On Wednesday, November 13, 2019, a Council of Ministers was held from 10 a.m. to 12:40 p.m., at the Palace of the Presidency of the Republic in Abidjan, under the chairmanship of His Excellency Mr. Alassane OUATTARA, President of the Republic, Head of State .

The agenda for this meeting included the following items:

A/-General Measures
− Bills
− Draft decrees
B/-Individual Measures
C/-Communications
D/-Miscellaneous

A/– GENERAL MEASURES

LAW PROJECTS

1- Under the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights;

The Council adopted a draft law amending law no. 63-527 of December 26, 1963 determining the penalties applicable to certain traffic police offenses committed.

This amending bill aims to extend the powers of the judge with respect to the implementation of measures to cancel the driving license of drivers who, through their carelessness or recklessness, cause death or serious injury among road users. road. It allows, in fact, the judge to pronounce, because of his sovereign appreciation of the circumstances of the accident, the cancellation of the driving license of the driver condemned for homicide or involuntary injuries committed during the driving of a vehicle.

2- Under the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene;

The Council adopted a bill on the organization and functioning of the National Order of Physicians of Côte d'Ivoire.

This bill reorganizes, at best, the National Order of Doctors of Côte d'Ivoire while integrating the community requirements of the WAEMU relating to the free movement and the right of establishment of doctors within this community space. It also responds to the establishment of the CMU, which introduces a new system of medical care requiring an adaptation of the legislation in force in this area. Thus, this bill organizes, in accordance with the division of existing health districts, Regional Councils of the Order of Physicians, instead of the Departmental Councils which have proved to be not very functional.
In addition, it offers, on condition of reciprocity, the possibility for doctors from the West African region from UEMOA and ECOWAS countries to move freely and settle in our country, after obtaining their registration. on the tables of the Order.

DRAFT DECREES

1- Under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in conjunction with the Ministry of Economy and Finance;

The Council adopted a decree ratifying the Agreement for the Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investments between the Government of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire and the Government of the State of Qatar signed on September 17, 2018.

This agreement aims to strengthen economic and financial cooperation between Côte d'Ivoire and the State of Qatar on the basis of the principle of equality and mutual gain. Ratification of this agreement will help attract more Qatari investment to our country and enable Ivorian economic operators to benefit from Qatar's economic potential.

2- Under the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, in liaison with the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection, the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry to the Prime Minister, in charge of the Budget and the State Portfolio;

The Council adopted a decree on the terms of application of Law No. 2019-566 of June 26, 2019 establishing a National Biometric Identity Card.

This decree determines the conditions for obtaining and the technical specifications of the new Ivorian national identity card as well as the acts of civil life for which it is required. It specifies that the National Biometric Identity Card is issued for a period of 10 years by the body in charge of identification, in this case the National Office of Civil Status and Identification, to citizens Ivorians aged 16 and over. However, Ivorians aged at least 05 years old can also benefit from a national identity card on the condition of producing, in addition to the ordinary documents, a written authorization from the parent or legal guardian and proof of residence of those- this. Overall, it should be noted that the conditions for issuing the national biometric identity card, the documents to be produced as well as the acts of civil life for which it is required, remain unchanged with regard to the previous provisions.

3- Under the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Renewable Energies, in conjunction with the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry to the Prime Minister, in charge of the Budget and the State Portfolio;

The Board adopted a decree approving Amendment No. 5 to the Concession Agreement for the development of a natural gas power plant in Azito.

This Amendment notably modifies the mechanisms for guaranteeing State payments and takes into account the implementation of the "MXL2 upgrade" version of the turbines of phases 1 and 2 of the Plant. The installation of MXL2 will increase production by an additional 30 MW.

B/– INDIVIDUAL MEASURES

1- Under the Ministry of Digital Economy and Post;

The Board gave its agreement for the appointment of Mr. Diakité Coty Souleymane as Chairman of the Telecommunications/ICT Regulatory Authority of Côte d'Ivoire (ARTCI).

2- Under the Ministry of Equipment and Road Maintenance;

The Council gave its agreement for the appointment of Mr. Djédjé Bagnon as representative of the President of the Republic on the Board of Directors of the Road Maintenance Fund (FER).

3- Under the Ministry of Communication and Media;

The Board gave its agreement for the partial renewal of the Board of the Commission for Access to Information of Public Interest and to Public Documents, abbreviated as CAIDP.
Thus, are appointed members of the Council of the CAIDP:

− Madame KEKEMO born TANOH Affoua Habiba, Principal Curator of the Archives, representing the Prime Minister;
− Honorable KONE Zana Moussa, Deputy, representing the President of the National Assembly;
− Mr. Cédric Tidiane DIARRA, Technical Advisor in charge of Public Relations in the Office of the Minister of State, Minister of Defence, representing the Minister of State, Minister of Defence;
− Maître BAGUY Landry Anatase, Lawyer, representing the Bar;
− Mr. Drissa SOULAMA, National Coordinator of the West African Civil Society Forum, Côte d'Ivoire section (FOSCAO-CI), representing Human Rights Defense Organisations;
− Mr. KARAMOKO Bamba, Professional Journalist, President of the Union of Local Radio Stations of Côte d'Ivoire (URPCI), representing Professional Media Organizations.

C/– COMMUNICATIONS

1- Under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene;

The Council adopted a communication relating to the participation of Côte d'Ivoire in the 5th Global Gathering of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement which was held from 03 to 05 November 2019 in Kathmandu, Nepal.

A delegation, led by the Vice-President of the Republic, took part in this important meeting articulated around the strategic orientations of the 3rd phase of the SUN Movement, planned for the period 2021-2025. The Vice-President of the Republic, guest of honor at the meeting, in recognition of the progress made by Côte d'Ivoire, recalled on the occasion of the work, the political commitment and the budgetary efforts of the Government deployed to support sustainably nutrition and early childhood development. In addition, the Vice-President of the Republic reaffirmed the commitments of the Ivorian State made in New York for the upcoming Tokyo summit in 2020 and made new commitments for the 3rd phase of the movement. To this end, our country is committed, in particular, to strengthening the focus of the SUN Movement on the period of the first 1,000 days of life in Côte d'Ivoire and in the sub-region, with a focus on breastfeeding. In this dynamic, the Vice-President of the Republic granted, on the sidelines of the work, several audiences at the end of which, he was able to obtain the assurance of important technical and financial partners, including JICA and USAID, to continue their cooperation with our country and to support the Government.

2- Under the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, in conjunction with the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Renewable Energies;

The Council adopted a communication relating to the creation of the Higher School of Petroleum and Energy (ESPE) within the National Polytechnic Institute Houphouët-Boigny (INPHB) of Yamoussoukro in partnership with the French Petroleum Institute (IFP School).

The ESPE is a school with a sub-regional vocation which, in partnership with the IFP School, will train technicians in the oil sector. The fourteen (14) month training will be sanctioned by two (02) masters: one dedicated to the exploration-production of hydrocarbons and the other to the processing and distribution of petroleum products. The training will begin at the start of the next academic year, in September 2020.

4- Under the Ministry of Economy and Finance, in conjunction with the Ministry attached to the Prime Minister, in charge of the Budget and the State Portfolio;

The Board adopted a communication relating to the change of name of Caisse Nationale des Caisses d'Epargne (CNCE) to Banque Populaire de Côte d'Ivoire (BPCI).

Following the deterioration in the quality of the bank's portfolio and its financial situation, the Council of Ministers adopted, in 2017, a restructuring and recapitalization plan to enable the CNCE to pursue its strategic mission of banking services. populations. The restructuring and recapitalization plan provided for a change of visual identity and denomination, with a view to marking a break with the difficulties of the past. Given the conclusive results relating to the restoration of the financial equilibrium of the bank which, to date, has absorbed all of the 53 billion CFA francs of planned recapitalization, strengthened its governance and put in place a new commercial strategy centered in particular on working classes, the CNCE has reached the milestone of visual change. Also, the Board endorsed the new name of the bank, namely "La Banque Populaire de Côte d'Ivoire", with its new signature "Everywhere close to you".

5- Under the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene;

The Board adopted a communication on the Global Financing Facility (GFF) Investment Group meeting in Abidjan.

The GFF Investors Group brings together funders who are committed to aligning their resources with maternal, newborn, child, adolescent health and nutrition. GFF action focuses on raising the necessary funds, globally and regionally, to best support effective collective action at country level. This organization is planning, in Abidjan, from November 21 to 23, 2019, an important meeting on the challenges and prospects of Côte d'Ivoire's investment case in relation to the objectives of the GFF.

6- Under the Ministry of Solidarity, Social Cohesion and the Fight against Poverty;

The Council adopted a communication on the state of progress and prospects for the implementation of the Productive Social Nets Project (PFSP).

Designed in the form of monetary transfers to disadvantaged households, the PFSP contributes to the fight against poverty and the redistribution of the fruits of growth. Halfway through its implementation, the processing of the quarterly allocations of cash transfers to households indicates that 50,000 beneficiary households are actually receiving their transfers, compared to 35,000 initially planned at the start of operations in 2017. The volume of transfers at the end of September 2019 amounts to 13.2 billion CFA francs, including 12.8 billion CFA francs in direct transfers to beneficiaries and 388.5 million CFA francs in withdrawal costs borne by the project. Feedback shows good production and social inclusion practices developed by the households concerned. Also, because of the tangible results obtained, the PFSP recorded additional financing from the World Bank in the amount of 89.100 million euros to continue the extension phase of the project, particularly in urban areas.
Thus, for the urban environment, just as for the rural environment, the joint financing of the State and the African Development Bank (AfDB) will make it possible, within the framework of the PsGouv, to consolidate the extension of the coverage and to reach a target of 150,000 households by 2020.
The entire national territory will thus be covered with the identification, from the first quarter of 2020, of disadvantaged households in the old and new regions.

D- MISCELLANEOUS

The Head of State will participate in the "G20 Compact With Africa" Conference on Tuesday, November 19, 2019, in Berlin, Germany.