APIX, AN AUTONOMOUS AGENCY
TO TURN SENEGAL INTO THE PREFERRED DESTINATION
OF PRIVATE OF PRIVATE INVESTMENTS IN WEST AFRICA.


Justification
The Investment Promotion and Major Projects Agency (APIX) is the culmination of a process meant to rationalise the institutional system designed to support investors through:

  • Restructuring the Private Sector support system
  • Simplifying administrative procedures
  • Preparing a framework law on investments
  • Implementing strategies for the development of priority packages (Tourism, Cultural industries, Building and civil engineering works and Assembly Industries),
  • Business Start-up Formalities Centre, etc.

    It is in this context that APIX was set up in July 2000, giving concrete expression to the new authorities' strong political will to develop a strategy to attract private investors and initiate major infrastructural projects to support

    Missions et Services offerts
  • Search for and identification of investors ;
  • Promote Senegal as a preferred destination for Direct Foreign Investment ;
  • Welcome and provide support for investors in Senegal ;
  • Provide, on a permanent basis, economic, commercial and technological information on the key sectors of activity ;
  • Assist investors in formalities relative to the setting up of businesses and in obtaining various administrative authorisations in respect of access to land, building permits, licences, etc.
  • Support in the search for funding and/or partnership;
  • Follow-up contacts with investors;
  • Follow-up and evaluate investment projects in Senegal ;
  • The realisation of major infrastructural projects initiated by the President of the Republic, based on the BOT, BOOT model, etc.

Created by Decree n° 2000-562 of 10 July 2000, the Investment Promotion and Major Projects Agency (APIX) is directly attached to the President's Office. In carrying out its mission, the Agency is placed under the direct supervision of a Strategic Committee for the Promotion of Investments, whose members are appointed by Presidential Decree. The Strategic Committee comprises :

  • A Chairman
  • Three Private Sector representatives
  • Three representatives of the State
  • The APIX Director General.


    A multilingual team with practical experience, will be devoted to all the necessary stages in the implementation of your investment project including:

Processing applications for eligibility to operate under the Investment Code and the Free Export Company ;
Assisting investors to deal with problems such as :
- Access to land
- Obtaining various authorisations and licences (building permit, various licences, etc)
- Support in the search for funding
- Serve as facilitator and conciliator in disputes with Internal Revenue Services
- Carry out studies to improve the Business environment.
- Manage the Business Formalities Centre.

A modern one-stop shop

To enhance the management of investment projects, APIX opened a modern One-stop shop to deal with :
· processing all administrative formalities required for the creation or transformation of businesses, in the same office and on a single registration application file ;
· authorisations to operate under the Investment Code and Free Export Company status ;
· Monitoring investment projects approved within the above-mentioned incentive schemes, etc.


Besides, a programme of Action is under way to institute a quality approach at the level of the APIX one-stop shop for an ISO 9002 certification.


A constantly improving business environment

In order to further improve the business environment and in collaboration with public administration services, APIX has initiated several activities namely in :
· Restructuring the Private Sector Support mechanism
· Simplifying Administrative Procedures
· Preparing a framework law on investments.

A bold private investment promotion policy to finance the building of infrastructure to support production is already in place

To successfully implement these important projects which will be funded through the principle of concessions to the private sector (BT, BOT, BOOT), the Major Projects Department works closely with the technical ministries and other competent State services.


To that effect, APIX was entrusted with the realisation of the following Major Projects initiated by the President of the Republic:

  • New International Airport
  • Toll motorway
  • West African Business Centre
  • Standard gauge railway station
  • Port of the Future
  • Ore Tanker Port of Bargny
  • Rehabilitating the Port of Saint-Louis
  • Exploiting the iron mines of Eastern Senegal.

APIX also implements an aggressive marketing policy in order to :

a) - Give Senegal the image of a destination favourably disposed for Direct Foreign Investments, by highlighting its key assets which are :

  • Remarkable political stability
  • A healthy and liberalised economy
  • A "B+/Stable/B" grade issued by the Standards & Poor's Firm in July 2000
  • A stable 5 to 6% growth per annum since 1995
  • A low inflation rate
  • Stabilised public finances
  • Convertible currency with a fixed exchange rate
  • Membership to an important sub-regional market, etc.


b) - Promote the generation of direct foreign investments.

To achieve this goal, our action is based on four essential pillars :

· A judicious positioning and targeting strategy

o Define our comparative and competitive advantages per sector
- A dynamic positioning based on the benchmarking of our competitive environment.


· An aggressive promotion policy

Organise awareness and promotion seminars
Awareness/Information Seminars on business opportunities in Senegal
Organising "Roadshows "

Prepare programmes for visits
Organise meetings to promote "matchmaking" between Senegalese nationals in the private sector and foreign investors
Participate in official and prospecting missions of employer organisations

Modern marketing

Modern communication media and others
An internet site www.apix.sn and www.investinsenegal.com
Magnetic tapes presenting a promotional film on the business environment in Senegal (films, CD and DVD)
Brochures in several languages
A vocal server accessible throughout the day, to inform investors in several languages
Advertisement posters in Senegalese Embassies abroad


Targeted actions for direct marketing


Human resources of quality


APIX
A young, dynamic, multilingual, team with practical experience in the private sector and ....

A SOLE AMBITION : Turn Senegal into the West African model of economic development

 

Contacts us

Adresse Postale
52-54, rue Mohamed V, Immeuble Alwar - Dakar - SENEGAL

Téléphone :
(221) 849 05 55

Fax :
(221) 823 9489

Email
apix@apix.sn

web Sites
www.apix.sn
www.investinsenegal.com