Honoring your visit to United Arab Emirates. Why are you choosing to participate in the 2020 Dubai Expo?
Thank you very much. Dubai Expo, its a universal exhibition and I think that everyone should be here. We made it our duty as far as our relationship with the United Arab Emirates is concerned. We are like brothers. It’s also because of the status of this country in relation to the world. We have come not only to nurture our relationship with our brother country, but also with the rest of the world; countries, organizations or other foreign investors who are here. It’s a great opportunity for us, especially to introduce the Union of Comoros.
Unfortunately, people have had a false image of the Comoros since many years ago. From 2000 onwards, the economic situation has improved markedly. And it is in our best interests to sell that, to move forward. We have had some good results; we have excellent relations with the World Bank as we talk. As one of the middle-income countries, World Bank is giving us support and accompanying us.
On the political level, we are starting to see the result after the peaceful march that has been made. Even on the Covid plan, we are classified as green. For us, it’s time to come to this country, when everyone is here, in the center of the world, to introduce you to the Comoros, encourage people, including yourself, to come and visit this country, invest, or spend a vacation.
You are classified green now in relation to the health crisis. You also spoke briefly about making your way out of the post-Covid crisis, I also read an interview of your son who spoke of the growth projected for the end of 2021, but also of 3% for 2022. Speaking of investment and especially tourism, what major projects are in place?
Our forecast, together within World Bank previsions, were of a growth rate on our economy of -between- 4% and 6% for this year 2021.
However, the Covid pandemic has severely impacted us, and we are going to report a growth rate of 0,6%. Even though it’s 0, it’s still a positive number. We were and we still are in the right track.
As we announced in December 2019, within our vision for the country: “Plan Comores Émergent 2030” (Emerging Comoros Plan 2030), there is still so much to do in the country, and despite just after this conference, Covid crisis appeared, the plan is still in effect.
There are partners who have started to disburse the funds and we are very confident about our vision. In terms of investments, we have many opportunities; for example, in tourism, were we have beautiful islands, with beautiful beaches.
As we announced in December 2019, within our vision for the country: “Plan Comores Émergent 2030” (Emerging Comoros Plan 2030), there is still so much to do in the country,
We also are a safe country, with an incredible sense of hospitality. The tourists visiting us will be very extremely satisfied.
At the same time, we have a significant potential farmland. Despite the small size of the country, we have rain back home, and our precious Ylang ylang (characteristic tree from Comoros Islands)
We also have cloves, vanilla, and food crops; we can produce and transform them and are being able to export them. Now, in the Comoros, we do not live on imports. We are managing and will improve even more our trade balance, by improving our exports to the world.
We are betting in the blue economy too (fishing industry). Our maritime territory is the same as Madagascar, despite the size of the country, and this is one of the things that the international community needs to know.
The rights in maritime territory are the same for every country, and here, fortunately, or unfortunately, we almost never exported before. Now is the time to learn from our neighbors, what to do and how to process and thrive with fish products. We need to correct our mistakes.
Afterwards, we will talk about oil and other potential industries, but for the moment, we must see how to reunite the country, to ensure that we have a better life now, so that oil is not a source of tension.
We see the oil for the generations to come. Now we first need to cover the necessities such as education, health, and jobs for our people.
Is agriculture one of the main focus of the country at this moments?
Agriculture, fishing, and tourism. Those are the areas with real potential. We are still at $ 1,500 per capita GDP. The Seychelles, next to us, are at 10,000/15,000 dollars, if we can get to this stage, we can be sure that then, we have the minimum subsistence, and we can plan for the future; peace and security, so that future generations will find a legacy for which they can thank us.
Could you give us a quick word regarding the infrastructure plans and projects for the next years?
There are pros and cons. We have a lot of fish, but to get from one island to another, it’s 115 km., you can’t swim. We need a boat, a plane. Indeed, this poses a problem, because this distance has created a little lack of understanding between us.
Someone who lives on an island, who was educated and works there, he’s never been to another island, so they don’t know us. Therefore, among the priorities that we have it is the movement of people and goods.
We have an island called Mohéli, which is spoiled by God, producing more in relation to our consumption needs. Unfortunately, it’s rotting, because they can’t send anything to the other islands. Therefore, we must ensure that these products circulate between the islands, and why not, go to other countries. This is a project we hold, which it starts with the roads on each island. On that side, we are ahead.
we must ensure that our products circulate between the islands, and why not, go to other countries. This is a project we hold, which it starts with the roads on each island. On that side, we are ahead.
There is a project where for each island, the perimeter must be linked, even the secondary roads, so that people can move around, go to the field, to the market. Here, we are on the right track. Now the challenge is between the islands.
These are among the projects that were selected at the Paris Conference in 2019: how to do in terms of aviation, in terms of boats so that we can capitalize on that. And speaking of boats, we have ports.
These ports are still a very important marine park. So we have a port in Anjouan which is still deep, but unfortunately has not been rehabilitated. It could for example be a regional port. That is to say, we can come and disembark here and the transshipment takes place between the others and us. Whereas now, it is the opposite. We’re disembarking in Mozambique and it’s up to us to pick them up.
Fortunately, there was no shortage, however as the containers were left in other ports, and couldn’t come to Comoros, we had to charter a boat to go and pick them up. Therefore, circulation between the islands is necessary not only so that we can get to know each other better, but also for the tourist who comes to Mohéli.
What would be your final message to investors and readers of the coverage of Comoros?
Very sincerely, I assure them, I take all responsibility, do come. We have an investment code that we have improved, which is very attractive compared to other countries. They just must come and see with their own eyes what we have to offer them. For the displacement problem, a little patience.
We’re betting on investments. For the administration, we have a structure that is there to support and that was presented earlier. Moreover, it is a woman who is at the head of this structure.
So here I am telling investors to come, they are not going to invest for a market of 600.000 Comorians, they can invest for the 1.5 billion Africans, because we are now part of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
So here I am telling investors to come, they are not going to invest for a market of 600.000 Comorians, they can invest for the 1.5 billion Africans, because we are now part of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
We have COMESA and SADC alongside. So over a billion people market. Any company or person investing in Comoros, has a huge African market at his feet, as circulation and trade are possible without customs tax.
We invite you to Comoros to see with your own eyes this land plenty of opportunities.
