AFRICA CHINA POVERTY REDUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR

1. AFRICA CHINA POVERTY REDUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR Shenzhen, from January 07th to January 13th, 2012 by Mrs. Rosine MAWANGA, Chief executive officer of the Social economy to the Ministry for the Small and medium-size companies and Craft industry

2. I- Presentation That what Gabon is ? Gabon, otherwise indicated, Gabonese Republic, is a country located west of equatorial Africa, crossed by the equator, slightly populated. Neighbor of the Republic of Congo, of Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon, it is a forest country where fauna and the flora are still well preserved. Old French colony, Gabon is independent since 1960. Surface total: 267,667 km2 water: 10,000 km2 cover over withsoil: 257,667 km2 Climat: tropical always hot, wet Natural resources: oil, manganese, uranium, gold, wood, iron ore, hydroelectric power Land use: cover over withsoilcultivatedwithannualrenewal (e.g. fields of cereals): 1%

3. Natural risks: NA Current environment and problems: Deforestation; poaching Population: a million two hundred thirty-three thousand three hundred fifty-three. Nationality: name: Gabonese (E), adjective: Gabonese Ethnic groups: tribes Bantu including 4 tribal independent groups (Fang, Bapounou, Nzebi, Obamba), other Africans and Europeans, including French, people having the dual nationality, currently:  Chinese Type of government: republic; presidential regime pluripartite (opposition parties legalized in 1990) Capital: Libreville Gabon has nine provinces:Estuary, Haut-Ogooue, Means-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Milk, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem For better representing the nine provinces, we have the chart below.

5. VariousPresidents: LeonMba (1960-1967)Omard BONGO ONDIMBA (1967-2009)Ali BONGO ONDIMBA (sinceOctober 2009)Rose Francine ROGOMBE, currentPresident of the SENATE, stands in before the election of President Ali BONGO ONDIMBA (fromJune to October 2009) Environment - international agreements Gabon adheres to several international agreements such as the Biodiversity, the Evolution of the Climate, the Desertification, the protection of the Species in the process of Disappearance, etc (this last example led to the creation of the national parks)

6. II- ECONOMY Gabon profits from an income by anybody 4 times superior with that of the majority nations of sub-Saharan Africa, which contributed to a rapid decline of the extreme poverty; but because of the important inequality incomes, most of the population lives in poverty.  Before the discovery of offshore oil rig oil at the beginning of the years 1970, the economy on Gabon depended on the wood for construction and manganese. Today, the sector of oil counts for 50% of the GDP. For its oil exportations, of wood and manganese, the country undergoes the fluctuations of world rates permanently. In spite of the abundance of the natural wealth's, the economy is affected by a complex tax management. Followingthesefailures, President Ali BONGO ONDIMBA arrived with a concept, considered as a great way of fight against poverty:it is EMERGENCE.

7. Emergence aims at transforming Gabon to make an emerging country of it and thrives, placed under the sign of the unit and of solidarity. That passes obviously by the safeguarding of peace and a reinforcement of the social cohesion, which are the essential bases for the economic development of the country. Emergence it is three pillars of development:- Green Gabon: the valorization of the forests and the agricultural lands- Industrial Gabon: the transformation and the valorization of the raw materials.- Gabon of the Services: Valorization of human resources with job creation, improvement of the incomes and the living conditions of the populations (for example Health insurance from now on, taken in charge of the people lower-income group) These three pillars are translated into nine priority axes become to date a strategic planning of Gabon Emergent.

8. These axes are the following:Center 1: To consolidate the rule of law Center 2: To make decentralization a reality Center 3: To make a success of the raising the moral standard of the public life and to ensure a better governance of the public affairs Center 4: To preserve the territorial integrity and to consolidate the relationship with the adjoining countries and friends. Center 5: To diversify the sources of growth and sustainable development Center 6: To set up the infrastructures of support for economic development Center 7: To better manage public finances Center 8: Better responsabilise the Gabonese one and to push them with being more undertaking Center 9: To fight against the inequalities, poverty and exclusion

9. III- TRANSLATION IN ACTIONS • - Emergent Gabon Strategic planning - Programmation and management by objectives of program - Projets and actions in the direction of the populations realized in way transversal by all the implied administrative actors • - Good governance - The raising the moral standard (fight against illicit enrichment, charter deontology of good behavior, fight against corruption, vigilance of a free press and vigilant, etc) - Governance of proximity (Turned republican sanctioned by the councils of Ministers delocalized with announcement of the headlights achievements of the province in which the Council of Ministers is held, opening-up by the roads, the restoration/rehabilitation buildings and certain urban areas, the operation to release the pavements, visits of the building sites in progress by the President to see the state of progress of the work).

10. - The Diplomacy of the business with in example the partnership with China. it is acted as truth of a partnership of long time which is solidified today with the asphalting of the main roads of provinces (NGOUNIE), the construction of the Gabonese stage sino which will shelter the EDGE next on January 21st, 2012. • - Like Shenzhen, we currently have in Gabon a new special zone, called NKOK. It already was inaugurated but remains open to the investors. • - With regard to the Ministry for the Small and medium-size companies and Craft industry, it is the only Ministry which makes real Economy, being given that it is a question of encouraging the Gabonese one to be more undertaking. In this context, it is "helped and the sky will help you". We accompany all those which want to undertake. Several possibilities are offered thus to them: 1 - To choose an income-generating activity 2 - To choose a legal status (SME, structure of the Social economy  (association, cooperative, mutual insurance company, foundation, etc or to be made identify as Craftsman); 3 - To make known itself with the Ministry, through

11. various Head offices, like mine who promotes Social economy. Thus, we carry out by example each caravan of the social economy which makes it possible to raise of new actors of this economy.

12. IV- Request of partnership However, only as regards fight against poverty Gabon cannot leave itself there this is why, we invite the investors to come to Gabon to help us to carry out the projects already to identify on all the levels. I propose for example a twinning of certain Shenzhen zones with certain localities of Gabon where the same activities for a better expert testimony are practiced. Just like, it pauses in a crucial way a problem of construction equipment; on this subject so in Shenzhen it is possible to find moulds of manufacturing of bricks and of the layers, we will be been willing to help the entrepreneurs Gabonese. To supplement the message that I delivered to you, you can consult the following sites: • WWW.presidentalibongo.com • www.Orchideesgabon.e-monsite.com • www.gabon-investir.com • www.gouvernement.ga • www.legabon.org

13. Thank you for your attention I transmit to you also the old men of new year and the thanks of the Gabonese State represented by: - the President of the Republic Ali BONGO ONDIMBA,- the Prime Minister, Paul BIYOGHE MBA- the Minister for the Small and medium-size companies and the Craft industry, Jean Felix MOULOUNGUI. - UNDP Gabon