Since early 2021, the one-stop business creation window of the Center for the Promotion of Investments (Cepici), responsible for facilitating the administrative formalities relating to the creation of businesses, has been operating at low speed. And this, in a silence that bothers more than one. When we know that its first manager, Emmanuel Esmel Essis, has for several years been pursuing a policy of encouraging foreign direct investment estimated today at nearly 800 billion CFA francs supported by a business creation within a maximum period of 72 hours.
In December 2020, the offices had put a stop to a recovery in January 2021. Against all expectations, the holiday break was extended. In addition, under the pretext of a detected case of Covid-19, activities, which had resumed between February and March, were once again interrupted. However, operators had made an appointment to submit their files with a view to obtaining the Trade Register.
“Due to the Covid-19 health crisis, the Cepici Business Formalities Desk will be exceptionally closed from Tuesday April 6, 2021 at 8 a.m. to Friday April 9, 2021 at 5 p.m. The reopening will be on Monday April 12, 2021 at 8 a.m. We apologize for any inconvenience this closure may cause and thank you for your understanding, ”indicated a note from management.
When the counter resumed its activities in April, the people concerned by the appointments for filing cases were asked to return at a later date, time to process cases already in the pipeline and being formalized. “Excuses too many” for some operators, particularly from the diaspora, met in front of the offices located at Cocody Rue Lepic. For them, communication was lacking.
While the government proudly displays the figures of this agency, the number of 13,800 companies created in 2020 could drop, with the fluctuations observed in recent months in this promotion center which nevertheless claims 585 billion CFA francs of private investment.
