The Agency for the Promotion of Community Entrepreneurship (APEC), intends to create one million direct jobs, through the financing by popular shareholding, of the project of mechanization and intensification agricultural.
1 million direct jobs are expected over the next two years, as part of the implementation of a mechanization and agricultural intensification project, announced Monday to journalists, the Director General of the Agency for the Promotion of Community Entrepreneurship (APEC), Karim Traoré.
The project will be implemented thanks to the financing of a complete small-scale village irrigation kit (family farms), repayable over three to five years.
100,000 boreholes equipped with a solar pumping system will be built as part of this project.
The agricultural mechanization and intensification project is part of a first batch of four APEC projects.
There is also the SOFATO (Société Faso Tomate) extension project with two new tomato processing plants in Bobo-Dioulasso and Tenkodogo and the project to create a semi-mechanized mining company in the gold on 03 sites (03 operating permits).
Finally, Karim Traoré noted the creation of a central purchasing office for local products intended to create a market for agricultural production, to organize the popularization and controlled sale of the main basic necessities.
According to Karim Traoré, APEC's mission is to identify community business projects in sectors such as agriculture, livestock, food processing, textiles and mining.
The Agency takes a minority stake to provide oversight and guarantee the good management of the companies and the rest of the shares will be subject to popular shareholding.
Mr. Traoré indicated that the profits generated by these companies will be redistributed to the investor members, in proportion to their subscriptions.
According to him, this investment model guarantees three values, namely, food and economic sovereignty through investment in strategic sectors, the endogenous and inclusive development of companies financed by Burkinabè residents and the diaspora and the job creation.
Also, the first official of the Agency has indicated that investors are asked for a 2-year deferred period, before the start of the distribution of dividends.
It also invites all Burkinabè to appropriate the popular shareholding for the good of all.
"The Agency for the Promotion of Community Entrepreneurship -APEC - is the translation of the vision of the President of the Transition, fervent defender of a model of a united society, an endogenous and inclusive economic model, allowing each Burkinabe to take its place in the creation and sharing of national wealth,” he said.
"Subscription"
According to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Cooperative Society Building the Future (SCOOP / BA), Aziz Nignan, to participate in the initiative, you must first pay the membership fees which amount to 5 000 FCFA per person.
Aziz Nignan said that a share of the popular shareholding costs 10,000 FCFA and it is possible to take as many times as possible according to its means.
For him, all those who have constructive local initiatives can take up with APEC to see the feasibility because, he says, "everyone must contribute to the promotion of community entrepreneurship which is a national solution for enable Burkina Faso to achieve its economic sovereignty".
Note that the official launch of the Community Entrepreneurship Program is scheduled for June 12, 2023 at the Ouaga 2000 conference room.
As part of the revival of economic activities in Burkina Faso, the Transitional Government created the Agency for the Promotion of Community Entrepreneurship (APEC) by decree on March 21, 2023.
Source: Burkina Information Agency