Business
Ivory Coast Reopens for Business Despite Being Scarred by War
Forty percent of all government procurement was awarded via opaque no-bid contracts in 2012 and that figure jumped to 80 percent in the first quarter of 2013. Ministries are dogged by rumours of corruption despite a public policy of zero tolerance.
“During the crisis, some very bad habits were acquired and they’re difficult to get rid of,” Billon said. “We must fight it if we want to protect growth and encourage investors.”
Just as worrying is the political future of the country. While Ouattara has succeeded in restoring security and stability, problems linger below the surface. The army and police, hastily cobbled together from rebel and government forces after the 2011 war, have yet to be properly reformed.
The FPI – the party of ex-President Laurent Gbagbo who is in the Hague facing war crimes charges – has boycotted the political process. With presidential elections looming in 2015, millions of Gbagbo supporters continue to feel politically excluded.
With a credible opposition challenge yet to emerge, many see business-friendly Ouattara as a safe bet to win a second term, but there is less clarity further down the road.
The crisis stifled the emergence of a new generation of leaders prepared to take over the running of the country. Ouattara and his dynamic Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan are in their 70s and it is unclear who would replace them.
Optimistic observers point to the rapid progress made in the three years since the war as an indication Ivory Coast is capable of clearing its remaining hurdles. Those who wait will be missing a window of opportunity, they say.
“The idea is to help Ivory Coast while they are on the right track, to bet on their success in order to promote that success,” U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Bisa Williams told Reuters.
Copyright Thompson Reuters Foundation 2014
