INAUGURATION OF THE CONTAINER TERMINAL OF THE PORT OF NOUAKCHOTT

Excellency, Mr. President of the Republic, Excellency, Mr. Prime Minister, Gentlemen Ministers, Mr. Minister of Equipment and Transport, Excellencies, Gentlemen Ambassadors, Mr. Wali of Nouakchott South, Mr. Mayor of El Mina, Mr. Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Port of Friendship, Mr. Chairman of the Board of Directors of ARISE, Mr. Director General of ARISE, Ladies and Gentlemen,

We welcome you to the premises of the Port of Friendship. Today's inauguration of the Nouakchott container terminal constitutes a turning point in the modernization of handling activities and a major event in the history of the autonomous port of Nouakchott which will strengthen its presence in maritime transport at the sub-sector level. region but also its competitiveness. It will also allow better connectivity of our country with the rest of the world.

Excellency, Mr. President of the Republic,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, on your behalf, the company ARISE for all the significant concessions that it was kind enough to make in accordance with your concern to bring more balance to the original partnership agreement and to preserve, above all, the vital interests of the Mauritanian people. Indeed, the ARISE company has agreed to reconsider certain clauses of the agreement, which has enabled significant gains made by our country within the framework of negotiations that you have instructed the Prime Minister to carry out in direct liaison with you. It is within this framework that the surface area of ​​the agreement was specified and an exclusivity ceiling was set which did not appear in the agreement. In the process, state revenues were improved substantially, rising to 81USD instead of 50 in the 1st convention on 20-foot containers and 121 USD on 40-foot containers instead of 75 in the 1st convention. The State will collect nearly 12 billion old ouguiyas in VAT and the port nearly 30 million dollars in return for the exploitation area which had been granted free of charge in the old agreement. In addition, the tariff has been reduced and restricted for a significant period in order to preserve the purchasing power of the citizen and also the transit costs at the port. These reductions also included hydrocarbons going from 10 USD collected per tonne to only 6.5 USD of which 2 USD goes to the State.

This will have a positive impact on the price of hydrocarbons. the container terminal over which you are presiding today, the inauguration ceremony, constitutes an important work which will contribute, significantly, to economic growth but also a pillar of development which will have an important place in the national economy and a role leader in achieving the objectives of your “Taahoudati” program . Moreover, and as part of your constant commitment to combat social disparities in all their forms, to protect the most vulnerable segments of the population and to fight against precariousness and exclusion and to establish equity and social justice, you have urges the government to improve the conditions of dockworkers and ensure their full access to their rights. Thanks to your directives, there are now 2,500 dockers to benefit from health insurance and social allowances. This is the place to express to you, on behalf of all the dockers of the port of Nouakchott, our sincere thanks and our deep gratitude. And since the container terminal is part of the port space and a structure that will expand its activities and consolidate its role in the country and in the sub-region, allow me to recall here the reforms initiated by the port in order to carry out the transformations for it to fully assume its role as a development pole and an essential economic center in the sub-region.

This is how it has recently achieved significant growth in its turnover which will exceed, this year, 14 billion old ouguiya, which represents a jump of more than 40% compared to 2020. ; similarly, its profits will reach 9 billion old ouguiyas, which exceeds its net profits from the previous financial year which amounted to nearly 6.5 billion despite the difficult conditions linked to the pandemic. Allow me, Mr. President, to thank, on your behalf, all the port staff for their sustained efforts and their unwavering dedication to boosting the competitiveness and efficiency of the establishment and their constant commitment to improving its condition. financial. I would therefore like to sincerely thank you for your precious support without which none of what has been achieved, by the grace of Allah, would have been possible. Indeed, decree 20-63 adopted, in May 2020, by the government in accordance with your directives, will have been a decisive step which gave a strong impetus to the port of friendship which allowed it to initiate the necessary reforms to its modernization while giving it the margin of autonomy required to be in phase with the requirements induced by the economic situation and play its role as a lever of economic growth As part of the implementation of the strategic gas exploitation project, the port of friendship managed, in record time, to control the activities of the oil and gas industries and was able, thanks to a active partnership with the companies Eiffage and British Petroleum, to transport nearly 2 million stones smoothly and without delay even though it was a rather complex operation.

The port has begun, in recent days, the implementation of the second phase which consists of welcoming ships carrying equipment. It has also been able to develop its services and attract new partners who instil a surplus of reliability and professionalism in its services and enable it to carry out its missions in harmony with international standards. In order to improve its performance, the port has been able to increase its capacity to supply ships with water and a modern private project meeting safety standards for the supply of hydrocarbons is due to start shortly and fill a void that has prevailed until 'now. In view of the glaring deficit in our country, in terms of storage capacities, and which the latter require as substantial investments, the port will tackle, very soon, in partnership with the private sector, as soon as the conditions are suitable, increasing storage capacity in order to reduce costs. the port is also working, in view of the considerable energy needs in the port area, to formulate appropriate proposals, in partnership with all the players in the sector, for the establishment of stations for the production of clean, renewable energy and environmentally friendly capable of providing more abundant and less expensive energy.

The port also encourages the emergence of a private economic zone capable of promoting investment. Situated just 2 days from Europe, the Port of Friendship is well placed to provide a platform for the processing of many products and industries and their export to European markets. The port of Nouakchott is also working to become a vector of economic integration for the sub-region, a solid player in trade and a promising opening for the Sahel countries on the Atlantic. In this context, he aspires to boost the railway project of which he will be the starting point and which will serve neighboring countries and which will have a decisive impact on the development of the southern and eastern regions of Mauritania. Finally, Mr. President of the Republic, I would like to reiterate our sincere thanks and all our gratitude for your constant support to the port and for your judicious guidance which has enabled it to carry out essential reforms and wish the ARISE company greater success and of radiation.

Thank you.