At the opening of a conference debate on "the role of a caisse des dépôts in the economic and social development of a country", the Director of Cabinet of the Minister of Economy and Finance, Minafou Fanta Coulibaly Koné invited the Caisse des dépôts et de consignation de la Côte d'Ivoire (Cdc-CI)  to play a catalytic role in financing and the country's economic and social development.

Faced with this noble mission of the Caisse des dépôt in a country, the representative  of the Minister of Economy and Finance  believes that the Cdc-Ci, which barely a year of existence, can also be inspired by models with proven experience in wealth creation such as the case of the Cdc France, represented at this conference debate by  Eric Lombard, CEO of the Caisse des dépôts de France group.

According to Mr. Lombard, his group has accompanied several CDC (Morocco, Tunisia, Gabon, Senegal etc.). "If the Caisse des dépôts de France to more than  two centuries, it can inspire sister companies in Africa. We are an institution that  attracts the confidence of investors and lenders. Because they have the same level of guarantee as when they work with the state," explained Eric Lombard. According to him, his group works with both the public and private sector and has a status of independence from the executive. But, he occupies the position of director general following an appointment of the French President Emmanuuel Macron. "We are the bank of justice, we are refinancing the financial market and through our activities we allow  bond market issues," he continues.

According to the head of the Cdc France group, his institution is a shareholder in most major French companies and plays an important role in the financing of social housing. This makes it possible to house 17% of the French, according to his words. Being also a real estate operator, 95% of housing financing is operated by the Caisse française dépôt.

This conference debate was an opportunity for the Caisse des dépôts et Consignations de Côte d'Ivoire led by Lassina Fofana to exchange with all the actors of the Ivorian financial ecosystem on the role of a caisse des dépôts at the service of the economic and social development of a country. He points out that the CDC is not a bank, but it is responsible for the mobilization and secure management of public and private funds. It also plays the role of financial investor . Regarding the ability to mobilize more resources, Lassina Fofana also mentioned the implementation of certain projects such as "Diaspora Savings", which will mobilize part of the savings of the Diaspora well targeted. This savings, he says, will be reinvested either in real estate, in supplementary retirement or in any other project.

The CEO of the Caisse des dépôts de France group, on the sidelines of this conference-debate, met with the Minister of Economy and Finance. The latter took this opportunity to request the support of the Cdc-France for technical support and a transfer of skills in order to optimize the operational capacities of the Cdc-CI. The Minister of Economy and Finance on behalf of the Prime Minister Head of Government expressed his thanks to Mr. Eric Lombard and his satisfaction with this working visit which augurs new prospects in the relations between the two Funds. This hearing with the Minister of Economy and Finance ended with the signing of a cooperation agreement between the two Caisses de Côte d'Ivoire and France.

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