Sangafowa Coulibaly, the mining minister, in May also announced the creation of a digital platform dedicated to the local sector to ease administrative procedures including licence applications and renewals and provide access for hydrocarbons tenders.
Local business manager Faustin N’Dri N’Guessan welcomed the shift towards helping Ivorian companies reap bigger profits.
The new policy is an “opportunity to grow”, said N’Guessan, from the infrastructure manufacturing and maintenance company Kuyo Pipeline.
But “we do not really have financial backing”, he complained, adding that the state needed to “understand that funds must be created” as investment currently comes from abroad or private initiatives.
In a step towards addressing that need, the GPMCI professional miners’ association announced last month that it would set up an investment fund to support local businesses and training.
© 2024 AFP
