As part of its ambitions for Mali, the Banque Centrale Populaire du Maroc (BCP) group organized, through its subsidiary Banque Atlantique, an economic forum on Friday, April 12, 2019 at the Sheraton Hotel in Bamako.

The theme of the economic meeting was "the challenges of financing agricultural value chains". It brought together several major players in the agricultural sector, the bank's managers, in the presence of several members of the government.

This meeting is part of the "pan-African" vision of the BCP group, said The Director General Mr. Kamal Mokdad. "The group wishes, in fact, in the countries where it is established, to work around 3 major strategic axes to meet the needs of the latter.

Already present in 14 African countries, the group will soon be present in 17 countries. It is thanks to this proximity policy that it intends to get involved with States on the axes of concern of the latter but also with the private sector to meet their specific needs, "he explained.

Before adding: "To take into account the importance of the agricultural sector for Mali in particular, the Bank is therefore committed to implementing a specific strategy.

Thus, it has agreed with the World Bank, through the International Finance Corporation (IFC), to choose pilot countries and sectors. In Mali, it is the cotton sector that benefits from this experience."

Taking an interest in the sector, analyzing its problems to be able to face them, this is one of the methods to meet the needs of the actors.

Indeed, according to some private sector actors, one of the constraints to the financing of their activities is the lack of knowledge by bankers of the realities of their sectors.

Referring to the group's "ambitions for Mali", the Director General indicated that they are structured around 3 major axes: meeting the specific needs of States, for which the group has mobilized "over the last 5 years more than 3,000 billion CFA francs".

The second axis concerns support for the private sector, which is also one of the concerns of the authorities, which consider this actor to be one of the engines of development.

Aware of the importance of the "informal sector", the group's leaders promise to pay particular attention to companies that are less structured or start-up, especially through innovative and adapted solutions.

The Bank's third area of intervention consists in supporting individuals, in particular through microfinance to enable the financing of needs and greater inclusion.

After it was the presentation of the theme by a panel bringing together the representative of the Ministry of Agriculture Dr. Lamissa Diakité PGD of the Agricultural Land Development Agency (ATI); the representatives of the bank, Director General Mr. Kamal Mokdad, Sébastien VETTER of Wizal money and Simballa Diaby, CEO of the company "Mali Shi", a private promoter involved in the processing and promotion of Shea butter.

These experts took turns giving their vision on the challenges of financing the agricultural sector. Also, it was noted the contribution that the bank intends to make to it.