PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION OF AFRICAN GUARANTEE INSTITUTIONS (APIGA)
5th ORDINARY SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF APIGA
Lomé – March 06, 2015
ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT Henri-Marie DONDRA, Managing Director of FAGACE
Ladies and Gentlemen, General Managers of APIGA member institutions,
Mr. Managing Director of Fonds GARI,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Allow me first of all to extend a warm welcome to you all to the Republic of Togo.
Dear colleagues, it is a renewed pleasure for me to preside over the 5th ordinary session of our Board today.
I would like to thank you all for agreeing, despite your busy schedules, to attend this meeting, which will deliberate on important issues for the development of our association.
Ladies and Gentlemen
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As you know, Africa is in the process of consolidating its economic take-off, and several African countries aspire to become emerging countries by the end of this decade. The new balance of power that is taking shape calls for better global governance and, above all, greater solidarity between African states and their institutions.
Indeed, our General Meeting is taking place at a time when Africa is recording significant economic growth, estimated at 5.2% at the end of 2014. Public investment in infrastructure, rising agricultural production and the sustained expansion of the services sector should once again drive growth in the region. Overall, forecasts indicate that sub-Saharan Africa will remain one of the world’s most dynamic regions.
Against this backdrop, guarantee institutions are set to play an increasingly important role in the financing chain of national economies, in order to boost business financing and support this growth.
Ladies and Gentlemen
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The 2014 financial year was essentially marked by the relaunch of our association’s activities through the updating of statutory texts and the development of communication so that it is more visible and better understood.
Within this framework, the project to create a website and the registration and publication of the association’s logo with the OAPI were initiated. In addition, the by-laws revised at the last general meeting were brought into line with the association’s internal rules and financial regulations.
On the operational front, closer monitoring of projects launched in 2014 and continued implementation of the 2014-2015 program of activities will undoubtedly help to make APIGA more effective and more visible.
Dear colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In view of the challenges facing APIGA, in particular that of operationalizing it for greater effectiveness, important items are on the agenda for our session.
Members of the Board, Dear Colleagues,
The examination of the items on the agenda of the present session, in particular the 2014 activity report, the examination of the 2014 financial statements and the examination of the request for authorization for the creation of a permanent secretariat position, must be carried out in the light of the current context.
For my part, I remain convinced that, as in the past, we will be able to demonstrate a strong sense of responsibility to give new impetus to our association, enabling it to remain operational and consolidate its influence.
I wish our work every success.
Thank you all very much.
