"Participation Builds Unity"
"MADE IN AFRICA - FOR AFRICA"
"Participation Builds Unity"
"MADE IN AFRICA - FOR AFRICA"
PRESENTS
AN ADDRESS TO THE
NEPAD BUSINESS GROUP CONFERENCE
(Johannesburg – 08 December 2003)
Henry CASTELNAU
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Delegate for Southern Africa
CIAN
Conseil Français des Investisseurs Français en Afrique
Monsieur le Président,
Au nom du CIAN – le Conseil Français des Investisseurs en Afrique – je tiens avant tout à saluer trés respectueusement S. Exc. le Président Alpha KONARE et trés cordialement mes soeurs, mes fréres et mes amis francophones dans cette salle qui, j’espère, une pardonneront de parler aujourd’ hui en anglais. En effet, je n’ai pas été prévenu avant ce matin qu’ une interprétation simultanée avait été prévue pour notre conférence si bien que j’ai rédigé ma communication en anglais.
NEPAD is, as we all know, an African initiative launched by Africans for Africans.
Far from being prescriptive, CIAN, the French Council of Investors in Africa - which has indeed a vested interest in Africa, wishes to offer some comments and suggestions, some of which - I must confess – are mine and therefore do not commit our Association.
After what H.E. President KONARE said with so much wisdom and Dr. Al – MANSOUR with so much passion, you will no doubt think that I am not very original, but I nevertheless feel most encouraged.
Although NEPAD originally captured this enthusiastic attention of the business communities in the North, there is actually a growing scepticism about it.
For decades, most of the African leaders have been state-economy minded. So, when 5 of them signed a document in the 60 pages of which, private business involvement was mentioned no less than 25 times, acknowledging that international aid cannot be effective without a proper involvement of private investment, the Northern business communities welcomed that true conceptual breakthrough in Africa.
Alas, that original vision was soon damaged by one out-of-the-blue piece of news: NEPAD needed at least 64 Billion US$. There was, no less suddenly, a proliferation of projects, all stamped NEPAD, which required public funding, in flagrant contradiction with the specific philosophy of NEPAD. The North interpreted this as a new attempt at raising aid funds from its governments, therefore from its taxpayers.
This frightening figure seemed to have raised in many circles the spectre of a new bureaucracy, that of NEPAD. For our part, we believe that several technical functions of the NEPAD Secretariat should be entrusted to the private sector so that the Secretariat remains a lean and mean machine. We are also of the opinion that the already large number of meetings, conferences, seminars, and the like, should be drastically reduced. To rejoin H.E. President KONARE’s recommendation, tele-conferencing should be used more frequently.
NEPAD furthermore seems to lose its focus when it pretends to be implemented by and over the whole African continent. We believe that NEPAD must be gradually implemented by small groups of countries which have in common their commitment to all NEPAD’s criteria and objectives. African governments cannot expect new investments if they do not implement good governance, starting with a respectful handling of their collaboration with their own private sectors, not to mention their foreign investors.
A good starting point is the development of Public – Private Partnerships as advocated earlier so eloquently by Mr. George MISEDA. It should be obvious that the best champions of the NEPAD cause are our very own private sectors, the companies established in Africa, be they indigenous or joint ventures between these and foreign investors.
Another interesting approach should be the harmonization of business law in Africa (well known under its French acronym OHADA). As recalled by H.E. President KONARE, OHADA has already been signed by 16 francophone countries and in our view, should be extended to the English speaking nations of our continent. It would stimulate the progress of the notion, which is called in French l’Etat de droit. I believe that my Anglophone colleagues refer in this case to the “Rule of Law”.
At this juncture, as mentioned by Mr. Reuel KHOZA, one should praise the initiative of the S.A. NEPAD BUSINESS GROUP which published 4 covenants on corporate governance, corporate social responsibility, accounting and audit practices and – last but nor least – on the elimination of corruption and bribery. I would suggest that, if it has not yet been done, these covenants be translated into French and sent to the various NEPAD BUSINESS GROUPS to be distributed to and signed by their members and non-members with a view to encouraging their governments to acknowledge their respective private sectors’ commitments.
Reverting to corruption and bribery, I feel it apposite to mention that CIAN organizes in Paris on the 18th December a working session on the theme “Prevention of Corruption in Africa” with the participation of senior OECD and governmental experts.
On another tack, we strongly believe that “SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL”. The private sector needs small-scale international projects and certainly one or two showcases.
At the risk of being accused of plagiarism by Dr. Al – MANSOUR, we should like to offer the example of CHINA which created in the 80’s a first free-trade area known as the ZHENZEN Economic Zone which it entrusted to budding private companies. Now, as you are well aware, there are several Economic Zones and everyone knows about China’s extraordinary economic development.
Such small projects will be easier to finance. Indeed, the new Development Report jointly launched by the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and the NEPAD Secretariat on 19 November 2003, which incidentally mentions the now infamous 64 Billion US$, emphasizes the vital role of private sector funding, but where are the projects?
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In conclusion, encouraged again by the remarkable pronouncements of President Alpha KONARE, we call for a greater involvement of the NEPAD BUSINESS GROUPs in the functioning of the NEPAD Secretariat and in the implementation of its projects. I would personally suggest the creation of an International Advisory Council drawn from the executives of the various NBG’s, and of a Projects Committee similarly composed.
THANK YOU.
Henry CASTELNAU
Mesdames, Messieurs
NEPAD, however, is not and must not be a Marshall Plan as recently advocated by an S.A. academic because most taxpayers in the North would object to see their hard-earned incomes possibly directed to the coffers of the few remaining undemocratic governments on this continent.
MERCI BEAUCOUP.
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