Next stop, expanding transport links

Q+A: Gaoussou Toure

Editor's note: Multibillion dollar investments in the Port of Abidjan have ensured Cote d'Ivoire's role as a regional trade hub. Now the nation plans to continue establishing stronger industrial infrastructure, while placing greater emphasis on transport links. Ivorian Minister of Transport Gaoussou Toure tells The Business Report reporter Caroline Vieira Lima what to look for next.

What projects best define the future of Cote d'Ivoire?

Our flagship projects emphasize the national desire to establish better links with neighbors, as well as infrastructure for sustainable urban growth.

For example, the Abidjan metro system, a 37-kilometer light rail line due to open in 2020, is a necessary tool for inclusive urban growth.

Then there is the rail line from San Pedro, Cote d'Ivoire's second port, to Bamako, the Malian capital.

In total, my ministry is overseeing 22 such projects that aim to reinforce the national mission to become a regional hub.

What models of development are working best?

The build-operate-transfer and public-private partnership models seem to work best for both investors and the country, as they reinforce missions of sustainability, long-term partnerships and growth.

Today, this is why 90 percent of our projects are managed using the BOT model.

Are investors ready for the BOT and PPP models?

Intelligent investors understand that there is a limit to what the State can borrow. Our key infrastructure is in place, so now a new style of partnership is needed.

Contact the writer at caroline@the-businessreport.com

(China Daily 08/08/2016 page28)