COTE D'IVOIRE, HIPC BCEAO: THE FACE OF ECONOMIC WAR
09/10/2012Ahoua Don Mello
On April 11, 2011, Laurent Gbagbo, whose economic performance have helped the decision point of the HIPC process is stopped with Mr DACOURY Tabley, the former head of the BCEAO, among others imprisoned for economic crimes. All members of the government headed by one of the greatest economists of Africa, Professor Gilbert Marie AKE NGBO, elected President of the University of Abidjan, are prosecuted and others arrested for economic crimes. The last arrest by Interpol ACCRA economic crime is that the Deputy Minister for Budget, Justin Katinan KONE, master builder of the requisition of the BCEAO and reopened banks closed by SARKOZY during the crisis.
Which economic crime is it about ?Washington, June 26, 2012, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank have enabled the magic slate HIPC initiative as a great gift for relief debt.The full implementation of the debt relief will be about 6000 billion FCFA debt a residual stock of 2,500 billion CFAF.
However, it should be noted that residual stock of 2500 billion CFA francs would have been 1100 billion FCFA if the agreement was reached in 2010 under the presidency of Gbagbo. In the absence of data on the current situation of public finances, the most likely hypothesis is that in less than a year, nearly 1400 billion FCFA new debt were added to the remaining stock.(By Ouattara what a record breaking performance from an econimical expert from the IMF ?)
The bond launched three months after the completion point, shows little influence on the HIPC financial health of the country and proves that the rain of billions(promised by Ouattara during the elections campaign) have been a tornado that took all on its passage. Côte d'Ivoire must continue to reach out to survive. The recent journey to the land of Mecca with drums and bowl in hand(The symbol of beggards in West Africa), following the many other trips, shows the return policy of the outstretched hand(The needy). At this rate, the debt of Côte d'Ivoire quickly reaching the same level as before the reduction has no effect on the reduction of poverty(In the contrary).Considering this magic slate as having allowed a "great gift", as usual, let's start by saying thank you to those who have worked for it: donors, BEDIE initiator, Gbagbo master of work OUATTARA finalist, but as we live in a market economy, not an economy of charity, we all know that gifts do not exist! How this "gift" really cost the Ivorian? And what is the real economic crime committed by the regime of President Gbagbo tried yet as destitute by the International Criminal Court?To answer these questions, we will examine the origin of the money lent to Côte d'Ivoire, the main beneficiaries of the investments made with the money, the consequences and also prospects.
THE ORIGIN OF THE "DEBT"
On 19 September 1946, the deputy HOUPHOUET BOIGNY, said during the initial discussions on the establishment of the Franco-African community in France palace BOURBON:"France has no interest in letting us into the arms of misery and poverty"
September 28, 1958, Felix Houphouet Boigny, State Minister of the French Republic, vote the constitution of the Franco-African Community(Actually French African Colonies initial definition of the CFA is colonies Francaise d'Afrique) establishing a federation between France and its colonies. In 1959, the countries of West Africa are associated within the BCEAO (Central Bank of the States of West Africa). The four (4) principles of monetary cooperation between France and the Member States of the franc zone have embraced the spirit of the federation, namely the pooling of financial resources from that date until today:• Ensuring the French Treasury convertibility of currencies into euros issued by three banks of issue in the area;
• the fixed parity between the euro and the CFA franc;• Freedom of transfers within each subset;
• centralization of foreign exchange reserves.Independence in 1960 have retained the spirit and the letter of the Franco-African community with the firm conviction that "France has no interest in letting us into the arms of misery and poverty."(Common African naivety toward the Wes which the believe have a high moral standard) However, the liver of the Father of the Nation had a price. Because, in consideration of these principles and of this profession of faith, the central banks of the Franc Zone are required to deposit a portion of their foreign exchange reserves (65%, revised to 50% in 1999) to the French Treasury in an operation account .
The operation of the operating account was formalized by successive conventions between the French authorities and representatives of the central banks of the Franc Zone. The account receives deposits or term from the countries of the region. France up the resources that earn interest by lending operations (partly in Africa). Part of the interest is used to pay the operating account and the other party is at the discretion of French power which is found in the form of various subsidies (Ministry of Cooperation, military assistance to the rebels or Bank IMF, World, AFD, EU-ACP, AU, ADB, ECOWAS etc..). Compared to the operating account, the French treasury, thus operates as an investment bank and trade for Africa. It would have been easier to create such a bank in the WAEMU zone to have these enormous resources independently. But France has undoubtedly use arguments such as military bases to protect the States, with the deficit frame of independence. Such a bank would have the advantage of being present wherever the need to trade would be felt especially in emerging countries.
The systematic confiscation of 50% (in fact more if we count the cost of account services)of the foreign assets of the Côte d'Ivoire by the French Treasury and the free transfer of assets of economic operators in the Ivory Coast to France favored by the investment code which exempt the profits of multinationals, drastically reduce the public and private savings. This institutional and systematic confiscation of savings requires Côte d'Ivoire to borrow its own resources and confiscated.(This is the kind of crimes are turned over on those who stand against such injustice as we are seeing in Ivory Coast)
For example, the annual report of the Bank of France on the accounts of the BCEAO shows for the year 2010 (in CFAF billion)
- Operating Account: 3048. 978 FCFA- Due from banks: 335. 184FCFA
- Loans treasures 887. 886 FCFAThese figures demonstrate eloquently that historically, the contribution made by the French Franc zone treasure through the operations account is three times larger than the competition is the banks and the treasures of the WAEMU zone. It should be added that the balance in respect of income which is transferred 735.6 billion FCFA favored by investment codes. For France and the France-African, challenging this manna from heaven to the former colonies, is criminal.(That's the crime of President Laurent Gbagbo and his government). Yet, the net external financing of the economy in the WAEMU zone for the same year amounted to 868.6 billion CFA francs according to the same source. The total amount of donations is FCFA 870.5 billion in total (+ funding assistance) 1738 billion FCFA. This represents only 50% of the amounts sequestered under agreements WAEMU.
It is clear that, by the BCEAO and the investment code, the CFA is exported to France and returned to us in dollar or euro as debt and aid.(What an inhuman way of cooperation ?) At the time of globalization where all countries are seeking to improve their economic leverage to prevent their people to suffer the crisis, continuing to maintain a pact that has cost us so much does no more has sense. In any event, the sovereign peoples of the WAEMU never gave their opinion on these agreements involving their fate after independence, like the Europeans who voted in a referendum on joining the Euro. Mountains of funds sequestered by France since independence are illegitimate. This is similar to a fraudulently acquired wealth by France on its former colonies in a federation that has disappeared since 1960 and whose foundations have become obsolete.
"Debt" by Côte d'Ivoire to France, is part of the money taken in the treasury fund of Côte d'Ivoire in the darkness of the agreements signed within the framework of the Franco-African federation for the Afrcan to credit in the "sun of independence(A bait) ."It is the same with direct and indirect aid through the EU institutions (World Bank, IMF, EU-ACP, AU, ADB, ECOWAS, etc.).. Each year the Independent Côte d'Ivoire devotes to repay this "debt" taken in his pockets, nearly half of its revenue budget by gradually preclude any possibility of public investment. The increase in expenses due to the state debt service, combined with lower export earnings cocoa(price are fixed by the West) eventually make the state insolvent. The inability of the state to deal with the debt service has resulted, since 1982 until 2002, nine (9) structural adjustment plans(This well known diabolical plan to appovrosh African countries rich in resources in order to bring to HIPC and overtake the countries) to find a solution to the debt burden. The stringency of measures has led to social crises and political crisis in 1990. Côte d'Ivoire is put under direct donors(IFM/WB and the mains financiers the multinationals) who send in Mr. Alassane Dramane Ouattara in 1990 to President Houphouet whose health did not allow him to monitor the daily management of the country.
The tornado measures taken by donors under the leadership of Mr. Dramane Ouattara has had dramatic consequences in all sectors of the economy and led to economic expropriation of the state(By the multinationals as planned by the so called structural adjustment plan).Consider firstly the contents of the solution Ouattara and then, through the examination of certain key sectors of the economy we highlight the weaknesses and consequences of this solution.
Ouattara SOLUTION(which is fact the structural adjustment plan from the IMF/WB and the multinationals): The real economic crimeChanging the structure of the Ivorian economy was the stated objective of structural adjustment plans. The 90s have seen accelerated the change in the structure of the economy to the private sector, foreign investment meaning the engine of growth where China and more generally in Asia and South America, the choice were for the combined strategy of "one country two systems".
The privatization program was the solution Ouattara.The diagnosis made at the time by Mr. Alassane Ouattara to offer this miracle cure that has been exposed November 28, 1990 to the journalist of Fraternite-Matin the fovermental daily following a cabinet meeting is as follows:"Currently, the BPS has 140 businesses and institutions in which the state has invested more than 1300 billion FCFA in the 80s. This represents nearly 50% of GDP, that is to say half of the national production.
The operating results of some of these companies have not been able to perform well to match the exceptional investment made by the Government to provide this important heritage.Companies in which the State holds at least 51% of the capital, generated cumulative net losses of 10 billion FCFA during the same period.Yet, the broader public sector companies in which the State is a minority, have generally achieved a cumulative net profit of 144 billion between 1982 and 1988, more than 20 billion per year on average.(It makes sens when state companies revenues go straight to the French treasury and other debts repayment but the privates do not have these situation and there are mainly French)
The diagnostic error is the failure to take into account the reality of relations between non-market corporations and central government at that time. By simply purely accounting data without going into mechanisms of corporate governance, the error then became inevitable for an international civil servant not aware of national realities. Consider this simple example to illustrate the error, from my experience as CEO of BNETD (Crown Corporation with a capital of 2 billion FCFA) and member of the privatization committee from 2000 to 2010. BNETD in charge of the study and control of major works of the State, realized for the state and controls for studies about CFAF 7 billion and the state decided, based on its financial resources , to pay only CFAF 2 billion in the form of subsidy, which had an impact on the financial results of the company showed a cumulative deficit of more than $ 9 billion FCFA in 2000 and a bank overdraft of $ 9 billion FCFA the same year. Instead of liquidating BNETD or halve the size as recommended by the donors(IMF/WB), the government under President Gbagbo, who took the decision to avoid the privatization of strategic sectors, opted for restructuring benefits by contracting with the State of BNETD and increasing autonomy in the private market and internationally. In 10 years, the BNETD went from an accumulated deficit of more than $ 9 billion FCFA and a turnover of 5 billion to a turnover of 39 billion FCFA, retained earnings and positive increased its workforce while doubling wages to stem the exodus of expertise. The situation is almost the same BNETD all Crown corporations.
This courageous decision to restructure state entities from privativatisation that has saved many state-owned enterprises (around 44). Those waiting to be restructured (34), will certainly never do given the new direction of the current economic policy which has opted for selling off or liquidation of public enterprises. The finding of the success of this restructuring was made incidentally by the current government of Mr. Alassane Ouattara through the release of the Council of Ministers of 29 June 2011 relating to this subject. Indeed, a report by the care of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, on the basis of financial statements ending December 2009, reveals that the Government of Côte d'Ivoire has in its portfolio 82 companies, including 30 companies State enterprises and 52 public financial contribution. According to the report, "44 companies have achieved net income beneficiaries a total of 153.57 billion CFA francs, four companies have a zero result, 14 companies had a net loss of 113.21 billion CFA francs, and 20 companies did not produce financial statements for various reasons (bankruptcy, provisional administration, shutdown, restructuring, governance problems, etc.). ". Instead of continuing the logic of restructuring, alas, Mr. Alassane Ouattara true to its mission of international civil servant despite his clothing as Head of State noted, in the same cabinet, "the high number of companies public financial contribution "and requests that the number of Crown corporations or public financial contribution, is down 25% over the next 12 months" The error sincere or intentional (it depends) Mr. Ouattara has failed to cure the evil unlike China or Asian countries and some countries in South America, but has not only to stripped the country of its economy and its sovereignty but it also contributed to his immersion in a sea of poverty and debt.(That's the unfortunate evil plan of the multinationals to subdue rich African countries in their quest toward the new world order)
The privatization policy was therefore an ideological objective, economic and political. Wind-driven liberal 1980s, the Françafrique hid his face under the mask of good governance and the fight against poverty to make off with emerging economies by direct control of states enterprises and economic and target countries politically and militarily . Erected in the private sector panacea source of growth turned the machine of inequality, debt and unemployment that plague States. The classical solutions of economic looting as practiced at the time of slavery and colonization and returning with new pretexts with the wars of economic conquest (Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Ivory Coast, Syria soon, etc. .) wont work in face of competition from emerging countries. They enrich multinational and impoverish states and Western nations who vote regularly change to give hope for a better tomorrow. It is this policy which we all know the wrongs and limitations that Ouattara serves us with today. Like in the past, he will use his favorite crime: selling off the assets of the Côte d'Ivoire. As we know yesterday but the one who sells but do we really know who buys or resale ?To be continued.
The best way forward for the french countries in Africa is to come together and drive France out of Africa. France must go, we do not need them in Africa. French troops must leave all countries in Africa. We need support from all our African brothers.
ReplyDelete