Strengthened by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, economic growth in Côte d'Ivoire should settle in 2020 at "1.8% against 7.2% initially forecast", Alassane Ouattara said on Wednesday. opening of the 2020 session of the Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB).

“According to current data, Côte d'Ivoire's economic growth would stand at 1.8% this year against 7.2% initially forecast; and after an average annual growth rate of around 8% during the period 2012-2019,” Ouattara said in a video message at the opening of the AfDB's 2020 Annual Meetings.

Faced with this situation which has hit the Ivorian economy hard and affected key sectors, among others, export, trade, construction, public works, hotels, restaurants, transport; the Ivorian government reacted promptly, Mr. Ouattara said.

The government, he will underline, has put in place a health, economic, social and humanitarian response plan of 3 billion US dollars (about 1,700 billion CFA francs), or about 5% of the country's Gross Domestic Product and including four funds.

A fund in particular dedicated to solidarity in the amount of 285 million dollars (158.68 billion CFA francs) to support vulnerable households. The objective is to cover approximately 1.2 million vulnerable households through the distribution of food and non-food items and cash transfers.

The second fund, intended for large companies, is endowed with 165 million US dollars (91.85 billion CFA francs), the third support fund dedicated to SMEs is endowed with 250 million dollars (139.16 billion CFA francs) and a fourth support fund for the informal sector of 165 million dollars.

According to Mr. Ouattara, this response plan put in place by the Ivorian State, makes it possible to "control the pandemic with a lethality rate (mortality) of less than 1% and to support the populations and companies impacted by the crisis".

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has granted Côte d'Ivoire budget support of 75 million euros, or 49.19 billion CFA francs, as part of the response to the Covid-19 pandemic.