, at 15% in 2016, will rise to 40% by in 2012 by the continent’s heads of state, even 2020. It is going to be counting on its high intends to make it a model for Africa. Worth of access to rainfall and exceptional river network, with $446 million (about €400 million), the dam electricity to its 1,165 rivers covering 6,250 kilometres. was built by China International Water and 40%. Electric Corporation (CWE). The Guinean The power of government provided 25% of the financing the Konkouré River for its construction, while Afreximbank In total, the country’s hydroelectric genera granted a loan at a preferential rate for the tion potential is estimated at 6,100 megawatt remaining 75%. hours of reliable, clean and cheap energy. This is the reason the government is doubling Souapiti, 6 billion cubic metres down on its efforts to exploit the Konkouré of water in reserve River as it has never been exploited before. The same company is currently in charge of The foundation of the country’s main hydro building the Souapiti hydroelectric plant, electric projects, it rises in the Fouta-Djalon located 135 km north of Conakry. It will massif, near the town of Konkouré, and flows have an installed capacity of 550 MW and, into Sangaréya Bay, north of Conakry, after with its 6 billion m³ dam, will enable Kaléta a 303 km stretch. and Garafiri to run at full capacity, even

38 \ The Kaleta dam was commissioned on 28 September 2015.

588 km of high voltage lines under construction The exploitation of the Konkouré River will double Guinea’s electricity production, estimated at 593 megawatts in 2016. However, considerable investment will be needed to increase capacity with new lines and transmission stations to transport electricity to consumption locations such as urban centres, industrial sites and neighbouring countries. The Guinean electricity network consists of only two interconnected systems, one in the West, between Conakry and Labé, the other in the Centre, around Dabola, while many isolated systems run on diesel. The first step to remedying this situation came in February 2018 when the Guinean and Malian governments launched the multinational 225 kV Guinea-Mali electricity interconnection project. The investment, estimated at nearly €300 million and during the dry season. Worth $1.4 billion, the financed by several donors, should project is being carried out in partnership make it possible to build a 714 km line (of with the Guinean government, and should which 588 km will be in Guinea) between be completed within five years. Sanankoroba, in Mali, and N’zérékoré, in In January 2018, while witnessing the closing Guinea, where 121 villages and towns will of the Souapiti cofferdam to divert the river be electrified. n through the dam, President Alpha Condé officially launched the start of construc tion work on the Amaria Dam. Built in the Dubréka prefecture by China’s Tebian Electric More and more power (in MW) Hydro Thermal Apparatus Stock (TBEA), this hydroelectric TOTAL plant should have a capacity of 300 MW at 400 Installed power 593.5 Available power the end of the fifty-six months required for TOTAL its construction. 411.4 300 This contract is part of a global agreement TOTAL signed with the Guinean Ministry of Mines 338 and Geology for operation of the abundant 200 TOTAL TOTAL 214.1 TOTAL bauxite reserves in the region, and includes 145 168.5 the construction of an alumina plant and an 100 aluminium smelter. To meet their own needs, the mining companies currently produce about 100 MW themselves via costly thermal 0

power plants. n 2012 2014 2016 2012 2014 2016 DIVISION SOURCE: ÉLECTRICITÉ DE GUINÉE (EDG)/STATISTICAL AND PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS

/ 39 GUINEA MAPPED OUT

Railway Proposed Trans-Guinean railway

International airport mangoes Mineral port Commercial port

Fisheries Rubber CARTOGRAPHY : LES ÉDITIONS DU JAGUAR / JEUNE AFRIQUE : LES ÉDITIONS DU JAGUAR CARTOGRAPHY

40 \ Railway Proposed Trans-Guinean railway International airport Mineral port Commercial port Fisheries CARTOGRAPHY : LES ÉDITIONS DU JAGUAR / JEUNE AFRIQUE : LES ÉDITIONS DU JAGUAR CARTOGRAPHY

/ 41 SERVICES

HOSPITALITY

Conakry catches up A number of luxury establishments have recently opened their doors in the capital, a sure sign of recovery. Business tourism has a lot to do with this revival and could lead to a rise in leisure tourism with tourists drawn to Guinea’s beaches, ecology and culture.

ot a year goes by without the official Grand Sheraton in December 2016, at a cost opening of new hotel being a regu- of around $60 million. The Coleah district is Nlar occurrence. The first champagne where Azalaï, another African hotel group, corks were popped in 2013 when the Palm will open its first hotel in Guinea. Here, too, Camayenne reopened its doors. Built in 1964, President Condé himself laid the first stone it was the country’s first state-owned five-star of this four-star $52 million hotel, in 2015. hotel and it has now been completely renova- There are some mid-range hotels that have ted at a cost of €23 million by Unicon, which also been renovated, and a new one belonging The Palm Camayenne also manages it (see interview p. 44). The to the Onomo group, which for several years was completely renovated following year, it was joined by the Millenium, has been offering “a simple and comfortable at a cost of €23 million also located in Dixinn on the north coast. business hotel” on the continent, opened in Kaloum, the capital’s administrative and Conakry at the end of 2017. commercial centre, has some catching up of its own to do and, in September 2015, the Conference centres, President of the Republic officially opened bars and restaurants the Hotel Kaloum, an 18-storey establishment In total, several hundred million euros have built by Chinese company GMC at a total been invested in the capital’s hotel industry Mangalis, cost of $76 million (€67 million). and nearly 2,500 rooms have been created over the past five years, along with several Marriott, City centre and seaside style thousand jobs. These hotels, almost all of Onomo… All The Noom, a five-star hotel located on the which offer conference centres that can some- the big names south coast of the Kaloum peninsula and times accommodate up to 500 people, as well managed by the Mangalis group, was built as meeting rooms, have enabled Conakry have arrived. for around €30 million and opened at the to match its supply to the growing business end of September 2016 by the Head of State client demand for comfortable and stylish himself – proof of how important this sec- accommodation. Their restaurants and bars, tor is to him. Mangalis is a subsidary of the on the coast or in the city centre, also offer Teyliom Group, owned by Senegalese entre- new places to go out, and the Kaloum Hotel preneur Yérim Sow and the Noom is its first even has a shopping centre. hotel on the continent. Conakry was also Both the government and the hotel owners see the location of choice for Starwood Hotels these establishments becoming the gateways & Resorts, a subsidiary of America’s Marriott to other regions of Guinea and promoting International, to build its first West African leisure tourism.

42 \ CAN 2023 sets new goals The hotel business expansion, especially mid-range, is set to continue in the coming years, as Guinea is to host the Africa Cup Tourists are returning of Nations football tournament in 2023. (Number of non-residents arriving in Guinea) This international event traditionally allows host countries to improve a large range 2012 2014 2016 of infrastructure, including the hotels that NON-RESIDENTS 89,183 30,241 60,226 will be hosting the national sports teams and technical staff (officials, referees, and GUINEANS LIVING ABROAD 6,881 2,531 2,804 managers, etc.), as well as the public. n from Europe 37,353 12,858 22,949

from Africa INFOG40,151 11,455 21,470

They are counting on the return of inter- from America 8,871 2,896 6,249 national airlines; so far there are about ten – from Morocco, Ethiopia, Rwanda, France, from Asia 925 356 6,044 Turkey and the Emirates – serving Conakry’s FOR BUSINESS 38,434 15,561 33,012 renovated Gbessia Airport. The new national airline, Guinea Airlines, should take off in FOR FAMILY REASONS 7,852 6,858 15,123 mid-2018 and operate domestic and international flights in partnership with the highly FOR PLEASURE 24,728 3,042 4,564 regarded Ethiopian Airlines and the pan- SOURCE: ANNUAL REPORT/STRATEGY AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE/MINISTRY OF TOURISM, African company Asky. n HOTELS AND HANDICRAFTS

/ 43 SERVICES HOSPITALITY

INTERVIEW

“There are opportunities to be found in the west and the north of the country.”

SERGE PEREIRA, CEO, Unicon DR

SERGE PEREIRA is Managing Director of Unicon, a global architecture, engineering and real estate development group. He was in charge of the renovation of the Palm Camayenne, a symbol of Guinea’s hotel industry since 1964.

What made you want over a quality surface of We kept lines of What are your to renovate the Palm 10,000 square metres. In communication open thoughts on the Camayenne? addition to existing and with state authorities, increasing number of The political transition future infrastructure, our NGOs, medical services hotels being built in of 2010 created an €23 million investment and our clients. We Conakry? influx of regional and took into account real had to restructure Today, the hotel international investors, economic growth the hotel’s financing, market in the capital particularly in sectors prospects and the boost its capital and is covered in terms of suffering from a lack development of airport adjust its offering rooms, but there are of infrastructure. In facilities and air services, and prices in order to other opportunities 2011, we experienced as well as long-term enable international in the western and first-hand the lack of contractual and legal organisations to northern parts of the hotels during our first security. It’s a forty-five mobilise a maximum country, where there visit to Conakry. So year operation; you of personnel on-site are real needs. The we evaluated several have to be patient and so that, as quickly as key to profitability lies opportunities and chose know how to adapt to possible, they could in distinct product the one that had the cyclical hazards. put an end to the segmentation and most symbolic value for crisis, the economic differentiation, with the Guinea, was the most How did you cope with consequences of which right size investment suited to our customers the crisis caused by the are still being felt and a certain amount by its location, and Ebola outbreak? because they slowed of flexibility. It is also which matched the Overnight, we went down several strategic important to be able to existing offer in terms from 80% occupancy projects at critical times provide local customers of size, with 123 rooms to 20% in April 2014. of implementation. with quality catering, Several hotels leisure and cultural have since started activities so that the In April 2014, as a result of the Ebola operating and we establishment isn’t outbreak, occupancy fell from 80% to 20%. learnt an important entirely dependent on lesson in flexibility and travellers, which is what We had to learn how to be flexible and adaptability from this the Palm Camayenne adaptable. particular period. does. n

44 \ FOCUS From bushland to seashore, there’s something for everyone

There’s a rather fascinating term that has been used to hotel sector itself, it should see a 4.4% increase by 2020, describe Guinea for many years – ‘geological scandal’. It having fallen 8.2% in 2015. Conakry’s increasing hotel refers to the lack of exploitation of the country’s wealth capacity could respond to some of these expectations of mineral resources. However, no-one ever talks about but the remainder presents a real challenge. the lack of attention to the country’s wonderful diversity of landscapes and microclimates and the tourism Sights set on arts and crafts opportunities they offer. From the fine sandy beaches of Another PNDES priority project is developing local Boffa to the summits, forests and savannas of Fouta- artisanal activities (sewing, boiler making, dyeing, etc.), Jalon, ecotourism would find a happy home here. Despite which employ 20% of the working population and the rise in visitor arrivals since 2016 (see table on p. 43), account for 40% of national manufacturing production, with 63,000 people registered, twice as many as in 2015 mainly due to tourism. A previous plan had already and half the number expected for 2017, only 4,564 came enabled artisans to organise and expand their workforce, for leisure. particularly by hiring women. The PNDES plans to spend around $8.34 million (€7 million) on several arts and Big ambitions for the hotel business crafts villages in the country devoted to production and The National Economic and Social Development Plan trade. There are two other priority projects in the sector. (PNDES) considers tourism to be a priority for the tertiary One focuses on ecotourism in the Badiar National Park sector, by virtue of its capacity to diversify the economy ($12.8 million) and the other on sustainable tourism and to benefit very different segments: rural communities, development in a network of cross-border parks and artists, craftsmen, hotel workers, tourist guides, etc. Its protected areas. At an estimated cost of $4.8 million, development is very much tied to that of local culture and the project consists of rehabilitating infrastructure (roads handicraft activities and products. and energy, among others) and increasing the potential The PNDES aims to increase the tourism and hospitality of parks in the adjoining prefectures of Gaoual, on the share of GDP from 1.7% in 2015 to 3% by 2020 and, of border with Guinea-Bissau, and Koundara, on the border employment, from 0.2% to at least 1% by 2020. As for the with Senegal. n

By 2020, tourism and hospitality should be contributing 3% to GDP. SERVICES

BANKING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES

Diversification bodes well for the future Guinea’s modest banking sector is expanding hree major bank groups are the historical sector players and still dominate steadily with the arrival of new institutions. Tthe Guinean banking scene. These are However, it is hampered by a serious lack of the pan-African Ecobank Group and the subsidiaries of France’s Société Générale – long-term loans. Société Générale de Banques en Guinée – and BNP Paribas – Banque Internationale pour le Commerce et l’Industrie. In 2017, these three institutions held more than 11,000 billion GNF (about €1 billion) of the total 19,653 billion GNF in assets of the country’s 16 banks, according to the Association Professionnelle des Établissements de Crédit de Guinée. Guinea’s banking market is not among the biggest in the sub-region. None of its institutions appear in Jeune Afrique’s ranking of West Africa’s Top 200 Banks. But the trend since 2010 has been good and the sector is increasingly diversified. Nigeria, always the vanguard One sign of this positive trend is the arrival of several new banks, bringing the number of banking institutions in the country to 16. Just seven years ago there were only 11. Three took the plunge in 2010 of which two were Nigerian – United Bank for Africa, after obtaining its accreditation two years earlier, and Skye Bank. The NSIA group already had a foot in Conakry with its insurance business before opening its first bank in the capital. Cameroon’s Afriland First Bank followed two years later, where it introduced its wealth creation model in rural, urban and semi- urban areas, the MC2 microbanks and the In 2017, the three dominant Mutuelle Financière des Femmes Africaines banking sector players – (a financial mutuality for African women). Ecobank, SGBG and Bicigui Another Nigerian player, First Bank of Nigeria, – held €1 billion in assets. arrived in 2015 following its acquisition of the Banque Internationale pour le Commerce de

46 \ A new insurance code In 2016 Guinea had 10 insurance companies in operation, compared to just six in 2010. While this trend reflects increasing consumer interest, the coverage rate remains among the lowest in the sub-region, partly due to the low insurance culture. A new insurance code was adopted in 2016 to improve the sector’s performance, including the future establishment of a reinsurance Guinée. Skye Bank’s current desire to withdraw company, and the inclusion of microinsurance and agricultural from Guinea is due to structural problems, its insurance. The previous code dated from 1995.n management team having been replaced in 2016 by the rigorous Central Bank of Nigeria.

Promising results in 2017 Guinean bank results Despite two years of disputes between the (At 31 December 2017, in millions of GNF) sector’s trade unions and the banks’ management, in 2017 the banks achieved a net result 19.653,851 of 291 billion GNF, against 273 billion GNF 14.427,302 the previous year, according to data from the 7.072,253 7.445,421 Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Guinea (BCRG). According to Louncény Nabé, all institutions operating in the country Total results Total resources of which individuals of which companies comply with the solvency ratio, which averaged 18.37% over the first nine months of 2017. … and resources Other positive indicators are that, at the end (At 31 December 2017, in millions of GNF) of December, the net international invest- Total of which of which ment position of commercial banks stood at Resources individuals companies 2,034.24 billion GNF, against 1,439.71 billion GNF a year earlier. Over the same period, ECOBANK GUINEA 3.535,039 1.661,298 1.809,463 deposits in Guinean francs and foreign cur- SGBG 3.054,030 1.263,383 1.790,647 rencies increased by 27.8% and 8.36% respec- BICIGUI (GROUPE tively. This is due to the buoyant economy, 2.401,156 1.689,573 711,583 and particularly the mining and agricultural BNP) sectors, but also to the BCRG policy pursued ORABANK 1.219,688 174,336 365,107 in recent years. In particular, it reduced the reserve requirement from 20% to 18% at the FIB 850,144 525,741 291,107 beginning of 2017, which is what credit ins- BPMG 733,993 190,795 291,682 titutions had hoped for. The ongoing foreign exchange market reform should consolidate the UBA 722,967 174,336 248,833 unification of the official and parallel aspects BSIC 623,400 241,269 365,107 of the market and avoid an overvaluation of the national currency. FBN 615,383 221,859 382,131 While the banked population rate has now reached 7%, compared to 3.7% in 2010, the BIG 427,718 199,945 208,034 financing of the Guinean economy is still NSIA GUINÉE 368,501 127,857 159,072 constrained by the low level of savings, which stood at 11.45% of GDP in 2015. Similarly, the AFB 363,432 114,768 200,468 credit rate is 11% of GDP, compared to 2.5% five years ago, according to the head of the BCRG, BCI 351,069 52,837 246,291 but this rate is still insufficient and mainly SKYE BANK 122,926 31,575 91,345 concerns short-term loans. Of the 16 Guinean banks’ 5,520,140 million GNF commitments BDG 22,699 - - to companies in 2017, only 799,376 million BNG 15,186 0 0

GNF were long-term loans. n DE CRÉDIT GUINÉE PROFESSIONNELLE DES ÉTABLISSEMENTS (SOURCE: ASSOCIATION

/ 47 SERVICES

ICT

Guinea 2.0

The ACE submarine communications cable was established in March 2011 through a public-private partnership. Responsible for has brought Guinea a much more efficient the operation and maintenance of the national connection. This digital progress is soon to be landing station, it makes the capacity allocated to the country available to its shareholders strengthened by a national fibre optic network. – national private operators and the State – respecting the principle of open access to all licensed stakeholders. It cost Guinea nearly he transversal sector of information $34 million, most of which was provided by and communication technologies the World Bank. T (ICT) is an essential growth lever able to multiply services productivity, Better than expected results industrial performance and entrepreneu- Guinea’s connection took place in March rial creativity by ten. The country is taking 2013, after the last 23 kilometres of cable giant strides to catch up with the cracking connected Conakry to the rest of the world. pace set by digital innovation. At each stage of Warcip’s implementation, A landing station was built in Conakry to the government noted results exceeding tar- bring the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) gets. The cost of overall capacity purchased submarine cable into service. This is the monthly by the country having been divided first cable Guinea has connected to under by five, Internet access reached 24.4% by the Warcip-Guinea or West Africa Regional 2015, against the expected 5%. Communication Infrastructure Program. The overall disbursement rate of the project The main objective of the project, which was estimated at 98% in December 2016, the started in 2012 and ended in December best Warcip in the sub-region, according to $700 2016, was to increase the geographical the World Bank. The introduction of 3G by million has been reach of broadband networks and thus telephone operators and the widespread provide a high-quality, low-cost broadband use of wireless communications thanks to invested to digitally link Internet connection. Wifi, Wimax and Edge have considerably the two continents. increased the number of mobile subscribers From France to South Africa with a current penetration rate approaching The first step was to create an enabling 100% (see table p. 50). environment for connectivity and admin istrative capacity building and then, in a Digital backbone more down-to-earth way, to finance the For the authorities, the current step consists connection to the ACE cable. The laying of constructing the digital backbone, starting of the 17,000 km cable between France from the landing point and linking all the and South Africa cost approximately $700 major urban areas throughout the country to million and each member of the 19-mem- the fibre optic network. China’s Huawei began ber consortium has to pay connection and building this 4,000 km or so backbone in 2015 subscription fees. at a total cost of $238 million, 85% of which is To meet these obligations, the Guinéenne de being financed by China and the remaining Large Bande (Guilab - Guinean broadband) 15% by the Guineangovernment. Once ➙

48 \ A strengthened In 2015, internet access regulatory reached 24.4%. framework A new telecommunications and information technology law was promulgated on 13 August 2015 to take into account the advances under way, their legal implications and the needs for sub-regional integration. Regulation will also be strengthened through a stronger and more effective regulatory authority. From an institutional point of view, the government has its work cut out rehabilitating the state telecommunications company Société des Télécommunications de Guinée (Sotelgui), which had a 16% market share shortly before suspending its activities in 2013. n V.FOURNIER/JA

/ 49 SERVICES ITC

➙ the work is completed (scheduled for this year), the country will have even more efficient telecommunications services at a lower cost. Several priority sections had already been completed by the end of 2017, according to the Société de Gestion et d’Exploitation du Backbone National (SOGEB). These are the Conakry-Boké, Conakry-Mamou, Mamou- Labé, Mamou-Kankan, Mamou-Faranah, Kolaboui-Kamsar and Tanéné-Fria sections. Ultimately, the network could be linked to the rest of the West African sub-region. Home stretch Once the backbone of the cable has been installed, there is still the “last mile” to be completed, i.e. extending it to institutions, businesses, homes, etc. This operation, generally carried out in conjunction with private operators, is a National Economic and Social Development Plan (PNDES) priority project.

Estimated at $80.7 million, this project aims V.FOURNIER/JA to meet the bandwidth needs, which will Bandwith needs will have be multiplied by thirteen by 2025, as well the creation of incubators, the promotion of been multiplied by thirteen as high 4G expectations. digital education and the interconnection of by 2025. This is the Sotelgui To this end, it plans to increase the capacity administrative services. By 2020, the PNDES server room. available to operators, extend the fibre optic aims to increase postal and telecommunica- network to households and take certain tions services to 4.4%, compared with 2.1% measures in favour of the sector such as in 2015. n

Overall declared revenues Number of mobile phone and December December internet subscribers (in thousands) 2016 2017 3,597 10,712 3,131 11,287 ORANGE MARKET SHARE 60% 64% Penetration of which 10,657 Taux de of which 11,227 rate prepaid pénétration prepaid 32.2% MTN MARKET SHARE 17% 18% Penetration 27.1 % Penetration rate rate CELLCOM MARKET SHARE 23% 17% 97% 98% 2016 2017 INTERCEL MARKET SHARE 0.3% 0.2%

TOTAL (in billions of GNF) 920.9 1,058.5

Mobile telephony Mobile internet & TELECOMMUNICATIONS SOURCE: GUINEA POSTS (ARPT) AUTHORITY REGULATORY

50 \

19 653 851

7 072 253 7 445 421

Total Bilan Ressources totales dont particuliers dont entreprises Mentoring young entrepreneurs Alpha Boubacar Barry, owner of Jatropha, a company active in microfinance and training, wants to set up the first technological platform in the country in Mamou.

lpha Boubacar Barry is the hyperac- (Scotland) and Cambridge (England) in tive entrepreneur known for having modern literature, journalism and com- A launched, in partnership with the munication, as well as in organisational government, the Sincery project, named after a management, he helps get young Guineans mountain in the Fouta-Djalon highlands. This interested in entrepreneurship and the digital low-cost digital tablet is perfectly optimised for world. He has taken this initiative even further students’ needs and equipped with educational by setting up the Be the Change Academy content. Students can buy one for 25,000 GNF (BTCA), an incubator in the Kaporo district (about €2.90) per month, which over 3,000 of Ratoma in northern Conakry, where he of them have already done by taking out a provides support and guidance to project loan with Jatropha Microfinance. Established initiators. in 2011 by Alpha Boubacar Barry to fill the financing gap for young entrepreneurs, it has Back to reality a timely presence in 12 public and private “Their ideas are often very ambitious, Over 2,400 people university agencies across the country. even disconnected from reality. With four have been trained at his Be the Change A former junior consultant with the United trainers, we attempt to reel them back in.” Academy incubator, Nations Industrial Development Organization Offering market research, accounting, human established in Ratoma. (UNIDO), educated in Conakry, Stirling resources management, marketing, technological innovation... more than 2,400 people have been trained there, explains the company director, as have the women’s groups sent by the Ministry of Social Action. Once their projects have been made viable, some of these budding entrepreneurs borrow directly from Jatropha, whose current loans now exceed $1 million (€837,000). The next step, currently in progress, is to create a digital platform around the Mamou Higher Institute of Technology, a town that will be linked to Conakry, 300 km away, by a planned highway supported by the National Economic and Social Development Plan (PNDES). Why not set up in the Guinean capital? “Because, like in California, most hubs of this type are born outside of the big cities, so that students have the right conditions to create and innovate,” says Boubacar, who estimates he will have to raise about $5 million to launch the project. n

/ 51 SERVICES

REAL ESTATE AND CONSTRUCTION

Build 120,000 homes Guinea has to build tens of thousands of houses to curb informal settlements and cope with the strong population growth. Numerous developers from all over the world – China, Morocco, Turkey – are hard at work to make this happen.

ith a population set to double in establishment of a bank dedicated to this the next twenty four years, dila- sector is under consideration. The restruc- W pidated housing, a capital city in turing of the Société Nationale d’Aména- which some neighbourhoods have grown gement et de la Promotion Immobilière uncontrollably… Guinea has much to do to (SONAPI – National Land and Real Estate improve housing. The National Economic Development Company) will make this and Social Development Plan (PNDES) institution Guinea’s main urbanisation tool. has great ambitions, based on the Habitat Vision 2021 developed in 2012. One is to China Dreal Group reduce the proportion of people living in involved in Kobaya slums from 17.3% in 2015 to 10% by 2020. The other government priority is to accele- They also plan to offer city dwellers a rate of rate “large-scale construction of affordable access to decent housing of 30% that same housing”. For this the State has called on year, against 21.7% five years earlier. Lastly, the private sector to get involved. In April, sustainable housing has to increase from President Alpha Condé laid the foundation 44.5% to 55% in the same period of time. stone for a programme of 20,000 social In 2015, housing units in Kobaya (Ratoma district, 17.5% of the A painstaking job in the northern suburbs of Conakry). It is The government has several regulatory one of the biggest projects in progress. A real population emergencies on the go to improve the new town, it was built by the China Dreal lived in slums. construction environment. In 2015, it Group. Its Guinean subsidiary, Guinea Mar promulgated a housing code in order to Grandioso, built the famous mixed-use Plaza restructure cities and put an end to informal Diamant development in the Kipé district housing, while a Single Window for land on the north coast of Conakry, featuring use is to be founded this year. The autho- very chic houses and apartments which rities, primarily the Ministry of Town and went onto the market in 2015. Territorial Planning, have undertaken to This time, the company’s mission will be identify and register the State’s land reserves to mix social housing levels. “We do not throughout the country. A painstaking job want to repeat the mistakes made by other which is producing results and sometimes countries where social housing schemes means recovering land erroneously sold have become slums,” the Head of State to citizens, and even destroying informal explained during the ceremony. “Each housing, most recently on the river beds time, we will demand that upmarket and in Dubréka. A housing fund has been mid-range dwellings coexist, so that the set up but still lacks resources, while the populations are mixed.” ➙

52 \ A Turkish construction company hard at work on a new build in the Kaloum district of Conakry, in February, SERVICES REAL ESTATE AND CONSTRUCTION

The Turquoise Building, in the mining district of Conakry, houses a number of Turkish companies all working on Guinea’s economic development.

to which the ministries – currently located in Kaloum – will be moving. “Over the next 15 years, 250,000 people will be able to move to this place,” says Yao Tianping. Once the development of the town is complete, plots of land in Kobaya will be available to private companies and individuals wishing to build there. In a first phase, 2,000 housing units are planned, and all have to be delivered within five years. Land for housing Kobaya is part of a larger project of 120,000 A Turkish low-cost prefab factory housing units valued at approximately $6 bil- In April, President Alpha Condé saw representatives of the lion (€5 billion). Ten or so agreements for Turkish conglomerate Agaoglu, which has been operating in real their construction were signed with foreign estate, industry, tourism and energy since 1981. Now interested in and Guinean companies in 2016. Thus, getting involved in Guinea’s mining and commercial sectors, the 20,000 other housing units are planned in group is hoping to build 5,000 low-cost modular housing units. the Lambanyi and Kobaya districts, north-east To this end, it plans to set up a prefab factory, which Boubacar of Conakry. The state has made it clear that Keita, CEO of SONAPI, estimates will be able to export some of its the buildings have to be financed entirely by production to neighbouring countries. n the private sector, with the State undertaking to grant land and tax and customs incentives. One of these agreements was signed in September 2016 between the State-owned ➙ Housing, business district SONAPI and China’s Power China Engineer and schools for the construction of 50,000 housing units The new city will cover 650 hectares on a low in Kassonyah, in the Coyah prefecture. The beach area, explained Yao Tianping, CEO of State, which provides its sovereign guarantee, China Dreal Group. Raising this area by two has undertaken to contribute 15% of the metres will require significant resources. financing. Accordingly, the first phase was The company will have to dredge rivers and reduced to 5,000 units at a total cost of $360 build dikes and roads. The development will million. The new comprise housing, a business centre, hotels, In addition to its 50,000 midrange and upmar- town schools and healthcare facilities. To reimburse ket homes, Kassonyah will include a 22 km the land transfer costs, China Dreal Group has motorway linking the new town to Kaloum, will cost also committed to building a secondary natio- an administrative and financial district, a $6 billion. nal administration centre with ten buildings, ring road and two hotels. n

54 \ FOCUS

Addoha delivers a premium housing estate to Coleah

The Moroccan company, which has undertaken to build three complexes in Conakry, duplicates the housing access formula that has made it so successful in Morocco.

In March, the Moroccan real can benefit from “flexible and on getting its other two projects estate developer Addoha tailored financing conditions” off the ground. The first, the started selling apartments under because the project was initiated Police Estate, consists of building construction in the Douane estate, in partnership with the Banque a complex of 1,891 homes, in the Matam district of Conakry. Centrale Populaire group. including 1,486 social housing There is a dedicated “Addoha In the Douane Estate, in the units, as well as local amenities Guinea” Facebook page as well Coleah district, near the (shops, nursery school, etc.) as a website, Citedouane.com. administrative centre of Kaloum, on a 5 hectare site, all for a King Mohammed VI of Morocco Addoha delivers its apartments total investment of 849 million and Alpha Condé, President of “with premium finishes” as well dirhams. the Republic of Guinea, launched as a “ten-year guarantee” on the The second, Kipé, comprises the construction of three housing structural work. The programme 388 luxury housing units for 493 estates in Conakry in March 2014. comprises 761 housing units, million dirhams. Addoha provides Built by Addoha, which in recent including 633 midrange units and buyers with a one-stop shop decades has demonstrated 128 upmarket units, for a total offering banking, notary, property its skills in Morocco in the cost of 404 million dirhams. registry, and water and electricity accelerated construction of Efforts have to be redoubled supply services. n social housing as well as luxury housing, these housing estates required a total investment of The programme comprises 761 apartments, including approximately 1.7 billion dirhams 128 upmarket units. (more than €150 million). There were initial problems, such as a split with its Guinean partner followed by financial difficulties, which it has since overcome. Thus, in 2017, it was able to step up the pace of its projects in Guinea, as well as in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal. Building in partnership with Banque Centrale Populaire With the slogan “Buy your apartment for the price of the rent”, Addoha suggests, via a commercial to the tune of “Magic in the Air” by Ivorian group Magic System, that people visit its showrooms and model units. As in Morocco, its clients ADDOHA

/ 55 SOCIETY

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Incubators: bringing ideas to life

The private sector mainly comprises agricultural and commercial SMEs, many of which are informal. Large companies are most likely to be subsidiaries of international companies. So there is a great need to encourage the starting of young innovative companies.

ore Guineans than ever are starting organised by Saboutech. This business businesses, in keeping with the incubator was founded in 2016 by seve- M improving business environment. ral international and Guinean compa- There are an increasing number of initia- nies (Blueline Guinea, Orange, Guilab, tives to support emerging talent, such as Société Générale de Banques en Guinée, that of Alpha Boubacar Barry in information Fiduxis, and Total, etc.) in association with technology (see p. 51). Other passionate, the Ministry of Youth and the Posts and inventive and determined entrepreneurs Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. go it alone, before soliciting institutions Its objective: to discover, train and advise for the means to grow. the entrepreneurs of tomorrow. It helps On a sunny Saturday afternoon, about 20 to compensate for the lack of support 1,000 m² young girls are absorbed by their screens in structures for young innovative compa- of space hosts young the big hall of Blue Zone in Dixinn. This is nies, private investment or the connec- emerging talent at a technology and innovation hub created tion between higher education and the Saboutech by Bolloré Africa Logistics (see box on next business world. page) in early 2010 in a few countries on the continent. While outside, in the sun, a group A helping hand of children finish a basketball game and The name of the incubator, inspired by others trot around the field, the girls do stay the word ‘sabou’, which means “helping glued to their screens, or discuss the final hand” and, more generally, “mutual aid”, details of the projects they are stay glued in the Susu, Fula and Malinka dialects, is to their to present in about ten minutes. perfectly appropriate. As the second part They are taking part in the ‘Pitch ton of its name indicates, Saboutech focuses Innovation’ programme, a competition particularly on the ICT, renewable energy

56 \ Blue Zones abound in Conakry Like the one in Kaloum, located further south of Conakry, Dixinn’s Blue Zone is a unique place for leisure, sport, work and creation. Built by Bolloré Africa Logistics and Blue Solutions, two Bolloré group subsidiaries, these green spaces host health, lecture and prevention centres for young people, an e-learning school, a library, sports fields, workshops for craftsmen and, of course, an incubator, Saboutech. Since January 2017, the Blue Zone in Kaloum even houses the Canal Olympia cinema and theatre. Each of these centres is powered by solar energy stored in Lithium Metal Polymer (LMP) batteries, a Blue Solutions technology or generated by photovoltaic panels supplied by Sunpower, a Total Group subsidiary. It was recently announced that Niger, Togo and Benin will also be getting their Blue Zones. n

and environmental sectors. professional, legal and technical advice, At Dixinn’s Blue Zone, young girls take part in This Saturday, Kadidjatu Igue wins the as well as exposure through its competi- the Pitch ton Innovation competition with her project Pharmacy tions, and networking and support in the competition. 224, which locates medicines, indicates the search for funding. Its 1,000 m² premises price and informs patients, via their mobile also host companies that do not require phones, when the medicines must be special support. taken. Second in the competition is Fanta From IT solutions, personal assistance, and Kaba with her N’walima app, which allows mobile surveillance system installation students to get temporary jobs during their and maintenance to web platforms for studies and, third, Hawa Camara and her farmer interaction, several companies Mobile Basket app, a web platform that have already been incubated or simply Fapel, which enables consumers to check the quality supported. One of these is Fapel, a com- manufactures and prices of products on the market. The pany born in the early 2000s. Located day before, SabouInspire was held in the in Labé, it specialises in the manufac- water pumps, same space so that young entrepreneurs ture of reciprocating piston water pumps benefited from could share their experience with other invented by its founder Barry Aguibou, Saboutech less advanced project developers. and patented at the African Intellectual The type of support offered by Saboutech Property Organization. They provide an support. depends on the maturity of the projects: important service to farmers and house- from the entrepreneur who wishes to holds. In 2016, the French President develop a good idea or put together a François Hollande himself honoured business plan to the company that already Aguibou among ten prize winners from generates income and wants to grow. The around the world in La France s’Engage incubator offers its know-how, training and au Sud programme. n

/ 57 SOCIETY ENTREPRENEURSHIP

MAMADOU SAÏDOU DIALLO Artex Guinée, 100% handwoven cotton

In four years, Artex Guinée has become known for the quality and and paying apprentices – some of whom, originality of its handmade fabrics. Its founder, Mamadou Saïdou to his great displeasure, left the country as Diallo, is looking to expand to keep up with orders and is convinced illegal migrants once trained. He also built his eight wooden weaving machines, taking that his country can become an exporter. care to widen the strips generally sold from 30 centimetres to 1.30 metres, and now intends n the elegant boutique he set up in the increasing this to 2 metres. Minière district of Conakry, Mamadou His shop is frequented by locals as well as I Saïdou Diallo speaks with passion and employees of foreign embassies and insti- knowledge about his adventure with Artex, tutions who come to buy fabrics of an asto- the company he founded in 2013. For a nishing quality and originality, and “that does decade, his work with a Western NGO allowed not fade,” insists Mamadou Saïdou Diallo, him to meet all the country’s remaining wea- whose mother was a dyer. “I was told that vers and he quickly realised that this trade they could not be Guinean, that they had was dying out. After a few years of thinking to come from abroad like so many other about it, he sold his house to finance his so-called local products.” project and started out. More and more well-heeled customers are He first trained with a craftsman from Labé coming into his store, but the number of whose technique he liked, before sharing local customers remains lower than that this knowledge by accommodating, feeding of foreigners and the diaspora. However, purchasing power is not the only issue for the locals, believes Saïd Diallo, who thinks that they could be interested in his products if he had the means to advertise them. He recently made the bedside rugs and table- cloths and upholstered the armchairs for the newly opened Onomo Hotel in Conakry and also decorated the government’s communication division offices. Now the company needs support to give it the working capital it requires to meet all the orders flowing in. Mamadou Saïdou Diallo would also like to see public support for the training he provides to his apprentice weavers. He is convinced that the country can recover its weaving heritage and export its product, like some neighbouring countries have done. Recently, the government agreed to give him unused industrial premises where he will move his looms from the house in Coyah that he he has been using as his workshop. n

58 \ Finally, she decided that her structure, the Association Guinéenne pour l’Allégement des Charges Féminines (Agac), would be founded “by women and for women” in order to contribute to their empowerment, which remains the guiding principle of its associative activities. In the 1980s she was a civil servant in the Presidency of the Republic and a political opponent. By providing training, outreach and advice to women, she began to fully understand the country’s environment and became a key partner of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which supported her spinning and saponification projects, among others, to enable workers to generate added value. DIAKAGBÈ KABA She then left the administration and founded the Coopérative des Femmes Rurales pour l’Agriculture, la Souveraineté Alimentaire et La Guinéenne des le Développement (Cofrasad – rural women’s agriculture, food sovereignty and development Terroirs: if it’s packaged, cooperative), which processes the fresh produce, since “everyone produces and sells the same thing at the same time”. A centre was it’s processed! built for drying tomatoes, mangoes, leaves, etc., and making jams. However, because Jams, dried fruit and other local delights – La Guinéenne des packaged products are too expensive for Terroirs has been selling processed agricultural products since rural areas, the cooperative decided to look 2012, something that is being emulated and encouraged the for an outlet in Conakry, which is where the opening of a store in Conakry called Consommons Citoyen (Civic Consommons Guinéen store was opened in Consumers). collaboration with several other local businesses. These include the Reseau Böra Maalé, the Comptoir Sel Solaire, Café Ziama and La hen Diakagbè Kaba is asked about Petite Damba, whose smartly packaged palm the origins of the La Guinéenne des oil and spices are also sold in supermarkets. W Terroirs food brand, she takes the About 15 affiliated groups send their pro- question seriously and gives it proper conside- duction to La Guinéenne des Terroirs. They ration before answering. An environmentalist also sell the rest of their crops in their region, and feminist activist, she takes us back forty and some even create and promote their own years in the history of Guinea. Her studies in brands, because La Guinéenne has inspired socio-anthropology, the hard agricultural them. Now even rural people are starting to labour of her maternal grandmother who buy jam. As for the parent company, it has raised her and whom she wanted to help, begun exporting small quantities to Canada the need to create an association, although and France, explains Diakagbè Kaba, who, at the time associations, including women’s, since 2011, has returned to work for the were supervised by men... government as Deputy Secretary General. n

/ 59 SOCIETY Objective 2030: drive activity Agriculture and agribusiness up by 7.5% per year.

Agriculture is a true engine of growth Agriculture is the main source of employment in the country. New measures and increased investment will make it more productive and guarantee food security, as well as boost exports and develop agribusiness.

ith rainfall of 1,200 to 4,000 mil- and its ability to redistribute the value- limetres per year, a river network added created, this sector constitutes, W of 6,250 kilometres, and over 6 in the National Economic and Social million hectares of arable land, Guinea Development Plan (PNDES), the engine has undeniable advantages to support its of the country’s development. To become agricultural sector. Although it employs that engine, however, it first has to be more than 50% of the active population, structurally transformed. The govern- it accounts for only 9% of GDP (and 8% ment aims to double agricultural yields more when fishing, livestock and forestry and the incomes of small food producers are added). Because of its inclusive nature by 2030, using the PNDES to drive activity

60 \ up by 7.5% per year and implementing the sector, such as inadequate water control Accelerated Food Security and Nutrition infrastructure, a lack of sector-specific for Sustainable Agricultural Development credit institutions and the predominance Plan (PASANDAD, 2017-2020). of family and subsistence farming using archaic techniques. Another major chal- More structured organisations lenge is inefficient marketing systems The emergence and promotion of farmers’ mainly linked to the isolation of certain organisations are largely responsible for production areas and the difficulties small Guinea’s agriculture growing an average of producers have in accessing markets. The 4.7% a year in recent years. These organisa- PNDES is committed to finding solutions tions have been supplied with equipment, to all these problems and has thus defined mainly through the agricultural service two priority projects: the hydro-agricul- centres set up in all the prefectures across tural development of 3,200 hectares of the country. Farmers’ access to inputs (ferti- plains along the Sankarani River and the lisers, seeds, plant protection products, etc.) construction of plant material production at subsidised prices has also been facilitated and research centres for the Agricultural but needs to be boosted, and their skills in Research Institute of Guinea. using these inputs must be improved. The Ministry of Agriculture is working with Granting women their rightful the Moroccan fertiliser giant, the Office place Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP), to improve One sustainable response to food and performance in this area. Farmers’ efforts nutrition insecurity is to balance the ratio and government support have resulted in of women to men. The PASANDAD will Agriculture relatively improved agricultural production focus particularly on the performance of in recent years, especially rice, maize, fonio, agricultural sectors in which women and has grown cassava and groundnuts. young people are involved, by support an average ing the structuring of their organisations, of 4.7% per Development and research strengthening individual capacities and However, the government faces several providing inputs and equipment. Advocacy annum in constraints in supporting the agricultural action around issues such as land ➙ recent years.

Local livestock breeding and feeding The livestock sector has also project actions, as well as by In addition to the weak technical grown in recent years, with an the insufficient investment. The and managerial capacity of increase in employment and government has nevertheless professional livestock breeders’ production (see table on p. succeeded in strengthening organisations, the PNDES points 62), but this growth achieved the institutional framework in to one constraint: sub-regional only 2.9%, of the expected this field, building marketing cooperation. If it was stronger, 5%. Performance has been some of the needed marketing it would be worth producing hampered by the delayed infrastructure, implementing livestock feed and veterinary implementation of certain vaccination programmes and products at competitive costs for sustainable livestock management genetically improving species. a vast market. n

/ 61 SOCIETY AGRICULTURE AND AGRIBUSINESS

Increased production of main Eectifs du cheptel par espèce (en milliers) export crops Volaille Bovins Caprins Ovins Porcins (in tons) 2 092 115 2 380 127 2010 2012 2014 2016 2 851 2 851 COFFEE 29 018 17 907 41500 45 950

COTTON 0 680 15 000 15 000 2014 2016

CASHEWS - - 8 600 10 570

COCOA 15 160 8 040 7 500 8 200

SOURCE: TAB. DE BORD DE L’ÉCO. GUINÉENNE/ DE BORD L’ÉCO. SOURCE: TAB. PLANNING DIRECTORATE OF PLANNING/NAT. MINISTRY 6 074 26 116 6 759 30 116 DEVELOPMENT/ SOURCE: OFFICE OF STRATEGIC AND ANIMAL PRODUCTION OF LIVESTOCK MINISTRY

➙ ownership or decision-making will also counting on its local coffee, Ziama also be implemented to improve the status de Macenta which, in 2014, was given the of women. protected geographical indication (PGI) label after a four-year approval process Cashew nuts for the future from the African Intellectual Property In terms of cash and export crops, the Organisation (OAPI), with the support of PNDES intends to gradually establish the French Development Agency (AFD) and agricultural processing zones dedicated to the Centre for International Cooperation sectors with the greatest potential. Among in Agronomic Research (CIRAD). Grown these, the President of the Republic – in the Ziama Mountains, nearly 800 km who also mentions sesame, palm oil and from Conakry, this is Robusta coffee, but There is also cocoa – attaches particular importance its qualities, particularly thanks to its soil to cashew nuts which have performed and the know-how of its producers, make good potential well on the global market in recent years it similar to an Arabica. for sesame, and could benefit Guinea’s economy. palm oil and Objectives: have 1 million hectares of Pineapples back with a fighting cashew trees by 2020 and produce 60,000 chance cocoa. tons of nuts per year. It is a crop with a Guinean pineapples are making a comeback strong social impact in terms of job and on the agricultural landscape. The revival of wealth creation. In 2016, 204,000 ha had this crop has been taken over by the Strategic already been planted and another 175,000 Implementation Office (BES), overseen by ha were planted in 2017 in the Boké, Fria, the office of the Prime Minister, in coordi- Dubréka, Boffa (Lower Guinea) prefec- nation with the Ministry of Agriculture and tures. That same year, 40,000 tons of nuts the Dalberg consultancy firm. In addition were shipped to India and Vietnam, the to increasing cultivated areas, access to world’s main importers, according to the fertilisers and irrigation, efforts are now Guinean Association of Cashew Exporters focusing or marketing to both producers (AGEXANA), formed in 2015. (export standards) and exporters (market access). Guinea exported several tens of Ziama Coffee gets the PGI thousands of tons of pineapples in the 1950s, label before its cultivation declined. In July 2017 The Head of State also believes in the via- the government, the pineapple producers bility of coffee cultivation, and imported a of Lower Guinea and French importer VB ton of Arabica coffee seeds from Rwanda for International signed a marketing agreement planting but also for studying at the Bareng for 100 tons of pineapples to be sold on the Agricultural Research Centre. Guinea is European market. n

62 \ FOCUS

Industrial fishing back on the charts Once the sector had been redressed, Guinea was taken off the European Union’s black list, and is once more able to export its fish to the Union. Positive reforms are good for Sonit-Guinea, which has just ordered two new ships.

Hassan Saadi sits in his office, not In 2014, the European Union had destruction of fishery resources, far from the autonomous port of blacklisted Guinea as a non- since no-take zones were not Conakry, and proudly details the cooperative third country in the respected. Guinea thus revised development of Sonit-Guinée, fight against illegal, unreported its legal framework, improved a family business of which he is and unregulated (IUU) fishing. surveillance of its coasts, notably the managing director. Active in This prevented the country from by creating a maritime prefecture coffee and cocoa, real estate, selling its fishery products in the with the right to board offending food processing and industry, EU and European vessels were vessels, and strengthened its Sonit is also one of the only prohibited from fishing off the sanctions system. After that, Guinean companies to have Guinean coast. In 2016, André on 10 October 2016, the EU, its own industrial fishing boats. Loua, the Minister of Fisheries, the world’s largest importer It already owns eight vessels Aquaculture and Maritime of seafood products, de-listed capable of catching up to 240 Economy estimated that these Guinea. “There was a lot of tons of fish per day – exported measures caused Guinea to lose confusion before these reforms,” mainly to the rest of West Africa €100 million a year. However, the says Hassan Saadi. “Since then, – and has just ordered the consequences of illegal fishing the quantities fished have started construction of two vessels in were even more terrible in the to increase and the quality has China, taking advantage of the long term: loss of earnings in improved, which is why we current sector reorganisation. terms of jobs and income and the have bought two new boats, although there is still room for improvement. We even recalled The state no longer our vessels that were fishing issues licences to in Sierra Leone because the foreign companies that environment here is better.” don’t invest locally. The government is taking advantage of the reform context to put an end to the system of licences granted to foreign vessels that do not invest locally, impose quotas and develop the national fleet. “We no longer issue licences to foreign fishing companies. They now have to be associated with Guineans to whom Guinean law can be applied,” explained the Minister of Fisheries in October, specifying that Guinea is now a member of the international advisory group to the Fisheries Transparency Initiative. n

/ 63 SOCIETY AGRICULTURE & AGRIBUSINESS

Putting bread on the table

In order to satisfy the national demand for flour, the Moulins d’Afrique is doubling its production capacity. This flour mill, a subsidiary of the Sonoco group, is as much the success story of a self-made man as it is an exemplary South-South partnership.

he Les Moulins d’Afrique (LMA) flour still-hot bread and pastries on the shelves. mill in the Sonfonia district of northern This is the last phase of the LMA’s flour pro- T Conakry looks just like any other fac- duction. Every day, a team repeats the same tory run with the utmost professionalism. At gestures as thousands of bakers around the the entrance, the visitors are invited to follow country, to ensure that what is produced in the lines drawn on the ground, alongside the neighbouring buildings is of good quality. car park where the trucks are parked, so as The LMA mill was officially opened in March €30 to avoid the trucks slowly driving in or out 2014 by President Alpha Condé and Morocco’s million has been and stopping on the weighbridge to have King Mohammed VI. The reason for this is their loads weighed. Offices, huge silos, the that the company is the result of a partner- invested since 2012. thud of machines in action, a storage shed ship between the Guinean company Société with workers loading a truck nearby and Nouvelle de Commerce (Sonoco) and Les everywhere is the unmistakable smell of Moulins Lahlal. Nearly €30 million has been baking bread. invested since 2012, the year that Sonoco, a Next door to the huge warehouse is the flour importer, decided to go into production bakery, where the baker is busily arranging with its Moroccan partner. The manufacture and installation of the logistics chains were carried out by the Swiss company Bühler, a global giant in the sector. Built on 3.5 hectares, Morocco is a preferred partner LMA produces about 600 tons of flour per day, milling wheat imported from Germany. In addition to Les Moulins Lahlal, several Moroccan companies It also has a bran processing plant where it have been able to establish links with local Guinean players produces livestock feed (cattle and poultry). or invest directly in strategic sectors of the country in recent years. Two of the Guinean government’s preferred partners are Packed in 50 kg bags, Les Moulins products worldwide fertiliser giant, the Office Chérifien des Phosphates are distributed throughout the country under (OCP) and the Addoha Group, which is putting up a cement plant the AGB brand. Their vitamin and mineral and building housing in Conakry. n levels are certified by the NGO Helen Keller International, leader in the prevention of

64 \ Les Moulins d’Afrique produces around 600 tons of flour a day.

blindness and malnutrition in the world. Next to the parking area for the trucks – the company has its own fleet of 27 Iveco trucks – several dozen containers are stored. About 50 were needed to expand the production unit, a sign of the success of the flour produced here and the capacity of the local market to absorb it. There is a plan to double the plant’s capacity, which will reach 1,250 tons Having arrived in the capital without any this year and there are new silos being built schooling, he was able to surround himself by a French contractor. with trained executives. Among them, his eldest son, Abdoul Karim Diallo, Deputy Self-made man Managing Director of the group since 2009, An exemplary South-South partnership, the who graduated in marketing and communi- LMA story, and more broadly Sonoco, is that cation from the Institute for Leadership and of a self-made man who migrated in the Communication Studies (ILCS) in Rabat, and mid-1970s, aged 14, from Kégnéko, a village in management and strategy from Columbia The company near Mamou, in Middle Guinea, to Conakry. Business School in New York. Mamadou Saliou Diallo started his career as His example is all the more important because has also started a hot bread salesman and is now the CEO of a Sonoco’s initiatives correspond to the govern- producing diversified group which, in addition to LMA, ment’s priorities: ensuring food security for livestock feed. has four subsidiaries specialising in trans- the population and creating employment and port and logistics (AM Transit), metallurgy wealth. Thanks to its by-products, LMA aims to (Metal Import), construction and real estate become the leading producer of livestock and (Global Investment and Construction, GIC) poultry feed in Guinea and one of the biggest and finance (Nouvelle Compagnie d’Inves- in the sub-region. By doubling its production tissement, NCI). It provides 800 direct jobs capacity, the company also aims to conquer and has a turnover of several million dollars. sub-regional and continental markets. n

/ 65 SOCIETY

EDUCATION

Teachers seeking schools

Like the health sector, primary and higher education are improving. There is still a need to step up the pace by improving teacher training and building new establishments. The general assembly announced by the Head of State will contribute to this.

hen the Head of State delivered his New Year speech, he reminded W the nation that, in recent years, about 10,000 classrooms have been built and nearly 5,000 teachers recruited. The biometric census and the computer processing of student applications contributed to a better management of enrolment in higher education, he added, quickly cla- rifying that this was still not enough. One of the president’s priorities is to organise a general assembly with all stakeholders in order to reform the sector. In addition to a severe lack of infrastructure, teachers receive too little training. According to the diagnosis of the National Economic and Social Development Plan (PNDES) only 44% of teachers have received the required professional training. A significant proportion of young Guineans have not entered the education system and most students are not prepared to enter the labour market. Only 1% has access to quality technical and vocational training. The PNDES, building on ongoing sectoral programmes, seeks to develop a quality inclusive education system that meets the needs of the modern and informal sectors of the economy. This system will increasingly be oriented towards aligning education and employment, and will focus, to a large degree, on the development of vocational Extra classrooms for better learning training. The PNDES also pays particular conditions are a priority. attention to reducing geographical and gender disparities.

66 \ Four universities to upgrade The Ministry of Higher Education lacks the infrastructure to meet the current demand, and the number of new students shows no sign of abating. In order to cope, four universities in the four natural regions of the country have to be extended and upgraded at an estimated cost of $300 million (about €250 million). These are the universities of Sonfonia, Labé, Kankan and Nzérékoré. Their overall capacity will have to increase from the current 26,000 students to 51,000. This project is expected to be carried out under the mines-for- infrastructure deal signed with China. A commercial contract was signed with Guinean mothers have mobilised to ensure China Bengbu International Technology labour and increase the absorption rate of their daughters have and Economic Cooperation (CBITEC), graduate students from local structures. Its access to education. while a framework agreement with a cost is estimated at $22.5 million. consortium of five Chinese banks was concluded to finance 85% of the Sonfonia A future Centre of Excellence University rehabilitation project. for Mining and Geology in Boké This centre should contribute to impro- 1,000 PhDs and 5,000 Masters ving the employability of young Guineans While the most qualified teachers are in a rapidly growing mining sector. This taking their retirement, the newer tea- centre will serve the sub-region and will chers are under-trained. The biometric be implemented within the framework census of teachers belonging to higher of the Mano River Union which, in 2012, education institutions revealed that, out decided it would be built in Guinea. It will of a population of 1,392, 50% did not yet involve the transformation of the current have a Master’s degree. To remedy this, Higher Institute of Mining and Geology $300 the authorities have devised a seven-year in the mining town of Boké. The project, million is needed for access programme for degree courses, estimated at $3 million, could be carried the Sonfonia, Labé, in particular in conjunction with the out with German cooperation. Kankan and Nzérékoré University of Tunis, the cost of which is universities. estimated at $38.2 million. Middle and high schools are most urgent Equipping laboratories and It is imperative to continue building middle workshops and high schools to meet current needs, This programme has to make do with a estimated at four middle schools in each chronic lack of equipment in Guinea’s few of the country’s prefectures. In Conakry, technical and research institutions, as well three middle schools and two high schools as at the universities. The PNDES describes are needed in Matoto and Ratoma, and one the situation as “alarming” as it affects the middle school and one high school in Matam quality of training. The project described and Dixinn. Approximately $103 million is here should reduce the reliance on foreign required for this project. n

/ 67 SOCIETY

HEALTH

Building a stronger health system

To meet the many structural challenges presented by public health, the National Economic and Social Development Plan provides for increasing its financial and human resources.

everal indicators demonstrate the pro- were repeated during the Ebola epidemic gress made in Guinea’s health system in 2014, which exposed the fragility of the Sin recent years. The infant mortality health system. rate fell from 163 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2005 to 61 per 1,000 in 2015, while the Too few doctors and healthcare maternal mortality ratio decreased from facilities 980 per 100,000 live births in 2005 to 724 per The National Economic and Social 100,000 in 2012. While the ambitious target Development Plan (PNDES) identifies several of 250 deaths per 100,000 was not met, the major structural constraints to be overcome rate continued to decline to reach 695 per to improve the population’s health status. 100,000 in 2015. These include the health system’s weak human capacity, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Better malaria treatment There are 1.3 doctors per 10,000 inhabitants Treatment and care of tuberculosis and mala- in the country, compared to an African ave- Maternal ria patients has improved, with healthcare rage of 2.6 doctors. The care capacity is also facilities across the country providing free insufficient, with one bed for 3,600 inhabi- and infant care. However, malaria still accounts for tants against the standard of 1 bed per 1,000 mortality 40.8% of consultations, 45.3% of hospitali- inhabitants, while 53% of public structures do rates have sations in public health facilities and 36% not meet the health standards. The poverty of hospital deaths, with a prevalence rate of and lack of health insurance only serves to dropped. 44% among children under the age of five. aggravate this already serious situation. Among the main causes of child mortality are acute respiratory infections and diarrhoeal Easier decision making diseases, as well as malnutrition. Health sector governance is characterised Similarly, HIV/AIDS prevalence fell to 1.7% by an embryonic health information sys- in 2012, 2.1% among women and 1.2% among tem, which makes it difficult or impossible men. On the other hand, of the 30,040 sick to analyse and rapidly disseminate health people (59.1%) able to access antiretroviral knowledge to facilitate decision-making. treatment, only 21% were children, while Handicapped by insufficient budgetary the number of pregnant women receiving resources, the sector suffers from poor coor- antiretroviral treatment rose from 17% in dination between health authorities and their 2011 to 62% in 2014. These mixed results private or institutional partners.

68 \ The PNDES is aiming for equitable access to health More services for everyone related to mother and infant health, working services. The PNDES intends to respond to these life, old age and illness, including informal challenges to rapidly ensure better access sector workers and migrants. to more efficient health services. By inte- grating the National Health Development A new school Plan (PNDS) 2015-2024, it aims primarily A new medical school will go a long way to improve the sector governance by streng- towards overcoming some of these challenges. thening its financial, technical and human This planned Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy capacities. The PNDES also intends to streng- and Dentistry is a top priority PNDES pro- then the essential medicines supply chain, ject. The lack of laboratories for practical promote innovative data collection tools to work distorts the diagnosis of insufficiently strengthen the health information system, as trained doctors. So, to improve the quality of $10.7 well as the health system at the prefectural medicine practiced in Guinea, laboratories million is needed to and community levels, to increase equitable are indispensible. And the number of doc- build the new medical utilisation of health services. One of its main tors per capita has to be improved too. The faculty. intentions is to achieve 15% social security cost is estimated at $10.7 million (about €9 coverage by 2020, compared to 6% in 2015. million), and it will be built in partnership Social benefits will be greatly improved for with the World Health Organisation or the the most vulnerable, to better cover risks World Bank. n

/ 69 SOCIETY

YOUR TRIP

The Noom, in the city centre, is one of the capital’s swankiest hotels.

Choosing your hotel in Conakry

Hôtel Palm Camayenne Dixinn, Sise Camayenne Corniche 29 apartments of 36m² and three of Built in 1964 and renovated in CP2818 Conakry 69m² with sea views. The hotel has 2013, the Hotel Palm Camayenne + 224 656 10 10 10 four meeting rooms, with free wifi and was independent Guinea’s first + 224 656 10 10 10 freely available computers. Located grand hotel. It has kept its charm [email protected] on the sea front in Kaloum, it offers a and monumental architecture and www.palmcamayenne.com big terrace overlooking a large, open remains one of the capital’s most green space. luxurious establishments. Located Onomo Hotel in Dixinn, a few kilometres from This hotel responds to the demands of Opposite the Jardin du 2-Octobre, Kaloum, considered to be Conakry’s a business clientele, as well as leisure Corniche Sud, Quartier Tombo, administrative and business district, it tourists, by offering excellent value Commune de Kaloum, overlooks the Atlantic Ocean, offering for money. The Onomo Conakry has 5298P Conakry sea views, 123 rooms and suites, three 123 rooms, three rooms accessible 5298P Conakry restaurants and two bars, a large to guests with reduced mobility and + 224 624 93 16 16 swimming pool and garden, along 12 superior rooms. For the first time, + 224 624 93 16 20 with three conference rooms and a guests can choose to stay in a “Made [email protected] business centre. in Onomo” hotel residence featuring www.onomohotel.com

70 \ Room Island, part of the Loos Archipelago.

Sheraton Grand Conakry Sheraton Grand hotels offer “the highest levels of design and service”. And it was in Conakry that the world- renowned group offered its services for the first time in West Africa. Located in the residential district of Kipé, in the Ratoma commune, in the northwest of Conakry, the Sheraton Grand was officially opened in December 2016, offering rooms ranging from 36 m² for the “Club” to 186 m² for the presidential suite, via 57 m² Junior suites. In addition to its conference rooms and business centre, the eleven-storey establishment boasts a spa, fitness centre and infinity pool.

Kipé, centre émetteur, commune Excursions de Ratoma, Conakry + 224 624 93 12 12 If you have half a day free, the Loos the British period of the archipelago, www.sheratongrandconakry.com Archipelago Islands are a beautiful is one of many islands known to have and relaxing getaway. Just seven inspired Robert Louis Stevenson’s Hotel Noom kilometres south of the Kaloum novel Treasure Island. Of all the new hotels in Conakry, the peninsula, getting out of the city and Noom is probably the most modern into the nature offered by the greater Swimming, hiking, with its iconic cruise ship-inspired suburbs is quick and easy. façade totally suited to its seaside fishing... location. Located in the city centre, Calm after the storm For those in search of long, lazy on the Kaloum peninsula, its terrace days, the Loos Islands are ideal and restaurant have become ‘the Loos (or Los) is an archipelago that – fine sandy coconut palm-lined place to be’ for the city’s young and covers about 60 km² and includes beaches (nowhere to be found not-so-young executives, where they three main islands – Tamara, around Conakry) offer pleasant water meet to sip cocktails and enjoy pre- Kassa and Room – as well as four temperatures year-round. For the dinner appetisers, the sound of waves uninhabited islets in its southern sportier visitor, there are plenty of crashing on the cliff below in the part – Corail, Blanche, Cabris and nautical activities including swimming, background. Stylish-chic rooms and Poulet. The whole forms a 19 km diving, sailing and fishing and great elegant lobby spaces are perfect for diameter circular shape. The island of hiking opportunities. In terms of the business traveller. Tombo, on which the historic centre history and culture, there’s lots to of Conakry was built, was once part see, including the former Fotoba Teminetaye, avenue de la of the archipelago. People who visit penitentiary built during the French République, commune de Kaloum these islands testify to the peaceful West Africa (AOF) period on Tamara BP 3472 Conakry change of scenery and the calm they Island and traces of the archipelago’s + 224 626 33 33 33 feel, just a stone’s throw from the role in the slave trade. There are [email protected] tumult of the capital. Room, which good eateries and guesthouses, for www.conakry.noomhotels.com/fr was known as Crawford Island during those who wish to stay longer.

/ 71 USEFUL CONTACT DETAILS:

Presidency of the Republic of Kaloum, BP 715 Conakry Ministry of Mines and Guinea + 224 622 20 10 24 Geology www.presidence.gov.gn Boulevard du Commerce, Almamya Government Ministry of Tourism, Hotels BP 295 Conakry www.gouvernement.gov.gn and Handicrafts + 224 625 215 567 Kaloum, Boulbinet, Conakry [email protected] Institutions related to the + 224 625 50 46 84 productive economy www.mines.gov.gn

Ministry of Economy and Private Investment Promotion Ministry of Public Works Agency (APIP) Finance Almamya 252, rue KA 022 - BP : 2024, Boulevard du Commerce, BP 581 Conakry Boulbinet, Conakry Kaloum + 224 622 38 62 26 + 224 656 31 11 14 BP 579 Conakry [email protected] www.mef.gov.gn Ministry of Technical www.apip.gov.gn Education and Professional Ministry of Planning and Training Investment Portal International Cooperation Place du 8-Novembre, Tombo, Kaloum www.invest.gov.gn Kaloum, Almamya BP 6278 Conakry BP 1210 Conakry Autonomous Port of Conakry + 224 655 80 76 44 + 224 657 21 21 87 Avenue du Port, Coronthie, www.metfpet.gov.gn www.mpciguinee.info Kaloum, Conakry [email protected] Ministry of Industry and www.portconakry.com Ministry of Energy and Water SMEs Resources Kaloum, Almamya Guinea Mining Cadastre Kaloum, Almamya + 224 622 32 46 30 Portal BP 1217 Conakry www.guinee.cadastreminier. + 224 620 74 80 10 Ministry of Posts, org/fr Telecommunications and Ministry of Agriculture Digital Economy Posts & Telecommunications Kaloum, Almamya Boulevard du Commerce, rue KA 007, Kaloum, Almamya Regulatory Authority BP 576 Conakry + 224 657 66 66 31 BP 5000 Conakry + 224 664 24 72 63 [email protected] + 224 631 70 72 72 www.arpt.gov.gn Ministry of Town and Ministry of Fisheries, Ministries related to the Territorial Planning Aquaculture and Maritime productive economy Kaloum, Almamya Economy Ministry of Transport BP 846 Conakry + 224 628 52 11 02 Corniche, côté port, Almamya, + 224 622 22 42 23 www.peches.gov.gn

72 \ / 73 PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Visas and health between the coast and the centre, There are visa where the Fouta-Djalon range peaks exemptions for nationals at more than 1,500 metres. Conakry, of the following countries: on the other hand, located on the Algeria, Benin, Burkina coast, experiences little variation Faso, Cape Verde, Côte during the year. In winter, daytime d’Ivoire, Cuba, Egypt, Gambia, Ghana, temperatures are about 30°C and, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, during the rainy season, can drop Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, to 27°C, although the high humidity Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, and makes it seem hotter. Tunisia. Those from all other countries must apply at the Guinean consulate or embassy responsible for their countries Getting there before embarking on their journey. For An increasing number information, a one month, single entry of airlines are flying to visa at the Guinean Embassy in Paris the Conakry Gbessia costs €60. Certain visas allow multiple International Airport: Air entries and exits. France, Royal Air Maroc, A yellow fever vaccination certificate is Brussels Airlines, Turkish Airlines, required and anti-malaria treatment is Ethiopian Airlines, Emirates, Tunis Air, advised. and Mauritania Airlines. The national airline, Guinea Airlines, Climate is in the process of being formed in The country enjoys a partnership with Ethiopian Airlines tropical climate that varies and Asky Airlines. Other than a few according to the regions, West African airports, it will link with a big difference Guinea’s main towns and cities.

Electricity Currency Time difference The Guinean franc (GNF) can only be exchanged in the country and one may only leave Guinea with a maximum of 10,000 GNF. 220 Some hotels take credit cards (Mastercard, Visa). The GMT volts, with exchange rate of the Guinean franc (GNF) is floating; one + 00:00 European plugs euro currently corresponds to around 10,700 GNF.

74 \