Strengthening Technological Capabilities: Ceremony for Making the ATG Platform Available to Ivorian Exporting Companies
Abidjan, October 10, 2024 – The African Trade Gateway (ATG) Platform proposed by AfreximBank was presented this Thursday to several Ivorian exporting companies during a ceremony organized by the General Confederation of Enterprises of Côte d’Ivoire (CGECI).
About 150 Ivorian companies will now benefit from the opportunities offered by the African Trade Gateway (ATG) platform, developed by Afreximbank. This multifunctional solution was officially launched on October 10, 2024, in Abidjan, during a ceremony marked by the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Côte d’Ivoire Export Agency and the General Confederation of Enterprises of Côte d’Ivoire (CGECI).
Under the patronage of Mr. Souleymane Diarrassouba, Minister of Trade and Industry, this agreement will allow these companies to access international markets while benefiting from modern tools facilitating trade.
The AfCFTA, the African Continental Free Trade Area, is at the heart of this project, aiming to stimulate intra-African trade and offer local businesses innovative solutions.
Designed for exporting companies, the ATG platform offers a multitude of features: access to new markets, tailored financing solutions, logistics providers, and investment partners.
Olivier Daipo, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, expressed his enthusiasm for this initiative, emphasizing the importance of having a unique continental database.
“Unfortunately, the diversity of sources and manifest contradictions often taint the reliability of data and research results. It was therefore urgent to have a unique database for the continent. So in this regard, I would like to emphasize my full support for the implementation of the continental platform which aims to centralize essential commercial information and facilitate its use for the benefit of various stakeholder companies (…) It is therefore important to have precise and detailed information when we must decide which partner to ally with, from which supplier to buy, or how to manage commercial credit risks. I am therefore particularly pleased to know that among its services, the ATG platform will meet these objectives,” Olivier Daipo hoped.
Thanks to this partnership, CGECI will cover the annual subscription fees for the platform for 150 companies. This exemplary collaboration between the private sector and the government was praised by CGECI Vice President Valassine Diarassouba, who recalled that this agreement will help companies of all sizes in their conquest of the African market.
“The signing of this agreement allows us to officially launch operations related to the ATG platform for Ivorian companies and to present its functionalities as well as its advantages for companies, especially to all stakeholders. This agreement is an example of successful collaboration between public authorities and the private sector. According to the terms of this agreement, CGECI will cover the annual subscription to the ATG platform for companies of all sizes wishing to bring their products to the vast continental African market and forge business partnerships with companies in all continental free trade zones,” said Valassine Diarassouba.
Kaladji Fadiga, Director General of the Côte d’Ivoire Export Agency, emphasized that this tool would allow companies to “benefit from modern solutions and seize new business opportunities on the continent.”
To ensure proper handling of the platform, the Côte d’Ivoire Export Agency will set up a dedicated assistance service. This physical “desk”, located at the Agency’s headquarters, will be complemented by a telephone helpline and email support, to help companies fully exploit ATG’s functionalities.
With this launch, Côte d’Ivoire marks an important step in promoting intra-African trade and supporting local companies wishing to develop internationally, according to industry observers.
The implementation of the ATG platform is part of the desire to stimulate trade in Africa, while offering Ivorian companies privileged access to resources and opportunities to strengthen their presence in continental markets.
EA
Source: Abidjan.net / photo: © Abidjan.net By Eric ATIGAN
