The State-Private Sector Consultation Committee of Côte d'Ivoire (CCESP) announces that it has set up two bodies to support the Ivorian State's economic support plan as part of the support to the private sector in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.

To mitigate the adverse effects of Covid-19 on the economy, the Ivorian government has announced an economic response plan to support the private and informal sectors. For its effective implementation, the PSAB created, on April 17, 2020, two bodies to manage information flows.

The State-Private Sector Consultation Committee of Côte d'Ivoire (CCESP) has set up a Technical Information and Listening Unit (CTIE) and a Joint Technical Committee to coordinate the actions of the State and the private sector.

This Joint State/Private Sector Committee for the management of this pandemic is placed under the authority of the Minister of Economy and Finance, moreover, President of the Technical Committee for State-Sector Consultation. And this, for a better control of the financial support of the government.

The main mission of the Joint Technical Committee/Covid-19 is to examine all sectoral and specific issues of the crisis in order to propose measures to the Ivorian government according to the state of progress and control of the pandemic.

Specifically, it aims to ensure the proper coordination of government action in the context of supporting the Private Sector during this period of crisis, identify difficulties related to the implementation of measures and propose corrective measures.

It is also responsible for identifying the concerns of the private sector directly related to the pandemic, analyzing the impact of the health crisis on the productive fabric, particularly on incomes and employment, and also proposing additional measures to the government after analyzing the recommendations of the private sector according to the evolution of the situation.

With a view to making the work of the Committee more efficient, the CCESP, through its Executive Secretary Mariam Fadiga Fofana, organized on Thursday, April 16, 2020, a scoping meeting with the focal points of the private sector and public administration, to validate the missions and functioning of the Technical Unit for Information and Listening.

This unit, which will operate continuously, is responsible for receiving and recording all referrals and requests for information from economic operators, while ensuring fluidity and speed in the processing of these.

The model adopted for this cell is that of a virtual one-stop shop with a single point of contact per toll-free number or by email through a dedicated site in order to better ensure the centralization and management of databases. A dedicated PSAB team will be set up to perform this function, which will also consist of identifying and forwarding requests to the focal points and following up on processing.

This monitoring unit will have to centralize upstream all the information deemed relevant and necessary for the smooth running of economic activity in the current context of crisis.

Its mission is also to identify the difficulties relating to the effective implementation of the economic support measures announced by the government and to provide the authorities with information on the dynamics of addressing the concerns and expectations of economic operators.

Daily reports and especially issues that require the opinion of technicians will be dealt with during the permanent work of the Joint Technical Committee which will be supported by weekly physical meetings, says a note from the CCESP.

A delegation from the public sector, composed of representatives of various ministries including the Ministry of Budget, SMEs, Trade and Industry, was led by the Deputy Director of Cabinet of the Minister of Economy and Finance, who also chaired the meeting to frame activities.

Côte d'Ivoire, like other countries in the world, is experiencing an unprecedented health crisis with more than 800 confirmed cases of Covid-19. To prevent the impact of the pandemic on the country's economy, the Ivorian State has put in place a response plan for a total amount of 1,700 billion CFA francs.

In addition, an economic, social and humanitarian support plan has been adopted by the Government. With a view to an inclusive implementation of this health and economic response plan, the CCESP Committee has set up the Joint Technical Committee for the management of the Covid-19 crisis.

The private sector, as a whole, has shown an interest in this platform through the effective presence of members of the General Confederation of Enterprises of Côte d'Ivoire (CGECI, employers), the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the umbrella of SMEs, as well as several others in the transport, agriculture, construction and tourism sectors.