The 7th edition of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) opened Wednesday, August 28, 2019 in Yokoama, a suburb of Tokyo. But before it opened, members of the Benin delegation held panels last Tuesday in front of participants and other decision-makers. It is in this vein that the Minister of Economy and Finance Romuald Wadagni met with an impressive parterre of Japanese businessmen to get them to invest in Benin.

« (…) Benin is stable and safe. We are willing to do business and decide quickly. There are many opportunities (…) « . Thus the Beninese national treasurer was speaking to the string of Japanese investors who came to listen to him. At the beginning of his interview, Romuald Wadagni recalled that Benin is « one of the gateways for the entire country of the African continent. » So cooperating with Benin, his country is a stepping stone to investing in other countries. The reforms initiated under the governance of Patrice Talon to improve the business climate, boost development and make the country a sub-regional hub have not been passed over. 

As an illustration, he cited the labor reforms that have reduced strike periods, the law on hiring and efforts to make energy available … Conditions are thus « created to bring industries of transformation « reassured Romuald Wadagni. He hoped that « two-thirds of what Benin produces is processed on the spot ». Japanese business leaders and other policymakers who followed the Beninese Minister of Economy and Finance have not remained insensitive to his call; many of them have expressed their willingness to turn to the Benin to do their business. Exploration missions and contacts of Japanese businessmen are expected in the coming weeks in Cotonou.