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DE RUEHDK #0112/01 0121544
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121544Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7317
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUCPCIM/CIMS NTDB WASHDC
RUEHLMC/MCC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 DAKAR 000112 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EB/IFD/OIA - JNHATCHER, AF/EPS AND AF/W 
STATE PLS PASS USTR - JSHRIER AND OPIC - RO,SULLIVAN 
USDOC FOR ITA/ATAYLOR 
TREASURY FOR DO - GCHRISTOPOLUS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EINV KTBD OPIC EFIN USTR ETRD SG
SUBJECT: SENEGAL: 2007 INVESTMENT CLIMATE REPORT 
 
DAKAR 00000112  001.2 OF 007 
 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
¶1.  Senegal offers investors political stability, democracy, 
advanced telecommunications infrastructure, an advantageous 
geographic location, a bilateral investment treaty with the 
United States, low inflation, a currency pegged to the euro, 
easy repatriation of capital and income and abundant 
semi-skilled and unskilled human resources.  Despite these 
obvious strengths, overly rigid and demanding labor laws, 
lack of clear title to property outside the greater Dakar 
area and an inefficient, and occasionally corrupt, judiciary 
have restrained foreign investment.  Judicial, tax, customs 
and regulatory decisions are frequently inconsistent, tardy 
and non-transparent.  Although Senegal does have a 
&one-stop8 investment agency, it can take well over a year 
to start a business.  The country,s Investment Code offers 
incentives to companies willing to locate off the Cap Vert 
peninsula.  Senegal accepts binding foreign arbitration of 
investment disputes.  French companies are the largest 
foreign investors, and U.S. direct investment is about USD 
100 million.  END SUMMARY. 
 
OPENNESS TO FOREIGN INVESTMENT 
------------------------------ 
¶2.  The Government of Senegal officially welcomes foreign 
investment, but non-transparent regulation combined with high 
factor costs are obstacles for potential investors.  There is 
no legal discrimination against businesses conducted or owned 
by foreign investors.  There are no barriers regarding 100 
percent ownership of businesses by foreign investors in most 
sectors.  In some key sectors such as electricity, 
telecommunications, water and mining, foreign investors may 
have majority control, but may not acquire 100 percent 
ownership. 
 
¶3.  In recent years, Senegal has pursued a privatization 
program, and most of the country,s most important and 
strategic parastatals have been fully or partially 
privatized, including the peanut processing plant SUNEOR 
(formerly SONACOS) (2005), the railroad company TRANSRAIL as 
a public-private partnership (2003), the national airline Air 
Senegal International (2000), the telecommunication company 
SONATEL (1997), the water company SONES (1996), and the 
phosphate company SSPT (1990).  Senelec, the country,s 
electricity purchasing and distribution monopoly, remains the 
most significant state enterprise yet to be privatized.  The 
Government was unsatisfied with previous efforts to privatize 
Senelec and in December 2000 re-acquired a controlling share. 
 In addition, the Government is reportedly engaged in 
negotiations with private investors on divesting its majority 
interest in Industries Chimiques du Senegal (ICS), a 
phosphate processor and the country,s largest industrial 
concern.  In 2006, the Government purchased 12.3 percent and 
11.3 percent from shareholders Total and Mobil/Exxon to 
establish a plurality control of 33.6 percent of the 
petroleum refinery company SAR. 
 
¶4.  The Government of Senegal is reportedly also considering 
three additional actions in the Telecom sector: 1) the sale 
of its remaining shares in SONATEL; 2) renegotiating the 
financial terms of the contract with TIGO, the second mobile 
operator; and 3) authorizing a third telecom operator in 
Senegal.  According to the World Bank, these three actions 
could generate up to USD 1 billion, which is almost the 
equivalent of the government,s annual investment budget. 
 
¶5.  While the Government does not screen investments, foreign 
investors are encouraged to utilize the &one stop8 service 
of Senegal,s Investment Promotion Agency (APIX) for 
registration and obtaining approvals needed to operate a 
business in Senegal.  The Government established APIX in 2000 
in order to attract foreign investors and simplify the 
administrative procedures they face.  APIX changed its status 
in December 2006 into a Societe Anonyme, &APIX S.A.8 to 
open its capital to private investors.  The World Bank,s 
2006 &Doing Business8 survey (www.doingbusiness.org) ranked 
Senegal 146 out of 175 countries evaluated, noting that it 
takes over 57 days for obtaining all necessary governmental 
permits for opening a business at a cost of 108 percent of 
average annual income (approximately USD 600). 
 
¶6.  The Investment Code, updated in 2004, remains Senegal,s 
main body of law regulating foreign investments.  The Code 
provides basic guarantees for the repatriation of profit and 
 
DAKAR 00000112  002.2 OF 007 
 
 
capital and equality of treatment.  It also specifies tax and 
customs exemptions according to the size of the investment, 
classification of the investor (SME versus a larger 
corporation), and location (investments outside of Dakar 
receive longer periods of exoneration from taxes).  Following 
IMF and World Bank recommendations, the GOS established the 
Presidential Investors Council (PIC) in November 2002, 
designed to improve the business climate and reduce obstacles 
to domestic and foreign private investment.  In 2005, the PIC 
successfully lobbied for some &pro-business8 changes in 
Senegal,s tax code, which lowered the corporate tax rate 
from 33 to 25 percent, eliminated the equalization tax on the 
informal sector, and lowered the VAT on tourist industries 
from 18 percent to 15 percent. 
 
¶7.  There is no provision in Senegalese law permitting 
domestic businesses to adopt articles of incorporation or 
association that limit or control foreign investment.  There 
is no pattern of discrimination against foreign firms making 
investments in Senegal.  Both foreign and domestic firms tend 
to cite the same problems in doing business in Senegal -) 
inefficient regulation and bureaucracy, ineffective 
commercial courts, labor laws that makes it difficult to fire 
for cause, and occasional disputes over customs valuations 
and taxation. 
 
CONVERSION AND TRANSFER POLICIES 
-------------------------------- 
¶8.  Commercial transfers are normally carried out rapidly and 
in full by local banking institutions.  Companies find that 
the import and export of funds can be accomplished quickly 
and easily as commercial bank transactions.  The African 
Financial Community franc (CFAF), used by Senegal and 13 
other African countries, is pegged to the euro at the rate of 
100 CFAF equals 0.152 euros.  At present, there are no 
restrictions on the transfer or repatriation of capital and 
income earned or on investments financed with convertible 
foreign currency.  However, the Government does limit the 
amount of foreign exchange individuals may obtain for trips 
outside Senegal.  Outgoing travelers may obtain a maximum of 
6 million CFAF in euros or other foreign currency/travelers 
checks (approximately USD 12,000) upon presentation of a 
valid airline ticket at banks.  The black market for currency 
exchange is limited in Senegal. 
 
EXPROPRIATION AND COMPENSATION 
------------------------------ 
¶9.  In recent history, there have been no major 
expropriations in Senegal.  In 2000, the Senegalese 
Government ended the management contract with the 
French-Canadian consortium running Senelec, the national 
electricity company.  The Government and the consortium 
negotiated an acceptable outcome, under which the Government 
repurchased the 34 percent shares held by the consortium for 
45.2 billion CFAF (USD 90.4 million).  In September 2000 the 
Government announced it was revoking the license of Sentel, a 
cellular telephone service provider majority owned by 
Millicom International Cellular (MIC), alleging failure to 
meet certain contractual obligations.  Sentel vigorously 
contested those allegations.  In August 2002, the GOS and MIC 
signed an accord under which the company,s original contract 
was honored. 
 
¶10.  There have been several instances recently in which the 
Government has revoked minerals concessions or contracts to 
develop housing projects, alleging failure to pay taxes or 
meet contractual obligations.  Foreign investors have 
generally failed to obtain compensation or damages through 
the courts.  In other cases, the Government has failed to 
intervene to resolve disputes between foreign investors and 
firms with local ownership or substantial local 
participation.  This failure to provide mediation, or any 
decision in some cases, has been noted as less-than-equitable 
treatment for foreign investors.  However, there is no 
indication of discriminatory treatment against U.S. investors. 
 
DISPUTE SETTLEMENT 
------------------ 
¶11.  Senegal and the U.S. have a Bilateral Investment Treaty, 
which allows for international arbitration, and Senegal is a 
member of the International Center for the Settlement of 
Investment Disputes (Washington Convention).  In theory, 
Senegal accepts binding foreign arbitration of investment 
disputes.  Foreign creditors receive equal treatment under 
 
DAKAR 00000112  003.2 OF 007 
 
 
Senegalese bankruptcy law in making claims against liquidated 
assets.  Monetary judgments are normally in local currency. 
U.S. companies entering the Senegalese market should ensure 
that their contracts with third parties make a provision for 
binding international arbitration in case of a dispute. 
 
¶12.  While Senegal has well-developed commercial and 
investment laws, and a legal framework for regulating 
business disputes, settlement of disputes within the 
cumbersome, slow and occasionally non-transparent Senegalese 
judiciary can be a significant burden to business.  Senegal 
has an arbitration center administered by the Dakar Chamber 
of Commerce, but the arbitration process is practically 
untested. 
 
¶13.  Few judges or lawyers are conversant in commercial laws. 
 Court cases are expensive and rarely resolved expeditiously. 
 Decisions can be inconsistent, arbitrary and 
non-transparent.  Foreign investors have found it difficult 
to fire employees for cause or malfeasance.  Foreign firms 
are often sued in the Senegalese courts by terminated 
employees who are frequently awarded damages and placement in 
their former positions.  Although these decisions are 
sometimes overturned on appeal, the appeals process is costly 
and time consuming.  Foreign firms in Senegal often cite 
frustrations with labor law and arbitrary rulings by courts 
on labor cases as their number one frustration in doing 
business in Senegal. 
 
PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS AND INCENTIVES 
--------------------------------------- 
¶14.  Senegal,s Investment Code defines eligibility for 
investment incentives according to a firm,s size and type of 
activity, the amount of the potential investment, and the 
location of the project (with higher incentive benefits for 
investments outside of the capital, Dakar).  To qualify for 
significant investment incentives, firms must invest above 
100 million CFAF (approximately USD 200,000) or in activities 
that lead to an increase of 25 percent or more in productive 
capacity.  New enterprises are eligible for five years, 
exoneration from Senegal,s payroll tax (eight years from 
investments outside of Dakar).  Investors may also deduct up 
to 40 percent of retained investment over five years. 
However, for companies engaged strictly in &trading 
activities,8 defined as &activities of resale in their 
existing state products bought from outside the 
enterprises,8 investment incentives might not be available. 
 
¶15.  Eligible sectors for investment incentives include 
agriculture, fishing, animal-rearing and related industries, 
manufacturing, tourism, mineral exploration and mining, 
banking, trading complexes, and cultural activities.  All 
qualifying investments benefit from the &Common regime,8 
which includes two years of exoneration from duties on 
imports of goods not produced locally for small and medium 
sized firms, and three years for all others.  Also included 
is exoneration from direct and indirect taxes for the same 
period. 
 
¶16.  Exoneration from the Minimum Personal Income Tax and 
from the Business License Tax is granted to investors who use 
local resources for at least 65 percent of their total inputs 
within a fiscal year.  Enterprises that locate in less 
industrialized areas of Senegal benefit from exemption of the 
lump-sum payroll tax of three percent, with the exoneration 
running from five to 12 years, depending on the location of 
the investment.  The investment code provides for exemption 
from income tax, duties and other taxes, phased out 
progressively over the last three years of the exoneration 
period.  Most incentives are automatically granted to 
investment projects meeting the above criteria as well as to 
those with the &Enterprise Franche d,Exportation8 (EFE) 
status, which is directed at export-oriented firms. 
 
¶17.  Further, an existing firm requesting an extension of 
such incentives must be at least 20 percent self-financed. 
Large firms -- those with at least 200 million CFAF (USD 
400,000) in equity capital -- are required to create at least 
50 full-time positions for Senegalese nationals, to 
contribute the hard currency equivalent of at least 100 
million CFAF (USD 200,000), and keep regular accounts that 
conform to Senegalese standards.  Furthermore, firms must 
provide APIX with details on company products, production, 
employment and consumption of raw materials. 
 
DAKAR 00000112  004.2 OF 007 
 
 
 
RIGHT TO PRIVATE OWNERSHIP AND ESTABLISHMENT 
-------------------------------------------- 
¶18.  In addition to traditional guarantees offered to 
investors, e.g., free transfers of capital and income, and 
national treatment, private entities are permitted to 
establish and own businesses and to engage in most forms of 
remunerative activity.  Foreign nationals are permitted to 
buy and hold land.  Local majority ownership is not 
necessary.  Several of the state-owned firms privatized in 
the mid to late 1990,s and in the early 2000,s were sold in 
part or in whole to foreign entities. 
 
PROTECTION OF PROPERTY RIGHTS 
----------------------------- 
¶19.  The Senegalese Civil Code, based on French law, enforces 
private property rights.  The code provides for equality of 
treatment and non-discrimination against foreign-owned 
businesses.  Property title and a land registration system 
exist in Senegal, but application is uneven outside of 
Senegal,s urban areas.  Senegal,s housing finance market is 
underdeveloped and few long-term mortgage financing vehicles 
exist.  There is no secondary market for mortgages or other 
bundled revenue streams.  The judiciary is inconsistent when 
adjudicating property disputes. 
 
¶20.  Senegal is a member of the African Organization of 
Intellectual Property (OAPI), a grouping of 15 francophone 
African countries, which has established among its member 
states a common system for obtaining and maintaining 
protection for patents, trademarks and industrial designs. 
Senegal has been a member of the World Intellectual Property 
Organization (WIPO) since its inception.  Local statutes 
recognize reciprocal protection for authors or artists who 
are nationals of countries adhering to the 1991 Paris 
Convention on Intellectual Property Rights.  In particular: 
 
¶I.  Patents:  Patents are protected for 20 years.  An annual 
charge is levied during this period.  Trade secrets and 
computer chip designs are respected. 
 
II.  Trademarks:  Registered trademarks are protected for a 
period of 20 years.  Trademarks may be renewed indefinitely 
by subsequent registrations. 
 
III.  Copyrights:  Senegal is a signatory to the Bern 
Copyright Convention.  The Senegalese Copyright Office, part 
of the Ministry of Culture, attempts to enforce copyright 
obligations.  The bootlegging of music cassettes and CDs is 
common and of concern to the local music industry.  The 
Copyright Office undertook actions in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 
2006 to combat media piracy, including seizure of counterfeit 
cassettes and CD/DVDs. 
 
¶21.  However, despite an adequate legal and regulatory 
framework, enforcement of intellectual property rights is 
weak.  In general, the Government lacks the resources or 
commitment to seize counterfeit goods.  Customs screening for 
counterfeit goods coming from China, Nigeria, Dubai and other 
centers of illegal production is weak and confiscated goods 
occasionally re-appear in the market.  Nonetheless, there has 
been a recent effort by Customs to understand the impact of 
counterfeit products in the Senegalese market place, and 
officers have participated in trainings offered by 
manufacturers to identify counterfeit products.  Philip 
Morris International notes that it signed a cooperative MOU 
with Senegalese Customs whereby a minimum of 60 customs 
officials will undergo two days of training. 
 
TRANSPARENCY OF THE REGULATORY SYSTEM 
------------------------------------- 
¶22.  There is no public comment process for proposed laws and 
regulations.  However, the National Assembly debates most 
substantive legislation.  The Government frequently holds 
public hearings and workshops to discuss proposed initiatives 
and programs. 
 
¶23.  In general, the Government of Senegal favors the 
principles of free competition.  However, some foreign and 
domestic investors believe that the investment climate in 
Senegal is worsening.  Judicial, tax, customs, and other 
regulatory decisions are frequently inconsistent, tardy and 
non-transparent.  Procurement decisions often fail to follow 
government guidelines mandating a free and transparent tender 
 
DAKAR 00000112  005.2 OF 007 
 
 
process.  Weak application of labor laws is seen as a 
disincentive to investment by foreign investors. 
 
¶24.  The Government has created several regulatory agencies 
in sectors seeking foreign investment.  Faced with an 
increasingly liberalized electricity generation sector, the 
Government has created an electricity regulatory body 
responsible for approving investment plans for the power 
sector, preparing terms of reference for tenders and 
monitoring prices.  In 2003, as the Government moved towards 
further telecommunications deregulation and the introduction 
of new products and services, it established a 
telecommunications regulatory agency.  Following new telecom 
guidelines, a tender was issued in late 2005 for a third 
global telephone services provider, but the license has yet 
to be awarded. 
 
EFFICIENT CAPITAL MARKETS AND PORTFOLIO INVESTMENT 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
¶25.  In general, domestic investment is hampered by an 
under-developed financial sector.  A few French-owned banks 
with conservative lending guidelines and high interest and 
collateral requirements dominate bank lending.  Claims on the 
central bank have nearly doubled in the past five years to 
800 billion CFAF (USD 1.6 billion), indicating excessive 
liquidity and insufficient loans in the commercial banking 
sector.  Few firms are eligible for long-term loans, and 
small and medium sized enterprises have little access to 
credit.  However, because the Senegalese banking sector is 
dominated by foreign banks, foreign investors can take 
advantage of parent banks in France and the United States 
(Citibank).  U.S. firms also have access to U.S. Overseas 
Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and Export-Import Bank 
(EXIMBANK) facilities. 
 
¶26.  Private bond issuances are an emerging topic of some 
interest, but have yet to make a tangible impact on 
investment in Senegal, and the infrastructure for expanding 
business lending, credit risk analysis, skilled commercial 
law legal specialists and auditors etc . . .  does not exist. 
 The West African Regional Stock Exchange (BRVM), 
headquartered in Abidjan, with local offices in each of the 
member countries of the West African Economic and Monetary 
Union (WAEMU or UEMOA) offers member countries additional 
opportunities to attract increased foreign capital and to 
give private investors access to more diversified sources of 
financing.  However, to date only two Senegalese companies, 
Sonatel and ICS, are currently traded on the BRVM.  There is 
no system to encourage and facilitate portfolio investment. 
 
¶27.  Legal, regulatory and accounting systems closely follow 
French models and WAEMU countries present their financial 
statements in accordance with the SYSCOA system, which is 
based on Generally Accounting Principles in France. 
 
POLITICAL VIOLENCE 
------------------ 
¶28.  Senegal is a free and functioning democracy with no 
history of coup d,etats or military government.  However, in 
2005 and 2006, human rights organizations expressed concern 
about the police harassment and arrest of opposition leaders 
as well as several lawsuits filed against independent media 
organizations.  There have been incidents of sporadic civil 
disturbances over the past two years, but they have generally 
taken place in the context of unions or student demands for 
better conditions.  Since October 2006, there have been 
sporadic violent incidents in the Casamance region often 
linked to petty banditry or a two-decade-old rebel movement 
seeking independence for the region.  Presidential and 
legislative elections are scheduled for February 2007. 
 
CORRUPTION 
---------- 
¶29.  The potential for corruption is a significant obstacle 
for economic development and competitiveness in Senegal, in 
spite of the country,s laws, regulations, penalties and 
agencies to combat it.  Credible allegations of corruption 
have been made concerning government procurement, dispute 
settlement, and decisions by the judiciary as well as 
regulatory and enforcement agencies.  Transparency 
International, in its 2006 Perceptions of Corruption index, 
ranked Senegal 70th out of 163 countries, moving up seven 
places from 2005. 
 
 
DAKAR 00000112  006.2 OF 007 
 
 
¶30.  Senegal is a signatory to the UN Anticorruption 
Convention, and Senegalese authorities have initiated reforms 
to strengthen the rule of law, increase transparency, and 
fight corruption.  Senegal,s Customs authority has initiated 
an &action plan8 to combat fraud.  Other steps to improve 
the legal and judicial environment include better training 
for magistrates and commercial law practitioners, and the 
establishment of an arbitration court and to adopt new 
recovery and enforcement procedures consistent with the 
Harmonization of Commercial Laws in Africa (OHADA), a 
regional initiative to harmonize commercial codes in Africa. 
 
¶31.  Senegal has several government agencies authorized to 
fight corruption and fraud.  These include &L,Inspection 
Generale d,Etat,8 a cabinet-level office; &La Commission 
de Verification des Comptes8 and &La Cour des Comptes,8 
and Cotecna S.A., a pre-shipment inspection contractor hired 
by the Government.  At a higher level, President Wade has 
made numerous pronouncements against corruption, but a 
significant gap persists between the rhetoric and its 
implementation.  A new procurement code was approved in May 
2004, but, to date, the President has not brought the code 
into force; thus, many projects continue to be sole-sourced 
or receive exemptions from following international tender 
procedures. 
 
¶32.  The Government of Senegal has established a monitoring 
council for good governance and anti-corruption measures, but 
has yet to prosecute any cases.  In 2005, the country,s 
financial intelligence unit (CENTIF) began operation, 
collecting information on suspicious financial transactions 
from financial institutions.  The CENTIF is reportedly 
pursuing several money laundering and drug money cases. 
Senegal is also represented by a Financial Action Task Force- 
(FATF-) style regional body for the 15-member Economic 
Community of Western African States (ECOWAS), the African 
Anti-Money Laundering Inter-governmental Group (GIABA), which 
is based in Dakar. 
 
BILATERAL INVESTMENT AGREEMENT 
------------------------------ 
¶33.  Senegal and the United States signed a Bilateral 
Investment Treaty in 1983.  The treaty provides for Most 
Favored Nation treatment for investors, internationally 
recognized standards of compensation in the event of 
expropriation, free transfer of capital and profits, and 
procedures for dispute settlement, including international 
arbitration.  Senegal has signed similar agreements for 
protection of investment with France, Switzerland, Denmark, 
Finland, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, South Korea, Romania, 
Japan, and Australia.  Senegal has concluded tax treaties 
with France, Mali, and WAEMU member states.  There is 
currently no tax treaty and no imminent prospect of one 
between the United States and Senegal. 
 
OPIC AND OTHER INVESTMENT INSURANCE PROGRAMS 
-------------------------------------------- 
¶34.  EXIMBANK is actively looking for potential projects in 
Senegal and has a Master Guarantee Agreement with the local 
offices of the Banque Senegalo-Tunisienne (BST).  OPIC has 
been examining possible investments in Senegal but has no 
current projects.  Senegal is a member of the Multilateral 
Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), an arm of the World Bank. 
 
LABOR 
----- 
¶35.  Unskilled and semi-skilled labor is abundant in Senegal, 
but there are relatively few highly-trained workers in the 
fields of engineering, information systems and management. 
In-country opportunities for these workers are not numerous, 
and as a result, many look outside Senegal for employment. 
 
¶36.  Relations between employees and employers are governed 
by the labor code, collective bargaining agreements, company 
regulations and individual employment contracts.  There are 
two powerful industry associations that represent 
management,s interests: the National Council of Employers 
(CNP) and the National Employers, Association (CNES).  The 
principal labor unions are the National Confederation of 
Senegalese Workers (CNTS), affiliated with the former ruling 
Socialist Party, and the National Association of Senegalese 
Union Workers (UNSAS), a federation of independent labor 
unions.  Labor issues are often high on the list of 
complaints by investors. 
 
DAKAR 00000112  007.2 OF 007 
 
 
 
FOREIGN TRADE ZONES/FREE PORTS 
------------------------------ 
¶37.  Senegal,s Dakar Free Industrial Zone (ZFID) is largely 
inactive and stopped issuing new licenses in 1999.  Firms 
already located there may continue receiving benefits until 
¶2016.  Pfizer is located in the ZFID and does some production 
and packaging for the African market.  Senegal,s Free Trade 
Zone initiatives have largely been replaced with the 
Entreprise Franche d,Exportation (EFE), which reduces taxes 
and provides for duty-free imports as noted above. 
 
MAJOR FOREIGN INVESTORS 
----------------------- 
¶38.  The dearth of reliable investment statistics makes it 
difficult to provide a detailed breakdown of foreign direct 
investment in Senegal.  For the first half of 2004, foreign 
direct investment inflows were estimated to be USD 94.4 
million, but such transactions are highly variable from year 
to year.  FDI assessments also tend to not include the 
estimated several hundred million dollars per year in 
remittances, which fuel much of the growth in the real estate 
as well as capital investments in small and medium size 
businesses. 
 
¶39.  France is overwhelmingly the most important foreign 
investor, and French interests control many sectors in the 
economy.  Approximately 235 subsidiaries of French groups are 
present in Senegal, accounting for 25 percent of all formal 
enterprises.  French investors are present in the major 
multinational import-export firms, shipping companies, 
banking, food production, mechanical engineering, 
agribusiness, petroleum distribution, industrial equipment, 
vehicles, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, tourism and 
insurance industries.  Privatizations in telecommunications 
and public utilities have confirmed and increased the 
predominance of France as Senegal,s leading foreign investor 
with Bouygues present in the water sector and 
telecommunications giant Orange the operating partner of 
Sonatel. 
 
¶40.  Investments by Senegalese citizens of Lebanese origin 
are frequently found in light import-substituting industries 
such as food products, textiles, chemicals, plastics and 
rubber.  Swiss investment is concentrated in food processing 
with the active presence of the multinational Nestle and a 
waste management company.  Germany, Japan, and South Korea 
have moderate investments in Senegal.  Taiwan was active in 
Senegal,s fish and canning industry.  Indian interests have 
historically been a major investor in Senegal,s phosphates 
industry and purchase nearly all phosphate output; India is 
also providing buses and mini-buses to Senegal.  Moroccan 
investment has substantially increased since Royal Air Maroc 
took a controlling interest in Air Senegal International in 
¶2000.  In 2006, China made pledges of significant new 
investment in Senegal in the coming years, including a 250 MW 
coal fired power plant. 
 
¶41.  U.S. direct foreign investment in Senegal is estimated 
at approximately USD 100 million.  Significant U.S. investors 
include General Electric, Crown Manufacturing, 
Colgate-Palmolive, Pfizer, and Citibank.  Major U.S. direct 
investments in Senegal include the 1998 USD 65 million GE 
Independent Power Production (IPP) gas turbine project and 
Colgate-Palmolive,s investment in a new toothpaste and 
glycerin plant in 2000.  Philip Morris has announced plans 
for a new USD 30 million cigarette factory in Senegal in 
¶2007.  In 2006, Delta Airlines began non-stop Atlanta-Dakar 
service, continuing to Johannesburg, South Africa.  Also in 
2006, Exxon-Mobil ended its presence in Senegal by ceding its 
distribution rights for a number of African countries, 
including its 44 service stations in Senegal, to the Libyan 
firm Tamoil African Holdings Ltd. 
JACKSON