Cote d’Ivoire’s Privatization Committee just launched a call to tender for a council that will lead the disengagement process of the State in the Banque de l’habitat de Cote d’Ivoire (BHCI), local media revealed.

The State hereby wants to forego its 55.9% stake in the lender which specializes in property loans.

On September 22, 2016, the Ivorian Privatization Committee denied the acquisition of BHCI by the Banque de l’Habitat de Tunisie, saying privatization process for the bank had not started at the time. The announcement was contrary to that of Managing Director of Banque de l’Habitat de Tunisie, Ahmed Rejiba, who few days earlier said his institution has acquired the Ivorian bank for 1.3 billion CFA francs.

A source from the Ivorian Privatization Committee approached by the Ecofin Agency (Agence Ecofin) said a delegation from the Tunisian lender had indeed been received and they discussed a potential acquisition of the Ivorian bank. The source who asked not to be named said: “They showed some interest and made an offer. However, nothing was decided”.