Home Communiqués des ministres COMMUNIQUE OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF WEDNESDAY 21 MAY 2025

COMMUNIQUE OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF WEDNESDAY 21 MAY 2025

On Wednesday 21 May 2025, a Council of Ministers was held from 11:00 to 13:30, at the Palais de la Présidence de la République in Abidjan, under the chairmanship of His Excellency Mr Alassane OUATTARA, President of the Republic, Head of State.

The deliberations of the Council focused on the following points:

A/-General measures,

B/-Individual measures

C/-Communications

D/-Miscellaneous

A/- GENERAL MEASURES

DRAFT LAW

Ministry of Justice and Human Rights ;

The Council adopted a bill amending Act No. 2017-727 of 09 November 2017 on the repression of offences provided for by the uniform acts of the Treaty on the Harmonisation of Business Law in Africa.

Since December 2022, new provisions have been introduced into the nomenclature of uniform acts of the OHADA Treaty. These include the new Uniform Act relating to the accounting system for not-for-profit entities, adopted on 22 December 2022 in Niamey, and the reforms to the Uniform Act relating to the organisation of simplified recovery procedures and enforcement procedures, revised on 17 October 2023 in Kinshasa. These acts, which came into force on1 January 2024 and 16 February 2024 respectively, announce new incriminations or reformulations of existing incriminations, with a view to strengthening legal certainty in the African business world and encouraging investment.

In accordance with the OHADA Treaty, this bill introduces these new offences into national legislation, together with the related penalties.

DRAFT DECREES

The Council adopted a decree setting out the terms and conditions for the application of organic law no. 2020-942 of 25 November 2020 on the composition, powers and operation of the National Chamber of Traditional Kings and Chiefs.

This organic law provides for various bodies, including the Assembly of Traditional Kings and Chiefs and the Board of the National Chamber of Traditional Kings and Chiefs, to ensure the regular operation of the institution.

This decree sets out the procedure for nominating and appointing members of the various bodies, specifies their powers and determines the operating procedures of these bodies, so as to enable the institution to fulfil its missions effectively.

The Council adopted a decree approving the concession agreement, known as the “KATIOLA SOLAR POWER Agreement”, for the design, financing, construction, full ownership, operation and maintenance of a 50 MWC solar power plant in the Hambol region of Katiola, Côte d’Ivoire.

The agreement was signed with JC Mont Fort in December 2024 for a period of 25 years. The total cost of the project, including associated infrastructure, is estimated at 33 billion CFA francs, for an annual production of 85,934 MWh.

This decree approves the terms of the agreement and commits it to implementation, in accordance with current legislation on electrical energy.

The Council adopted a decree ratifying Loan Agreement No. 2024044/PR CI 2025 02 00, for a total amount of forty billion (40,000,000,000) CFA francs, signed on 07 February 2025, between the West African Development Bank (BOAD) and the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, for the partial financing of the project to build 4,300 social and economic housing units in Côte d’Ivoire, phase 2 of 1,200 units at Akoupé-Zeudji PK 24 (Abidjan).

Complementing ongoing social and economic housing construction programmes, this project aims to provide more affordable housing for vulnerable and low-income groups.

The Council adopted a decree ratifying the Financing Agreement for a total amount of sixty-nine million five hundred and thirty thousand (69,530,000) Euros, i.e. forty-five billion six hundred and eight million six hundred and ninety thousand two hundred and ten (45,608,690,210) CFA francs, made up of a loan A (n°2000005244) in the amount of 27,050,000 Euros and an additional loan B (n°2000005243) in the amount of 42,480,000 Euros, signed on 13 February 2025, between the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, to finance the North-East Agro-Industrial Pole Project (2PAI-NE).

In synergy with ongoing initiatives, this project aims to sustainably transform rural areas, particularly the project’s target areas, with modern, market-oriented agriculture offering equitable access to income opportunities that will significantly reduce poverty.

More specifically, the project aims to strengthen agricultural production systems, build processing and marketing infrastructure, and improve the environment for private investment.

The Council adopted a decree ratifying a loan agreement for a total amount of seventy-six million six hundred thousand (76 600 000) US dollars, or about forty-seven billion nine hundred and thirteen million three hundred thousand (47 913 300 000) CFA francs, divided into a loan tranche A, in the amount of 20 000 000 US dollars, and a loan of tranche B, amounting to USD 56 600 000, signed on 18th March 2025, between the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) and the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, for financing the support project to the Compagnie Aérienne Ivoirienne (ACI) for the acquisition of aircrafts.

The financing, which is the subject of this agreement, will enable Air Côte d’Ivoire to launch direct and regular long-haul flights from Abidjan to major American and European cities such as New York and Paris, as well as several other international destinations.

More specifically, the project involves the acquisition of two (2) Airbus A330-900 Neo long-haul aircraft, with a capacity of 242 seats, to support Air Côte d’Ivoire’s growth, reduce the cost of air fares and improve our country’s air connectivity.

The Council adopted a decree declaring the public utility of plots forming blocks 27A, with a surface area of 1,673 m², and 27B, with a surface area of 1,745 m², of the Riviera Palmeraie housing estate, located at the Place Alassane OUATTARA roundabout, in the commune of Cocody, for the construction of infrastructure dedicated to government communications.

This site has been identified to house a government call centre called “Allo 101”. This public interest project will enable the Government to interact with the population on their various concerns, through the deployment of modern telecommunication technologies.

As a result, holders of definitive title to the site, or their assignees, will receive compensation in accordance with the regulations in force.

The Council adopted a decree approving Amendment No. 002/2024 to the Concession Agreement between the State of Côte d’Ivoire and Société des Transports Abidjanais (SOTRA) for the operation of the public passenger transport service in Greater Abidjan and inland towns.

This rider amends the terms of SOTRA’s current concession in view of the advent of new modes of public transport, such as Line 1 of the Abidjan Metro on the Anyama-Port-Bouët axis and the BRTs, including the East-West BRT on the Yopougon-Bingerville axis, which are currently being built.

To this end, it lifts the exclusivity granted to SOTRA and opens up the public transport network under concession to new operators, with a view to meeting the current mobility challenges in Greater Abidjan and the major towns in the interior of the country.

This decree approves the terms of the amendment to the concession agreement as set out in rider no. 002/2024, and commits to its implementation, in accordance with current legislation on public-private partnerships.

B/- INDIVIDUAL MEASURES

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and Ivorians Living Abroad;

The Council adopted two (02) decrees appointing two (02) Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, within the framework of multiple accreditations, abroad.

The following are thus appointed

C/- COMMUNICATIONS

The Council adopted a communication on the conclusions of the General and Joint Review of the Debt Reduction and Development Contract (C2D) projects.

At the end of the general review, held from 7 to 11 April 2025, the two parties, France and Côte d’Ivoire, unanimously welcomed the level of execution of field operations and the results obtained, after twelve (12) years of implementation of C2D projects.

Since the first projects were launched in 2013, C2D has enabled the construction of a large number of modern structures and infrastructure in almost all sectors. These achievements have required the signature of 45 allocation agreements, including 14 for the1st C2D, 15 for the2nd C2D and 16 for the3rd C2D, for a total amount of 1,741.7 billion CFA francs.

As at 31 March 2025, cumulative disbursements amounted to 1,506.4 billion CFA francs, i.e. 91% of reimbursements made, corresponding to 1,654.2 billion CFA francs.

Almost all the projects under the1st C2D and the2nd C2D are scheduled for completion by the end of 2025. Major projects will also be inaugurated, including the Botro vocational school for agricultural trades, the general hospitals in Duékoué, Guiglo and Soubré, the INFAS in Aboisso and the Court of Appeal in Daloa.

With regard to the3rd C2D, worth 751 billion CFA francs, agreements have already been signed for sixteen (16) projects, totalling 587.1 billion CFA francs. The last six (6) allocation agreements for the3rd C2D, amounting to 163.7 billion CFA francs, will be signed before 31 December 2025.

They will cover, in particular, the project to support the devolution and strengthening of primary health centres, the project to support the development of science, technology, research and innovation education, and the project to support agricultural production and food security in regional and peri-urban areas.

The Council adopted a communication on the presentation of the Multiannual Budgetary and Economic Programming Document (DPBEP) 2026-2028.

The DPBEP 2026-2028 defines the budgetary and economic guidelines, and sets the budgetary and financial balance objectives for the next three (03) years. This document is based on a forecast of real growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 6.3% as an annual average over the period 2026-2028, taking into account the continued dynamism of economic activity, despite external political and trade tensions, as well as the negative effects of climate change.

With regard to the State’s budgetary policy over the period 2026-2028, it provides for the continuation of ongoing initiatives to improve the capacity to mobilise domestic revenue, consolidate the drive to rationalise public spending and control public debt, strengthen structural investment spending and the fight against poverty, as well as actions to promote gender equality and resilience to climate change.

Thus, over the period 2026-2028, State budget resources will be dominated by domestic resources, which will account for an average of 61.2% of total resources. The structure of budget expenditure will be dominated by capital expenditure, projected at 42.5%, followed by personnel expenditure at 24.9% and control of the financial cost of public debt at 15.0%.

As a result, the 2026-2028 DPBEP establishes a 12.9% increase in the draft State budget for 2026 compared with the 2025 budget, i.e. CFAF 17,321.3 billion. This level should continue to rise, reaching CFAF 18,599.4 billion in 2027 and CFAF 20,218.5 billion in 2028.

However, it should be noted that the economic and budgetary data in the 2026-2028 DPBEP are provisional, and may be subject to readjustment in the light of internal and external political and economic developments before the 2026 draft budget is finalised.

The Council adopted a communication on the National Policy on Equality, Equity and Gender in Côte d’Ivoire (PNEEG 2024-2030).

The PNEEG, initiated by the Government with the participation of all stakeholders, has two (02) key objectives, namely: the effective integration of gender into all sectors of public and private life, and changing people’s attitudes and behaviour in favour of respect for the rights of women and men, girls and boys in their specificities.

It focuses on three (03) major areas, namely the institutionalisation of gender in all areas, the promotion of inclusive economic and financial development, and the establishment of institutional mechanisms to promote gender equity and equality.

The national PNEEG mechanism, which brings together several cross-cutting structures, will be led by a steering body called the National Council for Gender Promotion (CNG), headed by the President of the Republic.

Implementation of the PNEEG is estimated at 3.1 billion CFA francs.

A donors’ conference will be organised shortly to mobilise and schedule the disbursements of funding expected from technical and financial partners, with the collaboration of UN Women Côte d’Ivoire, which has been co-opted to coordinate contributions.

D- MISCELLANEOUS

The next Council of Ministers meeting will be held on Wednesday 11 June 2025 in Abidjan.

Abidjan, Wednesday 21 May 2025
Mr Amadou COULIBALY

Minister for Communication, Government Spokesman