Subchapters:
- Market entry
- Forms and conditions of operation on the market
- Marketing and Communications
- Issues of intellectual property protection
- Public procurement market
- Payment terms, payment ethics and resolution of commercial disputes
- Visas, fees, specific conditions of travel to the territory
- Employment of citizens from the Czech Republic
- Fairs and events
Market entry
According to cheeroutdoor.com, Côte d’Ivoire has ratified the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and notified the WTO of its category “A” measure. The WAEMU Customs Code prevails over the Côte d’Ivoire Customs Code (CD-CI) in the event of a dispute. The Automated Customs Clearance System (SYDAM World) has been operational since 2009 and links customs authorities with the Department of Trade, Treasury Services, Directorate General of Taxation (DGI), Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), all approved customs clearing agencies, two major port authorities and the Coffee and Cocoa Council.
Forms and conditions of operation on the market
Contact the investment promotion agency: www.cepici.gouv.ci
Basic registration steps: Composition of basic capital and notary certification (“attestation de dépôt”). Duration min. 10 days through a bank or 15 days through a notary’s office. Fee of 10% of capital (covers notary/18,000 F CFA; stamp duty/500 F CFA per page of text and registration). Submission of 2 extracts from the criminal record of the directors of the company. Duration 4 days. Fee 3.000 FCFA.Registration of the statute (at the “Direction de l´enregistrement et du timbre”, within a month of signing the statute, otherwise the registration fees and stamp duty will be doubled). Duration 7 days. Fees: capital up to 5 billion FCFA: 0.6%, higher amount: 0.2%. Publication of the registration (in the Journal officiel or in print media – in the case of media, 3 copies must be legalized at the local municipal office for 2,100 FCFA). Duration within 5 days (publication must be made within 15 days of registration). Charges 8,760 FCFA per line of text. Submission of publication in business. register (“Registre du commerce et du crédit mobilier”). Duration 3 days. Fees 55,000 FCFA. Part of it is the registration of all comprehensive documents and obtaining the so-called “Déclaration de constitution de société”. Forms can be obtained from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Tax registration at the Ministry of Finance (“Déclaration fiscale d’existence”) – obtaining a VAT number
Forms of enterprises: Joint venture. Branch of a foreign company: The establishment of a branch of a foreign company is not permitted until it is registered with the Tribunal de Première Instance. Once registered, the branch is considered an Ivorian legal entity and is legally independent from the company. Limited Liability Company: As part of reforms to improve the business environment, CEPICI abolished the minimum capital of CFA 10,000 ($20) and a minimum capital requirement of CFA 10,000,000 ($20,000) for closed SAs and CFA100,000,000 ($200,000) for publicly traded companies. Directors’ meetings must be held regularly. If the company has a registered capital of less than CFA billion ($5 million), there is a stock exchange tax for the registration of shares, amounting to six-tenths of a percentage share of the value of the company’s shares. Corporations with capital above CFA billion ($5 million) will have their registration tax rate reduced.
Marketing and communication
For marketing research it is possible to use, for example: Ocean Ogilvy – Abidjan https://www.oceanogilvy.com/
For advertising services you can use, for example: Voodoo Communications http://voodoo-communication.com/
The most important newspapers for advertising: Fraternité MatinLe Patriote The most important TV channels Radiodiffusion Télévision Ivoirienne (RTI)- NB:RTI, the government TV station Radio station Radio Côte d’IvoireFréquence
Issues of intellectual property protection
The main legal regulations governing copyright and property rights in Côte d’Ivoire are:
Law no. 2016-555 of July 26, 2016, on Copyright and Related Rights (2016)
Law no. 2013-865 of December 23, 2013, on Combatting Counterfeiting and Piracy, and the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights in Export and Import Operations and Commercialization of Goods and Services (2013)
Related legislation:
Law no. 2004-644 of December 9, 2004, establishing a legal regime for audiovisual communications (2004) West African Economic and Monetary Union (WEAMU) Customs Code (2001) Act No. 1981-640 of July 31, 1981 establishing the Criminal Code (amended by Act No. 1995-522 of 6 July 1995) (1981) Customs Code (1964)
Public procurement market
In December 2019, the government adopted a new law on public procurement. This law applies to the procedures for the awarding, performance, control and regulation of public contracts. Public contracts are awarded by the state, public institutions, local authorities, organizations, agencies or other legal entity subject to public law. public contracts are also awarded by persons under private law who receive aid or guarantees from the state. International tenders, the Code of Public Procurement provides for the publication of all projects in the national publication “Bulletin of the Official Public of Côte d’Ivoire” and for international applications in the form of notices in international newspapers. The call for tenders must be published in national and/or international and/or electronic form; or in the Official Gazette of Public Procurement of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. Unless otherwise stated, there are no general restrictions. The following general principles must be respected: free access to public procurement, equal treatment of candidates, transparent procedures, prohibition of discrimination based on the nationality of candidates. National Tenders The Public Procurement Code regulates the publication of all projects in the national publication “Bulletin officiel des Marchés Publics de la république de Côte d’Ivoire”. Participation in a national tender has the same conditions as participation in an international tender.
