On Wednesday, October 14, Côte d’Ivoire adopted a decree establishing the conditions for carrying out activities related to petroleum products and biofuels, from their importation to their distribution. Announced at the conclusion of the Council of Ministers in Abidjan, the text aims to strengthen the fight against fraud and improve safety in the sector.
For operators, the framework covers two sets of rules. It first determines the activities requiring prior authorization from the administration responsible for hydrocarbons, then specifies the general and specific conditions under which they may be carried out. Storage, transportation, processing, export, and analysis of the products also fall within its scope.
The facilities constitute the second component. Depots, terminals, docks, pipelines, and means of transport are involved at various stages of their use. The decree regulates their creation and commissioning, as well as their development, expansion, closure, and dismantling, with requirements related to the environment and public health.
The explicit inclusion of biofuels extends this regulatory presentation beyond petroleum fuels alone. The announced text concerns the organization and operating conditions of the sector. The statement does not present any new pump price or detailed schedule for operators’ compliance.
The government links this decree to the law of July 30, 1992, on the repression of fraud in petroleum products and compliance with technical safety requirements. It also plans to clarify the technical vocabulary used in the sector, said its spokesperson, Amadou Coulibaly.
At the same meeting, six separate decrees granted mining exploration permits for four years. Five concern gold and the sixth copper and nickel, according to the Council of Ministers’ statement.
