CFAF 4.8 billion to support Higher Education and FONEA
08 Jul, 2020
On Wednesday 8 July 2020, in the conference room of the Ministry of Finance and Budget in Brazzaville, the Ambassador of France to Congo, François Barateau; the Director of the French Development Agency (AFD), Lionel Cafferini, and the Congolese Government represented by the Minister of Finance and Budget, Calixte Nganongo, signed two grant agreements for a total amount of 7.35 million euros (i.e. 4.8 billion CFA francs).
The first grant agreement concerns the Support Programme for the Modernization of Higher Education (AMES), amounting to approximately 7 million euros (4.6 billion CFA francs). This four-year program will, with AFD support, strengthen the training of trainers; finance research projects; promote research results and the employability of graduates; foster collaboration between the Congolese university and professional circles; and support and boost the development of partnerships between the Congolese university and French higher education institutions.
The second agreement concerns support in the amount of about 350 thousand euros (229 million F CFA), to accompany the National Support Fund for Employability and Apprenticeship (FONEA) of the Republic of Congo. This fund is intended for the training of agents; the structuring of a sustainable financing mechanism, through the collection of the apprenticeship tax; the development of an information system for the management of FONEA activities and the implementation of tools for steering, communication, monitoring and evaluation of the FONEA.
"Contributing to the diversification of the Congolese economy; supporting companies in their rise in competitiveness; promoting the social and professional integration of young people, these are some of the ambitions that I have at heart to carry, in a determined and demanding way, to support your country," said François Barateau.
This ceremony took place in the presence of two other members of the Congolese government: the Minister of Higher Education, Bruno Jean Richard Itoua, and his colleague of Scientific Research and Technological Innovation, Martin Parfait Aimé CoussoudMavoungou.
This signing comes 9 months after the 4 October 2019 signing in Brazzaville of the 8 million euros (CFAF 5.2 billion) AFD financing agreement to support the training of skilled workers in Congo's Education, Training and Apprenticeship Centers (CEFA).
