80% of the new “Plan National de Development (2016- 2020) is supposed to be developed under PPP agreements. The government issued a new decree on December 19th 2016, with the aim of governing the country’s PPP framework. Many practitioners consider this a step in the right direction however practical obstacles remain such as limited monitoring capacity within the PPP unit. This decree has a clear objective, to frame the legal framework of the creation of a PPP which was non- existent before. However, experts and legal practitioners explain that the implementation of this decree collides with a lot of practical obstacles and that the reform of the decree should be a priority. Immigration, Employment and Local Content Ivorian authorities are flexible in granting work permits to foreign nationals. An application for the permit must be made to the Ministry of Employment, enclosing the employment contract of the foreign national. The issue of a work permit is subject to the payment of fees equivalent to the gross monthly salary of the foreign employee. There is no limitation on the number of work permits a company may obtain. Ivorian labour laws require that an employer attempts to offer a vacant job to a local worker prior to offering the position to a foreign worker. If after two months the employer cannot find a qualified national, they can then employ a foreign worker. The foreign employee must be registered with the Agency of Youth Employment (Agence d’Emploi des Jeunes), the National Social Security Fund and given an employment contract. Foreign workers must also obtain a work permit. A work visa is valid for three months and may be extended if needed for a longer period, up to a maximum of 24 months. An employee who will not be required to work for longer than 3 months is not required to obtain a visa. Employees in Côte d’Ivoire can be terminated for a number of reasons, however laws governing termination of employees mean there are strict procedures to follow which should be adhered to in order to avoid any claims by the employee.
Investment Protection Agreements Côte d’Ivoire has signed investment protection agreements with a certain number of countries such as China, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. Economic and Trade Agreements Côte d’Ivoire entered in multiple trade agreements with different countries. A list of these agreements is found below: • As a member of the Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS ), Côte d’Ivoire is under an economic and free trade agreement with all the countries members of the Community, which include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. • The European Union has signed an interim economic partnership agreement with Côte d’Ivoire in December 2007. This agreement covers duty and quota-free EU market access for Ivory Coast products. • Sweden and Côte d’Ivoire have entered into a trade agreement in August 1965. Under this agreement, products from both countries benefit from trade preferences. • Brazil and Côte d’Ivoire have also entered into a trade agreement on 14 September 1979. Under the treaty both parties agree to facilitate the free movement of persons and goods. • Since 2012, Côte d’Ivoire became eligible for the African Growth and Opportunity Act ( AGOA ). This is a piece of legislation adopted to improve economic relations between the United States and African countries. Under this piece of legislation, eligible countries benefit from trade preferences for quota and duty-free entry into the United States for certain goods. Public-Private Ventures (Partenariat Public-Privé) (PPP) PPP contracts may be concluded in all economic, social and cultural areas, as well in non-profit sectors. A PPP contract may be formed through several types of procedure. PPP contracts are written according to specific regulations. A reform of the PPP legal framework is ongoing (planned to be adopted before June 2016). Nearly
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