• CCR-UEMOA presents mid-term review of private sector competitiveness efforts
• Reforms, AfCFTA training and partnerships aim to boost regional business integration
• Studies propose new financing mechanisms for SMEs and informal sector formalization

The president of the Regional Consultative Chamber of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (CCR-UEMOA), Héléna Nosolini Embalo, presented a mid-term assessment of the institution's efforts to strengthen the competitiveness of West Africa's private sector.

The press conference, held in Lomé on Thursday, March 12, 2026, brought together other senior officials of the regional body, including Mariétou Coulibaly, director general, and José Kwassi Syménouh, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Togo (CCI-Togo). It was moderated by Léonard Dossou, coordinator of the UEMOA media platform.

The key message: through strategic reforms, studies on business financing and support for African economic integration, the CCR-UEMOA aims to accelerate reforms and financing mechanisms benefiting the private sector.

Updated Strategic Foundations

At the midpoint of its mandate, the CCR-UEMOA highlighted several initiatives aimed at strengthening support for businesses across the Union.

Among its main achievements is the update of the Vision and Strategic Plan 2020–2030 to incorporate the priorities of the 2024–2027 mandate. The institution also developed an action plan for this period, accompanied by a performance framework designed to improve monitoring and the effectiveness of ongoing initiatives.

The CCR-UEMOA has also continued to strengthen the capacities of its member organizations, notably through training programs and experience-sharing initiatives, its president said.

The regional consultative body also mobilized to prepare businesses within the Union to seize opportunities created by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

In collaboration with the European Union, it launched a technical capacity-building program on the AfCFTA protocol on trade in goods, targeting member organizations and private-sector support structures.

An economic prospecting mission to Barcelona also led to the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Association of Mediterranean Countries' Chambers of Commerce and Industry, opening the door to new economic partnerships.

Recommendations on Economic Issues

On the advisory front, the CCR-UEMOA's technical commissions produced several analyses and recommendations on key issues affecting the regional economy. These include the gradual formalization of the informal sector, the free movement of people and goods, industrial competitiveness, local content in the mining sector, and the harmonization of tax and commercial legislation.

Other topics — including improvements to the business environment, tourism development, energy challenges, and public procurement — were also examined.

According to the institution, these analyses contribute to informing decisions by the Union's highest authorities while strengthening consideration of private sector concerns.

A Push for New Financing Mechanisms

Business financing is another central focus of the CCR-UEMOA's work.

To this end, the institution conducted two opportunity and feasibility studies. The first examined the creation of a regional mechanism to support, stabilize and revive the private sector during major crises, complementing existing instruments.

The second explored the establishment of a flexible financing mechanism dedicated to micro-enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises, craft businesses and agro-sylvo-pastoral activities, anchored to Caisse des Dépôts et de Consignations institutions or similar bodies.

Separately, a comprehensive study on the informal sector in the UEMOA was launched with the aim of proposing a five-year action plan for its gradual formalization.

For the remainder of its mandate, which runs through 2027, the CCR-UEMOA presidency plans to operationalize the financing mechanisms under study, pursue reforms promoting formalization and business competitiveness, and deepen cooperation with technical and financial partners.

The institution also aims to strengthen its role as a strategic interface between the private sector and UEMOA's community institutions.

The CCR-UEMOA is an advisory body established under the Union's Treaty. Its primary mission is to ensure the effective involvement of the private sector in UEMOA's regional integration process by serving as a framework for dialogue and consultation between the Union's institutions and the community's private sector.

S.A, with Togo First