VZCZCXRO1462
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHCO #0093/01 0390502
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 080502Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY COTONOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9229
INFO RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COTONOU 000093 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
EB/CBA FOR DENNIS WINSTEAD 
AF/W FOR DANA BANKS 
DAKAR FOR FCS (CGRIFFIN-GREENE) 
ACCRA FOR USAID (KMCCOWN) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: BEXP ECON EINV BN
SUBJECT: BENIN: US-BENIN BILATERAL BUSINESS FORUM WRAPUP AND NEXT 
STEPS 
 
REF: A) 06 STATE 189849; B) STATE 12989; C) WINSTEAD/HALL EMAIL 
 
EXCHANGE OF 1/29 
 
COTONOU 00000093  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. SUMMARY. Embassy Cotonou and USAID's West Africa Trade Hub (Ghana 
office) sponsored the "US-Benin Bilateral Business Forum", January 
25-26. The event, which was organized in collaboration with the 
Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Benin (CCIB), the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Development, Economy and 
Finance, brought together USG representatives, GOB policymakers, 
corporate executives, and Beninese entrepreneurs to discuss the 
business climate and to present USG business facilitation and 
promotion agencies to key economic stakeholders in Benin. Over 100 
officials and businesspeople attended on both January 25 and January 
¶26. END SUMMARY. 
 
PROGRAMMATIC OUTCOMES 
--------------------- 
 
¶2. Opened on January 25 by GOB Minister of Finance Pascal Koupaki 
and Ambassador, the first day of the forum provided a venue for 
in-depth discussion of the business climate in Benin, presentations 
on key business issues including importing from - and exporting to - 
the United States, transportation and customs, financing commercial 
activities, and the prospects for using gas from the West Africa Gas 
Pipeline (WAGP) to allow Benin to augment its capacity to generate 
electric power. Regional Senior Commercial Officer Cynthia 
Griffin-Greene gave a presentation on USG business facilitation and 
promotion agencies, including the US Foreign Commercial Service and 
EXIM Bank and MCA Benin National Coordinator Simon Pierre Adovelande 
made a presentation on the components and objectives of the 
Millennium Challenge program in Benin. 
 
¶3. January 26 was dedicated to the detailed presentation and 
discussion of how Beninese entrepreneurs (particularly those in the 
textile and agribusiness sectors) can and should derive benefit from 
AGOA's provisions. 
 
¶4. On both days the forum provided a venue for in-depth discussion 
and debate, sometimes heated, of the business climate in Benin and 
the existing constraints to its development. The presentations on 
both days were balanced by "testimonials" from Beninese 
businesspeople who are actively importing from (or exporting to) the 
US. The forum also allowed for coffee-break, lunch-time, and 
pull-aside discussions between those seeking to do business with the 
United States. 
 
¶5. Constraints present in the business climate discussed during the 
forum included the comparatively high cost in Benin of electric 
power and telecommunications, difficulties SMEs face in obtaining 
loans, and red tape. According to the World Bank's "Doing Business" 
statistics in Benin it takes 31 days to register a new business; 333 
days to obtain the permits to build a warehouse and secure water, 
electricity, and phone service; and a minimum of 5 days for a 
container of goods to clear customs at the Port. Some participants 
complained about cheap Chinese products being "dumped" in Benin, but 
Beninese customs officers (who participated on both days of the 
forum) also came in for strong criticism from entrepreneurs, to 
which they responded. During a session on financing business 
operations, a presenter from Ecobank rebuffed hostile questions by 
pointing out that banks charge SMEs loan interest rates in the 
neighborhood of 15% because they have a high number of 
non-performing loans in their SME portfolios. 
 
FOLLOW UP AT POST 
----------------- 
 
¶6. Post intends to follow up on this event with a trade delegation 
in 2007 and by using information from this workshop to develop a 
more focused approach to increasing bilateral trade, particularly in 
the energy, agribusiness, and transportation sectors. The business 
forum is already producing specific inquiries to the participating 
USG agencies to access their services. 
 
BACKGROUND 
---------- 
 
¶7. A key MPP objective at Embassy Cotonou is to promote and support 
economic development in Benin. There is limited commercial activity 
with the US at present (U.S.-Benin trade consists largely of used 
car imports). However, Benin is anxious to become an international 
business partner for the United States, attract foreign direct 
investment, and make better use of its AGOA eligibility. The 
US-Benin Bilateral Business Forum was an event designed to 1) 
introduce Beninese policymakers and decision-makers, entrepreneurs, 
and business support organizations to key USG partners such as EXIM, 
USFCS, OPIC, USAID's West Africa Trade Hub, MCC, and others; 2) 
 
COTONOU 00000093  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
provide an opportunity to examine the existing constraints present 
in Benin's business climate; and 3) examine how to increase 
commercial activity between Benin and the United States. 
 
ACTUAL EXPENDITURES 
------------------- 
 
¶8. During the two-day business forum, USAID/WATH and CCIB covered 
the following estimated costs: 
 
Venue rental (2 days): $2,800 
Catering services: $4,460 
Publicity and materials (banners, pens, pads, etc.): $400 
 
Embassy Cotonou paid for the airline travel of Dakar-based Regional 
Senior Commercial Officer: 
 
Travel/per diem of 1 USG participant: $1,000 
 
Total estimated cost of event: $8,660 
 
Per Ref B, Embassy Cotonou received approval to use BFIF funding to 
defray the costs of organizing and hosting the business forum. Per 
Ref C, Post will use these funds to fund the travel of the Regional 
Senior Commercial Officer, publish and disseminate conference 
materials, and further Post's business promotion activities. 
 
¶9. Without generous funding and technical assistance (moderating, 
AGOA-related presentations) from USAID's West Africa Trade Hub, 
organizing the forum would not have been possible. 
 
BROWN