Conference-debate : “ACP-EU Intermediary Organizations : Partnership For the Development of Enterprise” Brussels 12-13 July 2010

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:54:58 GMT

The main objective of this event was to favour operational partnerships between Intermediary Organizations (Chambers of Commerce, employers’ federations, industrial organizations, etc.) of ACP countries and members of the CDERead more...

Investment in Sustainable Tourism in Southern Africa

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 08:29:06 GMT

Press Release

Investment in Sustainable Tourism in Southern Africa

Roundtable

EU and ACP countries sign revised Cotonou Agreement

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:23:12 GMT

The EU and ACP countries signed on 22 June in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), the revised version of the Cotonou Cooperation Agreement. The President of the ACP Council of Ministers, Paul Bunduku-Latha, said : “Our belief is that the revised agreemRead more...

Africa : GroFin has created 2000 jobs in SMEs

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:20:43 GMT

The GroFin Africa Fund (GAF) has created more than 2000 jobs in the last two years among African SMEs active in industries ranging from manufacturing to retail through services. The initiator of the fund, which had collected $ 170 million in August 2Read more...

Tanzania : UNCTAD programme for SMEs

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:19:34 GMT

A seminar organized at the end of June by UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) and the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC), in Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania), included a six day training programme intended for SMEs. Entitled “LinkRead more...

Congo : France cancels debt

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:18:09 GMT

France has decided to cancel the whole of its debt to Congo, amounting to CFAF 424 billion (over € 646 million), in an agreement concluded on 19 July in Brazzaville. “This new agreement will enable the funding of projects linked to water and saRead more...

Namibia public investment to stimulate SME development

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:16:42 GMT

The Namibian Trade Ministry plans to invest N$ 34 million (€ 3.3 million) to stimulate SME development in the south of the country. An amount of N$ 16 million (€ 1.55 million) is planned for the construction of business parks at Rosh Pinah and KarasbRead more...

Zimbabwe : US$ 500 000 worth of public credits for SMEs

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:15:26 GMT

Zimbabwe’s National Social Security Authority has disbursed a new tranche amounting to US$ 250 000, to benefit the Small Enterprises Development Corporation (SEDCO). This brings to $ 500 000 the funds available to SEDCO, to serve as loans to smRead more...

Nigeria : entrepreneurs’ and investors’ access to Central Bank support

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:10:48 GMT

Operators and investors in the SME sector in Nigeria have expressed their difficulties in accessing the important supports promised to the sector through the 500 billion naira (€ 2.5 billion) fund set up by the Central Bank of (CBN) and the guaranteeRead more...

Liberia : forestry activity resumes

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:09:38 GMT

Liberia hosts close to half of the last West African forest which originally stretched from Guinea to Togo. In it live most of the last specimens of West African fauna. The country is high on the agenda of the major western NGOs engaged in fighting aRead more...

Wood : French SME partners with Gabon forest operator CBG

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:05:31 GMT

Joubert (from Charente, France), an SME specialized in plywood, is present in Gabon since eight years with an initial wood processing plant in partnership with local forest operator CBG. This enables it to offer certified ecologically responsible proRead more...

Nigeria : training young entrepreneurs

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:02:54 GMT

About sixty young entrepreneurs will be trained in creating SMEs thanks to a partnership between Nigerian SME development agency SMEDAN, the Africa-Diaspora Partnership for Empowerment and Development (ADPED) and Barry University of Miami (USA). EntiRead more...

Nigeria : development and promotion of Northern States’ SMEs

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:00:54 GMT

Nigeria cannot achieve the objectives it set itself in its “Vision 2020” programme without developing and promoting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). So says the Managing Director of the Nigerian SME Development Agency SMEDAN, Read more...

Building industry : a French SME prepares to expand in the Caribbean

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:59:39 GMT

French SME Adhénéo, specialized in roofing for buildings, is developing its exports with the creation of a subsidiary in Martinique (French Antilles). With some fifteen employees, Adhéneo Alizé will target the Caribbean region, asRead more...

Haiti : partnership with an Irish coffee manufacturer

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:58:24 GMT

Irish company Java Republic is preparing to launch a new range of coffee beans originating from Haiti. The company has partnered with Rebo, a local coffee supplier, to develop new brands. The coffee is bought from 500 farmers in the South East of HaiRead more...

Haiti bets on agro-industry for its reconstruction

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:53:26 GMT

“Agro-industry is one the most important pillars of growth” in Haiti, says Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive, who co-chairs with ex-US President Bill Clinton, the Interim Committee for the Reconstruction of Haiti (ICRH). Investments are sRead more...

Papua-New Guinea : first deepwater gold and copper mining project

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:52:05 GMT

Canadian firm Nautilus Inc is seeking a strategic partner to develop the first deep-sea mining of gold and copper deposits off the coast of Papua-New Guinea, entitled Solwara 1. Read more...

Banks : Crédit International sets up in Senegal

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:49:54 GMT

Crédit International, a subsidiary of the Crédit Libanais group, officially opened its offices on 22 June in Dakar (Senegal), in presence of the Senegalese Minister of Mines, Industry and SMEs and of the Minister of the Budget. The new BankRead more...

Nigeria : Diamond Bank doubles its credits for Nigerian SMEs

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:48:44 GMT

Nigerian commercial bank Diamond Bank Plc announced, during the 6th edition of its «BusinessExpress Enterprise Seminar » in mid-June in Lagos, that it was devoting a further 5 billion naira (€ 25.5 million) to its SME financing programme. TRead more...

Agro-food industry : processing unit for two women’s groups in Senegal

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:47:21 GMT

Two women’s business associations (GIE - groupement d’intérêt économique) involved in the processing of agricultural produce inaugurated on 9 July in Rufisque (Senegal), a new agro-food processing unit. The project entitledRead more...

Burkina Faso : “Enterprise Days”

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:45:37 GMT

For the fifth consecutive year, the Burkina Faso “company house” (Maison de l'entreprise du Burkina Faso - MEBF) organized the “Journées de l'entreprenariat burkinabé – JEB” or “Enterprise Days”, frRead more...

Burkina Faso : University-Enterprise Forum

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:44:21 GMT

Included in its action plan for 2010, the young international university chamber "Ouaga Soleil", organized on 25 and 26 June 2010, the first University-Enterprise Forum. Under the theme "Graduates and self-employment”, the Forum intends to creaRead more...

Central African Republic : 1st national Forum for the Diaspora

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:42:56 GMT

The deliberations of the First National Investment Forum of the Central African Diaspora ended on 3 July in Bangui. Inaugurated by the Central African Republic’s President François Bozizé, the Forum in particular recommended to take aRead more...

Senegal : SME development agency extends its network

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:36:39 GMT

After Thiès, Diourbel and St-louis, the Senegalese agency for the development of small and medium enterprises (Agence pour le développement et l'encadrement des petites et moyennes entreprises et industries - ADEPME) laid on 23 June, in theRead more...