The forum on business opportunities in Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOP) kicks off on Thursday 13 March. The event will take place on the island of Sal, in Cape Verde, and will bring together public and private sector officials from the areas of tourism, energy transition and agribusiness from various countries, including Mozambique.
The meeting, organised by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), an institution of the World Bank, will discuss strategies for attracting investment, public-private partnerships and the implementation of the ‘Lusophone Compact’ as a financing tool.
According to a Lusa publication, the IFC presents the forum as a ‘high-level’ meeting, bringing together the main partners, as well as investment support institutions, chambers of commerce and government representatives.
According to the programme, the first day will focus on the challenges and opportunities in the PALOP, with a panel on best practices for attracting foreign direct investment through promotion agencies.
The second day will focus on issues related to agribusiness and energy transition initiatives, ending with a debate on public-private partnerships and the Lusophone Compact. There will also be a panel dedicated to the future of tourism in Portuguese-speaking countries.
‘The Lusophone Development Compact is a 400 million euro financial guarantee fund for investments in the PALOP countries (Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique and São Tomé and Príncipe), in a partnership between Portugal and the African Development Bank (AfDB).’
