{"id":48085,"date":"2021-06-22T18:34:11","date_gmt":"2021-06-22T17:34:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/?p=48085"},"modified":"2021-06-22T18:53:38","modified_gmt":"2021-06-22T17:53:38","slug":"sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Sergio Pimenta: &#8220;IFC will focus on manufacturing and agribusiness in addition to access to financing for SMEs, with ICT as a cross-cutting them&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>[Digital Business Africa &#8211; Expert Opinion &#8211; By Sergio Pimenta*] \u2013<\/strong> Despite the application of safety protocols and the rollout of vaccines, which are rendering air travel a reasonable option again, physical travel in the midst of a pandemic must be weighed against the rewards. By that measure, I planned my first physical visit to sub-Saharan Africa in 18 months to be as quick, safe, and productive as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I travelled mostly by road\u2014more than 500 kilometers, across three borders, finding countless moments of inspiration along the way. My six days on the ground (June 5 to 10) took me to Togo, Benin, and Ghana, three neighboring countries in West Africa, but each with its own unique development needs. Still, I had one overarching objective: to better understand how these countries were coping with the economic impacts of COVID-19\u2014and how IFC could best support their citizens and businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My trip came fast on the heels of IFC announcing a $2 billion investment in support of Africa\u2019s smaller businesses and trade, a package designed to help galvanize the continent&#8217;s economic recovery from the pandemic and to sustain and create jobs and business activity. This is only the latest of numerous IFC investments in Africa since the onset of the pandemic and part of a wider effort by the rest of the World Bank Group, other development partners, governments, the private sector, and dedicated individuals to stand up to this unprecedented crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Togo, June 5-7 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Togo has been a star performer in reforms to enhance the business climate, an action plan supported by IFC. The Government of Togo\u2019s response to COVID-19 was swift, but the pandemic has suppressed the economy, reducing growth to less than one percent in 2020. The Government has formulated a new roadmap for economic recovery for 2020-2025. In my meetings with Togo\u2019s president, H.E. Faure Gnassingb\u00e9, and the Prime Minister, H.E. Victoire Dogb\u00e9, I reiterated IFC\u2019s support for this important plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"fr\" dir=\"ltr\">Je remercie chaleureusement S.E. le Pr\u00e9sident <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FEGnassingbe?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@FEGnassingbe<\/a> &amp; S.E. la Premi\u00e8re Ministre <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DogbeVictoire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@DogbeVictoire<\/a> de m&#39;avoir accueilli au <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Togo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Togo<\/a> hier. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/IFC_fr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@IFC_fr<\/a> est r\u00e9solument engag\u00e9e pour le d\u00e9veloppement durable &amp; inclusif du Togo avec le soutien au secteur priv\u00e9 au c\u0153ur de notre action. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/4ygB5XMmdp\">https:\/\/t.co\/4ygB5XMmdp<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Sergio Pimenta (@SPimentaIFC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SPimentaIFC\/status\/1402308819976339465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 8, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While in Togo, I was honored to represent IFC Managing Director, Makhtar Diop, at the inauguration of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/pia-plateforme-industrielle-d-ad%C3%A9tikop%C3%A9\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Plateforme Industrielle d&#8217;Ad\u00e9tikop\u00e9<\/a>\u00a0(PIA). This integrated industrial zone by ARISE IIP is an ambitious project that aims to generate sizably more local value from agricultural\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/feed\/hashtag\/?keywords=resources&amp;highlightedUpdateUrns=urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A6807933512570695680\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">resources<\/a>\u00a0such as cotton, cashew nuts and soybeans and create 30,000 jobs by 2025. With the opening of IFC\u2019s office in Togo\u2019s capital, Lom\u00e9, in 2019 and the hiring in 2020 of our team on the ground, IFC is poised to support Togo\u2019s economic recovery through investments in the energy, health, ICT, manufacturing, MSMEs and other sectors. IFC will also continue to support the Government of Togo\u2019s drive to strengthen the country\u2019s business climate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"fr\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/IFC_fr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@IFC_fr<\/a> soutient le programme d\u2019industrialisation de @gouvTogo. Ravi d\u2019avoir assist\u00e9 \u00e0 l\u2019inauguration de <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PIA_Togo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@PIA_Togo<\/a>, pierre angulaire de cet ambitieux programme. Cette infrastructure de pointe vise \u00e0 cr\u00e9er plus de valeur dans l&#39;industrie textile &amp; g\u00e9n\u00e8rera des milliers d\u2019emplois. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/yJ8vtMGBXX\">pic.twitter.com\/yJ8vtMGBXX<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Sergio Pimenta (@SPimentaIFC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SPimentaIFC\/status\/1401874406599757830?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 7, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Benin, June 7-8:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0Leaving Togo, we drove the scenic coast road through small towns from Lom\u00e9 to Cotonou. IFC has been active in Benin for the last two decades, supporting several sectors. In line with the Government of Benin\u2019s Programme d\u2019Actions du Gouvernement (PAG), IFC is considering major investments in sectors that we believe have the potential for job creation. These include access to finance for SMEs, affordable housing, agribusiness, ICT, tourism, and vocational training. I communicated these focus areas in meetings with H.E. Abdoulaye Bio Tchan\u00e9, Minister of State for Development and Coordination of Government Action, and with H.E. Romuald Wadagni, Minister of State for Economy and Finance, the World Bank Group\u2019s new Governor for Benin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/SPimentaIFC\/status\/1402564045685903362\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"fr\" dir=\"ltr\">Excellents \u00e9changes avec S.E. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RomualdWadagni?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@RomualdWadagni<\/a>, nouveau gouverneur de la <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Banquemondiale?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Banquemondiale<\/a> pour le <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Benin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Benin<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/IFC_fr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@IFC_fr<\/a> continuera d&#39;accompagner <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/gouvbenin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@gouvbenin<\/a> dans la mise en \u0153uvre de sa fructueuse politique de r\u00e9forme du climat des affaires. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/XcFUVdOxPg\">pic.twitter.com\/XcFUVdOxPg<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Sergio Pimenta (@SPimentaIFC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SPimentaIFC\/status\/1402541252806156290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 9, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shortly before leaving Benin, I caught a glimpse of a future pillar of Benin\u2019s recovery\u2014the site of the under-construction industrial zone of Glo-Djigb\u00e9. Like the PIA in Togo, Glo-Djigb\u00e9 is being built by ARISE IIP and will add value to agricultural products, boosting Benin\u2019s economy, which is expected to rebound to five percent growth in 2021 and 6.5 percent by 2023\u2014close to pre-pandemic levels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/SPimentaIFC\/status\/1402565447824859136\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Ghana, June 9-10:&nbsp;<\/strong>By 6 a.m. on Wednesday, we were on the road again, through the Ghana-Togo border*, across Ghana\u2019s Volta Region, and into Accra. The route from Cotonou to Accra offers a unique glimpse of the differences and similarities of town life as one crosses these borders. Of course, between Togo and Ghana lies the added barrier of official language, which changes from French to English. As I entered Ghana, I was reminded that Ghana is home to the headquarters of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)\u2014and the promise of virtually borderless commerce in the continent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ghana is also home to one of IFC\u2019s biggest investment portfolios in Africa, close to $2 billion. My primary activity in Ghana was a two-day retreat with the Ministry of Finance to further align IFC\u2019s strategy with the Ghana CARES program, the Government of Ghana\u2019s comprehensive plan for post-pandemic recovery, with an emphasis on the private sector. The Minister of Finance, H.E. Ken Ofori-Atta, led the Ghana team, which included key ministers and others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/SPimentaIFC\/status\/1403318950872719361\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a separate meeting with H.E. President Nana Akufo-Addo, the president challenged IFC to invest more in manufacturing and agribusiness, both areas key to providing jobs for young people. IFC will focus on those areas in addition to access to financing for SMEs, with ICT as a cross-cutting theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I thank H.E. President <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NAkufoAddo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@NAkufoAddo<\/a> for his warm reception in <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Accra?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Accra<\/a> last week. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/IFC_org?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@IFC_org<\/a> plans to invest more in the private sector through manufacturing and agribusiness in line with the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Ghana?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Ghana<\/a> CARES plan for economic recovery. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/6yWSG9NIPX\">pic.twitter.com\/6yWSG9NIPX<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Sergio Pimenta (@SPimentaIFC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SPimentaIFC\/status\/1404802240351715330?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 15, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In keeping with the industrialization theme of my three-country trip, I couldn\u2019t miss a chance to visit the 500-hectare Tema Free Zone, an industrial park east of Accra largely developed by Ghanaian company, LMI Holdings. The zone, which hosts over 100 companies, highlighted the advantages of shared infrastructure and reliable power for the country\u2019s industrialization strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I then had just enough time to catch my flight out of Accra following a busy, but fruitful and eye-opening week in West Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After more than a year of travel restrictions, I was heartened to witness first-hand these countries\u2019 admirable responses and resilience in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Outside of the formal meetings, this trip also provided insight into how men and women in West Africa are adjusting\u2014physically, socially, and economically\u2014to the realities of a COVID-19 world, and for me to take in the sights and sounds I\u2019d missed so much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the last two years, IFC has grown its footprint in West Africa, bringing in talented new staff to step up our operations. This trip allowed me to meet our existing and new colleagues who have been working tirelessly on the ground and who give me great confidence that we can deliver on our commitments to Africa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Standing at the border of <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Togo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Togo<\/a> &amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Benin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Benin<\/a> with my colleagues, Christopher Bleziri &amp; Cyndo Obre, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/IFC_org?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@IFC_org<\/a> representatives in Togo and Benin, respectively. In the last 2 years, IFC has grown its footprint in <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Africa?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Africa<\/a>, bringing in talented new staff to step up our operations. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Xd4lWCHpaD\">pic.twitter.com\/Xd4lWCHpaD<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Sergio Pimenta (@SPimentaIFC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SPimentaIFC\/status\/1402240424392134656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 8, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">*As part of measures to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, the Togo-Ghana border is open only to cargo and occasional diplomatic missions.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">*<strong>By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/sergio-pimenta-b785a9\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sergio Pimenta<\/a>, Vice President at IFC &#8211; International Finance Corporation <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignfull is-stacked-on-mobile is-vertically-aligned-center\" style=\"grid-template-columns:27% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"350\" height=\"350\" src=\"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Sergio-Pimenta.jpg\" alt=\"Sergio Pimenta, IFC\" class=\"wp-image-48086 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Sergio-Pimenta.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Sergio-Pimenta-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Sergio-Pimenta-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Sergio-Pimenta-146x146.jpg 146w, https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Sergio-Pimenta-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-background-color has-text-color has-background has-regular-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">After more than a year of travel restrictions, I planned my first physical visit to sub-Saharan Africa from June 5 to 10. My six days on the ground took me to three key countries in West Africa: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/google-maps-google-go-google-lens-google-arts-culture-decouvrez-les-nouveautes-de-google-pour-six-pays-africains\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Togo<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/patrice-talon-the-shortcomings-that-exist-in-the-media-have-their-origin-in-the-precariousness-of-the-profession-which-nothing-has-prepared-for-the-competition-of-social-networks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Benin<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/hon-isaac-adongo-writes-unipass-icums-is-a-messed-manual-system-stop-the-huge-revenue-theft-and-restore-wes-blue-gcnet-now\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ghana<\/a>. Three neighboring countries, but each with its own unique development needs. As I travelled mostly by road\u2014more than 500 kilometers across the three borders, finding countless moments of inspiration along the way, I had one overarching objective: to better understand how these countries were coping with the economic costs of COVID-19\u2014and how @IFC \u2013 International Finance Corporation could best support their people and private sectors.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[Digital Business Africa &#8211; Expert Opinion &#8211; By Sergio Pimenta*] \u2013 Despite the application of safety protocols and the rollout of vaccines, which are rendering air travel a reasonable option again, physical travel in the midst of a pandemic must be weighed against the rewards. By that measure, I planned my first physical visit to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":48088,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[46585,46541,46583,46582],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-48085","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-experts","8":"category-latest-publications","9":"category-opinions","10":"category-slidehome-en"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.5 (Yoast SEO v27.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Sergio Pimenta: &quot;IFC will focus on manufacturing and agribusiness in addition to access to financing for SMEs, with ICT as a cross-cutting them&quot; - Digital Business Africa<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u2013 Despite the application of safety protocols and the rollout of vaccines, which are rendering air travel a reasonable option again, physical travel in\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sergio Pimenta: &quot;IFC will focus on manufacturing and agribusiness in addition to access to financing for SMEs, with ICT as a cross-cutting them&quot; - Digital Business Africa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u2013 Despite the application of safety protocols and the rollout of vaccines, which are rendering air travel a reasonable option again, physical travel in\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Digital Business Africa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DigitalBusinessAFRIC\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-06-22T17:34:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-06-22T17:53:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/A-road-to-a-resilient-recovery.png?fit=744%2C400&ssl=1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"744\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Digital Business Africa\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@DigitalBusiness\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@DigitalBusiness\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Digital Business Africa\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/en\\\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/en\\\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Digital Business Africa\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/4dc6e28ffc3bae6b602934a5aeeea1be\"},\"headline\":\"Sergio Pimenta: &#8220;IFC will focus on manufacturing and agribusiness in addition to access to financing for SMEs, with ICT as a cross-cutting them&#8221;\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-06-22T17:34:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-06-22T17:53:38+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/en\\\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1272,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/en\\\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/06\\\/A-road-to-a-resilient-recovery.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Experts\",\"LATEST PUBLICATIONS\",\"OPINIONS\",\"SLIDEHOME\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/en\\\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2021\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/en\\\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/en\\\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\\\/\",\"name\":\"Sergio Pimenta: \\\"IFC will focus on manufacturing and agribusiness in addition to access to financing for SMEs, with ICT as a cross-cutting them\\\" - Digital Business Africa\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/en\\\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/en\\\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/06\\\/A-road-to-a-resilient-recovery.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-06-22T17:34:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-06-22T17:53:38+00:00\",\"description\":\"\u2013 Despite the application of safety protocols and the rollout of vaccines, which are rendering air travel a reasonable option again, physical travel in\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/en\\\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/en\\\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/06\\\/A-road-to-a-resilient-recovery.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/06\\\/A-road-to-a-resilient-recovery.png\",\"width\":744,\"height\":400,\"caption\":\"Sergio Pimenta: \\\"IFC will focus on manufacturing and agribusiness in addition to access to financing for SMEs, with ICT as a cross-cutting them\\\"\"},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"Digital Business Africa\",\"description\":\"Le Mag des d\u00e9cideurs consacr\u00e9 \u00e0 l&#039;actualit\u00e9 des TIC, des T\u00e9l\u00e9coms et du Num\u00e9rique en Afrique\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/en\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Digital Business Africa\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/en\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/07\\\/NEW-LOGO-DBA-Sans-Fond.png?fit=2995%2C953&quality=80&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/07\\\/NEW-LOGO-DBA-Sans-Fond.png?fit=2995%2C953&quality=80&ssl=1\",\"width\":2995,\"height\":953,\"caption\":\"Digital Business Africa\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/DigitalBusinessAFRIC\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/DigitalBusiness\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/digitalbusinessafrica\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@DIGITALbusinessafrica\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/4dc6e28ffc3bae6b602934a5aeeea1be\",\"name\":\"Digital Business Africa\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ffd7f0ab4d0062e8d464716557c7a99c423d4fb6a57a3d5ae029638cc8da231e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ffd7f0ab4d0062e8d464716557c7a99c423d4fb6a57a3d5ae029638cc8da231e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ffd7f0ab4d0062e8d464716557c7a99c423d4fb6a57a3d5ae029638cc8da231e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Digital Business Africa\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\\\/en\\\/author\\\/laure\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Sergio Pimenta: \"IFC will focus on manufacturing and agribusiness in addition to access to financing for SMEs, with ICT as a cross-cutting them\" - Digital Business Africa","description":"\u2013 Despite the application of safety protocols and the rollout of vaccines, which are rendering air travel a reasonable option again, physical travel in","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Sergio Pimenta: \"IFC will focus on manufacturing and agribusiness in addition to access to financing for SMEs, with ICT as a cross-cutting them\" - Digital Business Africa","og_description":"\u2013 Despite the application of safety protocols and the rollout of vaccines, which are rendering air travel a reasonable option again, physical travel in","og_url":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\/","og_site_name":"Digital Business Africa","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DigitalBusinessAFRIC","article_published_time":"2021-06-22T17:34:11+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-06-22T17:53:38+00:00","og_image":[{"width":744,"height":400,"url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/A-road-to-a-resilient-recovery.png?fit=744%2C400&ssl=1","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Digital Business Africa","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@DigitalBusiness","twitter_site":"@DigitalBusiness","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Digital Business Africa","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\/"},"author":{"name":"Digital Business Africa","@id":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/4dc6e28ffc3bae6b602934a5aeeea1be"},"headline":"Sergio Pimenta: &#8220;IFC will focus on manufacturing and agribusiness in addition to access to financing for SMEs, with ICT as a cross-cutting them&#8221;","datePublished":"2021-06-22T17:34:11+00:00","dateModified":"2021-06-22T17:53:38+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\/"},"wordCount":1272,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/A-road-to-a-resilient-recovery.png","articleSection":["Experts","LATEST PUBLICATIONS","OPINIONS","SLIDEHOME"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2021","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\/","url":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\/","name":"Sergio Pimenta: \"IFC will focus on manufacturing and agribusiness in addition to access to financing for SMEs, with ICT as a cross-cutting them\" - Digital Business Africa","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/A-road-to-a-resilient-recovery.png","datePublished":"2021-06-22T17:34:11+00:00","dateModified":"2021-06-22T17:53:38+00:00","description":"\u2013 Despite the application of safety protocols and the rollout of vaccines, which are rendering air travel a reasonable option again, physical travel in","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/sergio-pimenta-ifc-will-focus-on-manufacturing-and-agribusiness-in-addition-to-access-to-financing-for-smes-with-ict-as-a-cross-cutting-them\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/A-road-to-a-resilient-recovery.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/A-road-to-a-resilient-recovery.png","width":744,"height":400,"caption":"Sergio Pimenta: \"IFC will focus on manufacturing and agribusiness in addition to access to financing for SMEs, with ICT as a cross-cutting them\""},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/","name":"Digital Business Africa","description":"Le Mag des d\u00e9cideurs consacr\u00e9 \u00e0 l&#039;actualit\u00e9 des TIC, des T\u00e9l\u00e9coms et du Num\u00e9rique en Afrique","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/#organization","name":"Digital Business Africa","url":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/NEW-LOGO-DBA-Sans-Fond.png?fit=2995%2C953&quality=80&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/NEW-LOGO-DBA-Sans-Fond.png?fit=2995%2C953&quality=80&ssl=1","width":2995,"height":953,"caption":"Digital Business Africa"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DigitalBusinessAFRIC","https:\/\/x.com\/DigitalBusiness","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/digitalbusinessafrica","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@DIGITALbusinessafrica"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/4dc6e28ffc3bae6b602934a5aeeea1be","name":"Digital Business Africa","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ffd7f0ab4d0062e8d464716557c7a99c423d4fb6a57a3d5ae029638cc8da231e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ffd7f0ab4d0062e8d464716557c7a99c423d4fb6a57a3d5ae029638cc8da231e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ffd7f0ab4d0062e8d464716557c7a99c423d4fb6a57a3d5ae029638cc8da231e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Digital Business Africa"},"url":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/author\/laure\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/A-road-to-a-resilient-recovery.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48085","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48085"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48085\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48103,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48085\/revisions\/48103"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48088"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48085"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48085"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalbusiness.africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48085"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}