Dr Sid Boubekeur Email & Phone Number

Castelldefels, Ct, Es

Castelldefels, Ct, Es

Gaborone - Botswana

The project is focusing on the improvement of ease of doing business, notably through the development of e-governance services and related digitalisation of processes (Enterprise Architecture Blueprint, e-single window, Botswana One Stop Services Centre for potential investors). Another component of the project is the upgrading of the eco-tourism value chain, including a Grant Facility for the Botswana Local Communities for taking advantage of the economic opportunities offered by the Okavango Delta. JCIC project is funded by European Union. The main beneficiary are the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Communication, Knowledge and Technology, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Botswana Digital and Innovation Hub, Botswana Investment and Trade Centre, Botswana Tourism Organisation, the Community Based Natural Resources Management Network (CBNRM) and Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) . The Technical assistance is provided by Ginger SOFRECO Group, Deloitte and Finnish Consulting Group (FCG).

Catalonia, Spain

In the framework of ‘’African Union (AU) SME Strategy’’, the aim of the project is to design a Policy document dedicated at providing guidance and an action plan to Governments and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) on how to create a dynamic SME business ecosystems in Africa. This will provide the SMEs with the assets and pathways that allow them take advantage of the ‘’Global Gateway’’ and the ‘’Blended financing’’ instruments put in place by EU and Development Finance Institutions. The policy document will also provide recommendations on how SMEs could benefit from the opportunities offered by the regional and continental trade protocol agreements, in particular the AfCTA to accelerate the delivery of Agenda 2063 aspirations towards the ‘’Africa we Want’.More precisely, the project will assess the Government policies towards SME development, the infrastructure dedicated to increasing investment and which offers opportunities for accelerating subcontracting and outsourcing activities from large companies to SMEs in Special Economic Zones (SEZs). It will analyse the governance structures and regulations of SEZs and will provide recommendations and an action plan for boosting business linkages between SEZs companies and local SMEs. This will lead to the creation of a pipeline of a local viable SMEs project that will likely attract investors or financing from development banks, Venture Capital Funds, Business Angels, and Challenges funds. The partnership between SEZs companies and local SMEs will generate positive effects on local economic development and on job creation. This project financed under the ‘’French-Africa Union Technical Facility’’ and implemented by Expertise France will mobilize two outstanding experts in their domains: Peter Kuria Githinji (SME ecosystem expert) and Michael Castel-Miller (Industrial Policy expert) with whom I had the opportunity to design the feasibility study for the establishment of SEZ in Vanuatu.

Castelldefels, Catalonia, Spain

Port-Vila (Vanuatu)

Vanuatu Value Chains programme (VaVaC- Horticulture, Coconut, Livestock). Budget support 11th European Development Fund). Technical assistance to the Ministry of Trade and Industry mandated to support MSMEs and cooperatives in the framework of VaVac programme● Designed the Ministry ‘’Corporate Plan 2020-2023’’, including recommendations for restructuring the Departments for supporting the private sector more efficiently● Reviewed and completed the "Trade Policy Framework 2019-2025" and the "Investment Promotion Policy 2019- 2029"● Designed the ‘’Trade Ready Programme’’ aiming to ameliorate the support of the Ministry to the private sector and to upgrade the competitiveness of 100 MSMEs and cooperatives for meeting the domestic and export markets’● Assistance to the Trade Development Division and the Department of Industry for setting up a Knowledge Management System and Market Intelligence Information System● Designed the mission, mandate, activities, budget of three Public Private Working Groups (livestock, fruits and vegetables and coconuts) mandated to formulating recommendations to the Government on the amelioration of the business environment and investment climate for producers, investors and exporters● Support to the Bureau of Standardization to improve its services on sanitary control and certification of processed agricultural products● Designed a credit and grant facility for MSMEs to be setting up by the Ministry with donors funding● Support to the Bureau of Statistics to update the information and data in the three value chains● Initiated collaboration between the Department of Industry and Vanuatu Tech-Labs‘’Yumiwork’’ supporting young entrepreneurs and start-ups● Organized a PPD conference on ‘’Economic Development Zone’’ (EDZ) and coordinated a feasibility study, including recommendations for the governance structure of EDZ● Advised the Department of Industry on call for proposals for supporting MSMEs in response to COVID 19 negative impacts.

Spain

Feasibility study on the establishment of “Enterprise Africa Network (EAN)” online platform: Joint Africa-EU Strategy (JAES) Support Mechanism, 0.25M€, EC budget. Management of EAN project, one of the objectives of which was to facilitate the connectivity of African business community to the regional and con-tinental market in the context of AfCTA● Management of a PMU team of 5 local experts, including planning, monitoring of activities and technical re-porting● Consultations on the establishment of EAN platform with the African Union Commission (AUC), NEPAD, Regional Economic Commissions-REC’s (ECCAS, ECOWAS, COMESA, SADC secretariat) and development banks (AfDB, EIB, Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund, Africa Business Angels Net-work…)● Mapping of regional and continental private sector organizations, including women and young entrepreneurship development institutions supporting SMEs and start-ups and EU organizations interested in collaboration opportunities with their African counterparts (European Enterprise Network, EUROCHAMBERS, EBCAM, ETPO)● Mapping of key business leaders in Africa, Tech-Labs, accelerators, incubators, innovation centres, e-commerce, e-payment and FinTech platforms● Mapping of development finance institutions, venture capital funds, business angels active in Africa, including the one members the EU External Investment Plan (EIP) and offering credit or guarantee facilities to SMEs and start-ups in Africa ● Organization and facilitation of the validation meeting on the establishment of EAN online platform with the AUC Department of Industry and Trade, EUD, RECs, NEPAD, UNDP, ITC, UNIDO, AfDB, EIB, Pan-African Chambers of Commerce and Industry, regional and continental private sector organizations and African business leaders.

Castelldefels,Catalonia, Spain

Stimulate and sustain SMEs investments in Africa via implementation of Private Sector Development Programmes.Building partnerships between Business Development Services, Development Banks and Venture Capital Funds in order to implement interventions combining technical assistance with equity/loan.Mobilisation of Business Development Services to upgrade the performance of SMEs for better accessing finance. Monitoring loan performance for SMEs to ameliorate the pay-back rate to financial institutions. BOARD member of ADIC (African Development and Investment Convention), Zurich, Switzerland

Gaborone, Botswana

Regional and national Private Sector Development Programmes under 10th EDF (EUR 16M).Economic diplomacy in support of Southern Africa and European institutions to support trade and the private sector. Management of a PMU of 20 experts mandated to formulate, implement and monitor technical assistance projects aimed at strengthening trade, investments and competitiveness of SMEs for meeting the regional and international markets, accessing finance ● Implementation of regional integration policies and strategies aimed at facilitating the business climate, developing intra-regional trade, promoting investment and generating employment● Supervision of sector and value chain studies in agro-industry to identifying investment and export opportunities● Organization of national and regional public and private meetings● Management of the "Energy Efficiency Management Programme " which aimed to support 50 SMEs to reduce energy consumption through investment in energy-efficient equipment● Support to innovative financing mechanisms for SMEs combining credit with technical assistance ● Enhanced the capacity of the Standard Quality Accreditation and Metrology organizations●Organization of information and awareness campaigns on the EU EPA●Facilitation of networking between Southern Africa privates sector organizations and European trade and investment agencies (EUROCHAMBRE, EBCAM, ETPO)● Established collaborations with Business Development Organizations, innovation hubs, Tech labs supporting young entrepreneurs and graduated students willing to create start-ups● Management of ‘’Women Entrepreneurship Development Programme’’. Support to 30 women led MSMEs and start-ups in horticulture, dairy, leather, textiles, handicraft, ITC and tourism sectors, including modernizing their equipment and establishing digital tools (website and social media) for marketing of their products and services.

Brussels, Belgium

• Management of road maintenance programmes in co-operation with the Delegations of European Union and the World Bank (Sub Saharan Africa Transport Policy, SSATP)Targeted countries : Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Madagascar, Tanzania• Water maintenance programme. Targeted countries: Botswana, Djibouti, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Senegal, ZambiaThe objective of both programmes was to encourage subcontracting between the public works contractors and SME's and to capacitate them on performance based management contract.Average annual budget: € 1,000,000

Brussels, Belgium

• Supervision of studies of sectors with growth potential in ACP regions and validation with ACP and EU stakeholders (Regional Organisations, Professional Associations)• In charge of Calls for Proposal to select ACP-EU-service providers for the organisation of investment conferences in the Tourism Industry (Caribbean, Pacific), Transport-Water-Energy and ITC (Caribbean, West and Central Africa)• Managing and coaching ACP-EU services providers to deliver successful events, generating partnerships between companies Average annual budget: € 3,000,000

Brussels, Belgium

• Assisting SMEs in the development of their capacity building needs;• Mobilization of a network of African and European service providers to assist SMEs • Organisation of group seminars and individual coaching of SMEs in order to improve their performance• Organisation of investment conferences financed and organised in co-operation with the European Commission and regional African organisations • Participation in the creation of the African association ‘’Afristone’’, whose purpose was to ensure the promotion of marble and granite in Europe Average annual budget: € 800,000

Vienna, Austria

• Development and management of assistance programs in the construction industry in Africa• Management of a team of local and international experts in charge of the transfer of know-how in the field of the design and implementation of low-cost construction projects. • Beneficiaries: construction companies and suppliers of building materials, services providers and laboratories, real estate companies.Clients: Ministry of Industries and Ministries of Housing in West and Central Africa.

Lyon And Paris, France

• Evaluation of human resources of the main French construction companies and recommendations to increase their productivity Client: Plan Construction, Ministry of Public Works, Paris, France• Research focusing on building materials and the construction industry in developing countries Clients: GRET (Paris, France), UNIDO, Vienna

Doctor Of Economics And Management, Transfer Of Technology And Know-How, With Honour. Thesis Published By Editor L'Harmattan, France

Activities and Societies: Researcher, Associate to Centre de Recherche National Scientifique (CNRS) Topics : value chain analysis.

Bachelor’S Degree, Economics