On Wednesday, November 25, 2020, a Council of Ministers was held from 10:00 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., at the Palace of the Presidency of the Republic in Abidjan, under the chairmanship of His Excellency Mr. Alassane OUATTARA, President of the Republic, Head of State.

 The agenda for this meeting included the following items:

A/-General measures
− Bill
- Draft decrees
C/-Communications
D/-Miscellaneous

A/– GENERAL MEASURES

BILL

Under the Ministry of Budget and State Portfolio;

The Council adopted a draft law on the Customs Code.

This bill aims to adapt the Ivorian Customs Code, which dates from the first years of independence, to the current economic and institutional environment of our country as well as to the relevant provisions of the organizations in charge of trade facilitation and the process of integration of trade and customs at the international and regional levels, such as the WTO, WCO, WAEMU and ECOWAS.
This new system provides not only for simplifying customs procedures, consolidating the guarantees offered to user-customers, but also for strengthening the customs control regimes deployed in the fight against fraud.

DRAFT DECREES

1- Under the Ministry of Employment and Social Protection;

The Council adopted a decree establishing the powers, organization and functioning of the Consultative Labour Commission.

This decree, which is part of the dynamics of the updating of national labour legislation, aims to bring the organization and functioning of the Consultative Labour Commission established by the Labour Code into line with the current evolution of the world of work. To this end, it brings together in a single mechanism the scattered provisions relating to the Commission.
Also, it integrates within the Commission, with a view to making it inclusive and more efficient, all the social partners of the Ivorian labour sector, namely the two (02) employers' organizations as well as the five (05) trade union centres, instead of three (03) formerly represented.

2- Under the Ministry of Mines and Geology, in liaison with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Budget and State Portfolio and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development;

The Council adopted six (06) decrees:

• a decree granting an exploitation permit, valid for mineral water, to the "Société de Distribution, Commerce, Holding et d'Industrie Côte d'Ivoire SA", abbreviated "SDCHI Côte d'Ivoire SA" in the department of Grand-Bassam.

This decree aims to regularize the administrative situation of this company following the entry into force of Law No. 2014-138 of 24 March 2014 on the Mining Code, which classifies, in its article 111, mineral waters in the category of mining substances and defines a regime of exploitation distinct from that of the other mining substances.
The operating permit, valid for mineral water, is issued for a period of five (05) years.

• a decree granting a valid research permit for gold to the company "MOAYE RESOURCES SARL" in the department of Mankono;

• a decree granting a valid research permit for gold to the company "MOAYE RESOURCES SARL" in the departments of Daoukro, Bocanda and Kouassi-Kouassikro;

• a decree granting a valid research permit for gold to the company "MAKO CÔTE D'IVOIRE SARLU, abbreviated MAKO CI SARLU", in the department of Ouangolodougou;

• a decree granting a research permit (PR0873) valid for gold to the company "SIKA MINERAL RESOURCES SARL" in the department of Téhini;

• a decree granting a research permit (PR0874) valid for gold to the company "SIKA MINERAL RESOURCES SARL" in the department of Téhini.

These research permits are issued for a period of four (04) years.

3- Under the Ministry of Women, Family and Children, in liaison with the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Budget and Portfolio of the State;

The Council adopted a decree on the modalities of application of Law No. 2019-870 of 14 October 2019 promoting the representation of women in elected assemblies.

This decree obliges political parties and groups to present a minimum of 30% of the total number of candidates presented in the elections of deputies, senators, regional councillors, district councillors and municipal councillors, both for single-member and list elections.
In order to encourage political parties to promote more women's representation, additional public funding is provided for any political party or political group whose number of women candidates reaches at least 50% of the total number of candidates presented during the electoral consultation.

C/– COMMUNICATIONS

1- Under the Ministry of Modernization of Administration and Innovation of the Public Service;

The Council adopted a communication on the results of the activities of the Public Service Observatory (OSEP) for the third quarter of 2020.

During the period from 1 July to 30 September 2020, OSEP registered 2764 requests addressed to 44 ministerial departments. The vast majority of these requests, 79.20%, concerned requests for information. Also, given the continuous need to improve user satisfaction, the Council instructed the Minister for the Modernization of the Administration and Innovation of the Public Service to accentuate awareness-raising actions among the population on the use of the channels made available to them to express their opinions and suggestions on the public service.

2- Under the Ministry of Sports, in liaison with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of African Integration and Ivorians Abroad;

The Council adopted a communication on côte d'Ivoire's candidacy for the presidency of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Our compatriot, Ambassador Jacques Bernard Daniel ANOUMA, has applied for the presidency of CAF, the umbrella and decision-making body in the field of football on the African continent.
The Council decided to provide the Support of the State to the candidacy of our compatriot on the occasion of the Elective General Assembly of the President of this institution scheduled for March 12, 2021 in Rabat, Morocco.
The Council also instructed the Minister of Sports and all the Ministers concerned to take diligent measures for the success of this mission.

D- MISCELLANEOUS

Under the Ministry of Economy and Finance, in liaison with the Ministry of Budget and State Portfolio;

The Council adopted a communication on raising funds (Eurobond) on the international market.

As part of its resource mobilization strategy for the year 2020, Côte d'Ivoire has launched a call for funds, Eurobond, for an amount of one (01) billion euros.
At the end of the transaction, 211 investors subscribed for 5.100 billion euros. The rate obtained is 5%. It is the lowest in our history and the lowest compared to other countries in the region accustomed to this type of market. As an indication, in 2019, the rate obtained by Côte d'Ivoire on the same market was 5.875%. The mobilization of this important resource at the rate of 5% is good news for the Ivorian economy and for Côte d'Ivoire.

The next Council of Ministers will be held on Wednesday 09 December 2020.

Done at Abidjan, 25 November 2020
Sidi Tiémoko TOURE
Minister of Communication and Media,
Government Spokesman
[email protected]