Gabon - Morocco : Perspective of a Business Council
After the visit to Morocco Regis Immongault , Gabon's Minister of Mines, from 19 to 22 September, the Moroccan and Gabonese private sectors have agreed to give a new impetus to bilateral economic relations.
Indeed, the General Confederation of Enterprises of Morocco (CGEM ) and his Gabonese counterpart will soon start thinking to create a Moroccan- Gabon Business Council , with the aim to engage in direct talks between the two private sectors on specific questions to improve bilateral relations. This was announced Miriem - Chaqroun Bensalah , President of the CGEM , during his meeting with the Minister Immongault on 19 September in Rabat.
"Our Moroccan partners are more than convinced of the need to materialize , at best, our cooperation to make a model of South-South cooperation , win-win. Moreover, it has escaped no one that Gabon could be a real hub of development, a gateway to promote Moroccan expertise to other places in the sub- region of Central Africa. Admittedly , in fact, that we must put our economic cooperation, our trade, in tune with the excellent political relations that bind our two states. We leave at all less satisfied with various meetings and discussions we had with various government authorities and the world of Moroccan Employers . We have , indeed aware that the development of our states can not be done without a very strong synergy between the public and private sectors. It is for this reason that we have agreed in future close enough to ensure the establishment of a Moroccan- Gabonese Affairs Council to boost bilateral trade opportunities , and increase further , "commented Immongault governed in an interview Gabonews .
This is the convergence in regulatory or customs to remove barriers to bilateral trade , as discussed in the Moroccan High Joint Commission -Gabonese cooperation held from 3 to 5 September in Rabat. This session resulted in the signing of five cooperation agreements on mutual administrative assistance in customs matters , planning and mutual recognition of driving licenses.
During the Minister's visit to Gabon CGEM , the two sides also agreed to strengthen relations of cooperation and partnership and industrial training including managers, technicians and engineers. At present , trade between the two countries stagnate and remain undiversified ( Wood products, canned fish and semi-finished products ) . The volume does not exceed 470 million dirhams , according to the CGEM . Morocco exports , on average, only 155 million dirhams to Gabon . Also , note the CGEM , Moroccan investment Gabon remain below their potential.
Hence the need to set up a business Moroccan- Gabonese Council for a new dynamic between the two countries . Several Moroccan companies are present in Gabon , particularly in telecommunications , where AMI owns 51% of Gabon Telecom. In air transport , Royal Air Morocco (RAM) and the Gabonese government undertook the creation of a new entity , Air Gabon International. It is owned 51% by the Moroccan company and the rest by the Gabonese government . Morocco is also present in other sectors such as banking and mining.
