For this edition of the Bulletin, we had a chat with Mr. Ali Abbas Seitchi, President of the National Social Dialogue Committee (CNDS in French) of Chad as well as Founding Member of the National Council of employers in Chad (Conseil National du Patronat Tchadien), on the latest discussions within the CNDS and the economic and social priorities in Chad.

Question: Could you describe the composition and role of the CNDS?

The CNDS is a tripartite institution which brings together 25 members, eight workers' representatives, 8 employers’ representatives and 9 government’s members.

The institution is chaired by an independent President.

Considering my expertise in the themes of social dialogue and the capacities acquired during several activities organized by the International Labour Office (ILO Office), I have been appointed as President of the CNDS since 2013.

The CNDS mainly plays a consultative and negotiating role, but above all, it is an entity allowing social partners to anticipate issues and possible difficulties and put forward solutions.

The consultation covers, for example, themes such as productivity, competitiveness in the public as well as in the private sector, the tax burden, working conditions, etc.

Question: what are the topics currently discussed by the CNDS?

We deal with several subjects of social, economic, fiscal and legal nature.

For instance, we are working on the conclusion of a three-year social pact between the government and the trade union organizations of the public sector employees; we give our view on how to improve the management of the public spending and tax collection, as emphasized in the document prepared by the CNDS tripartite technical committee.

Another theme of great relevance relates to the several hundreds of billions of CFA francs in public debt. We advised the government to solve this issue, with the help of technical and financial partners (United Nations Development Programme, ILO Office, the World Bank and Private banks).

Finally, a topic of great importance is the improvement of the performance of the judiciary, as well as its level of independence.

Question: what are the priorities for Chadian employers?

Chadian employers have repeatedly stressed the importance of companies that invest and establish themselves in Chad. They contribute to economic success, increased growth and employment.

With a study on the diversification of the Chadian economy, commissioned by the CNDS and carried out with the help of the ILO Office, the Chadian employers are trying to promote economic reactivation.

In this regard, we deplore how multinational companies are literally harassed by the tax and control authorities. This in a context of companies already weakened by the economic crisis of 2016 and especially by the situation linked to Covid-19.

Chadian employers are asking for concrete support for companies that have been heavily impacted by the government’s health measures, particularly in sectors such as land and air transport, hotels, restaurants and tourism whose business turnover has collapsed.