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Home / Zones / PIC

Plateformes Industrielles du Congo

Republic of Congo | Special Economic Zone

about PIC

The Republic of Congo is a Central African country, straddled by Africa's most powerful river. Covering almost 65% of the country's land area, the Congo Basin Forest is one of the country's ecological prides, and it is the 2nd largest troprical forest in the world after the Amazon rainforest.

It is the world's largest carbon sink, absorbing more carbon than the Amazon. 3rd largest exporter of roundwood, 4th largest exporter of wood products in Africa after South Africa, Cameroon and Gabon, the Republic of Congo is the third largest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa. Plateformes Industrielles du Congo (PIC) is a public private partnership between ARISE IIP and the Republic of Congo.

The objective of this partnership is to develop 3 SEZ in Pointe-Noire the economic capital of the country, Oyo and Ouesso. The main priority now is the zone in PNR, with a surface area of 2,700 hectares, which we are approaching in 2 phases. We're in phase 1, which covers just over 465 hectares.

With this project, the government intends to diversify its economy, which until now has relied solely on revenues generated by the oil sector. It would also like to develop the value chain of natural resources available in the country, by processing them locally. One of the reasons for this project is also to generate employment.

2,700 Ha

Zone Area

Congo

Location

$1.85 Bn

FDIs Target

PIC investment sectors

Timber & Wood Processing

Timber Species

300+

Eucalyptus

15K Ha

Logs Supply

600K cbm

The Republic of Congo straddles the equator and is 70% covered by the world's second biggest rainforest - the Congo Rainforest. This makes the country rich in valuable natural timber species useful in various timber transformation industries.

Oil & Gas

Annual Gas Flare Vol.

50 Bn CM

The Republic of Congo has major Oil and Gas reserves, and is the 4th largest oil producer in sub saharan Africa. Along with crude oil exploration, there is around 1.8 billion cbm of natural gas flared every year. This presents a huge opportunity to utilize this gas in energy intensive industries, as well of production of numerous chemicals.

Construction Materials

CAGR

4.2%

Infra Spends

$10 Bn

Republic of Congo's infrastructure push creates high demand for construction materials! Invest in supplying essential materials like cement, steel, and aggregates. Benefit from government projects & private construction. Reduce reliance on imports, shorten supply chains, and capitalize on a growing market.

Chemicals

Import Dependency

$1.5 Bn

Regional Growth

4.8%

Republic of Congo's industrial surge creates high demand for domestic chemicals! Invest in import substitution to capture this high-growth market. Reduce reliance on expensive imports, shorten supply chains, and benefit from competitive costs.

Metals & Mining

Resources

Copper, Potash, Iron Ore

The Republic of Congo has rich reserves of various minerals, including copper, potash, iron ore, etc. which are currently underutilised. The country has 1 copper cathode unit, and has a lot of room for expansion in this field. The Iron ore reserves are barely utilized, and this represents a huge opportunity for steel and allied industries.

PIC investment opportunities

Sawn Wood

Market Size

$500 Bn

Africa's sawn wood market is booming! Driven by urbanization and construction, demand is surging, creating a multi-billion opportunity for investors.

Glass Manufacturing

Market Size

$300 Bn

Glass is one of the most versatile materials with uses in construction, FMCG, and many more industries. Glass making is an energy intensive process, with huge demand for fuel and electricity. PICP offers both these utilities at highly competitive tariffs and abundantly.

Caustic Soda

Market Size

$50 Bn

Demand for caustic soda in Republic of Congo's pulp & paper, textiles, & water treatment is surging. Invest in domestic production to capture a growing market, reduce reliance on imports, and empower local industries.

Methanol

Market Size

$100 Bn

Methanol is one of the most versatile chemicals which finds many applications across industries. The main raw material for Methanol is Methane gas or natural gas, which is abundantly available as a natural resource in the country.

Paper & Pulp

Eucalyptus Plantation

15,000 Ha

Supply

600,000 cbm

Republic of Congo has about 15,000 Ha of mature eucalyptus plantations, with an ability to supply 600,000 cbm wood per year for paper and pulp industries.

Furniture

African Furniture Market

$30 Bn by 2025

Furniture is one of the biggest industries in Republic of Congo, and today, the country imports around USD 23 Million worth of furniture annually.

MDF

Market Size

$40 Bn

MDF or Medium Density Fiberboard, has become one of the most versatile woodworking product in recent times. The demand of MDF is rising at a rapid rate, as it is highly suitable for interior designing, and construction purposes.

Plywood

Demand

30,000 cbm

Production

8,000 cbm

Supply

600,000 cbm

Plywood is a very important construction material which is in high demand in all markets. Currently, the Republic of Congo is an importer of plywood along with DRC and Angola, which are nearby large markets. With all resources available within the country, like Okoume and Eucalyptus for face and core veneer respectively, it is a very good opportunity to manufacture plywood.

Veneer

Market Size

$30 Bn

Republic of Congo is one of the few countries with Okoume wood in the forests, which is abundantly available. This wood is prized due to the fact that it is a softwood and can be efficiently used for peeled veneers. This veneer has a huge demand in the plywood industry.

Metal Refining

Resources

Copper, Iron & Metal Ores

Geological surveys suggest the presence of sizeable copper, iron and other metal deposits across the RoC. However, limited exploration has left the true extent of these reserves untapped.

why invest in PIC?

Business Ease & Advantages

The World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index provides insights into the ROC's business climate.
The country has made strides in simplifying processes, but challenges persist. The zone offers many advantages for investors.
In fact, electricity and water costs are extremely low compared to those outside the zone. The single building window is also one of the advantages of the zone, as it facilitates administrative procedures for investors, from setting up a company to obtaining tax exemptions.
Location Ease: The port planned for the zone, which will be connected to the main port of the city located less than 10km from the zone by sea, will facilitate the import/export relationship for investors. Currently, the zone is 17 kms away from the Port of Pointe-Noire (by road) and less than 10km by sea; from Pointe Noire to Brazzaville main capital of the city only 45 minutes by plane, both cities have one international airport each; there are possibilities to travel by road and train within the countries.
Investors will also benefit from tax exemptions, notably concerning customs duties, corporate income tax as well as the repatriation of funds.

Fiscal Incentives For Businesses

Custom Duties: Exemption from all customs duties and taxes while importing machinery equipment, raw materials, office supplies, vehicles, etc.
Corporate Tax: 100% exemption on corporate tax for first 10 years, afterwards nominal 10%
Repatriation of Funds: Government allows to repatriate 100% of capital and profits from Congo.

ZONE gallery

PIC Progress 1

PIC Progress 2

PIC Progress 3

PIC Progress 4

PIC Progress 5

PIC Progress 6

€150 Mn

Total investment in infrastructure

5,000+

Job creation in Pointe-Noire

2235 Ha

Total planned area size of Phase 2

FACILITIES IN PIC

Road Network

Jetty

Port Connectivity

Medical Centre

Internet

Water Supply

Single Window Operation

Raw Materials

Training Centre

Drainage System

Electricity

Construction Ready Land

Police Station

Fire Station

PIC REPORTS & DOCUMENTS

PIC Brochure

An Ecosystem to serve the Industrialization of Congo

Investors- Cahier Des Charges

T&C For Investors Operating in PIC

Environment, Health & Safety Code of Conduct

For Investors & Units Of PIC Special Economic Zone

Master Plan of PIC Pointe-Noire

Special Economic Zone Plan

Master Plan of PIC Oyo

Special Economic Zone Plan

Our clients

Visions & testimonials

Denis Sassou N’Guesso
President of Republic of Congo

The 2021-2026 Social project of the Republic of Congo is focused on the industrialization of the country. The implementation of this ambitious plan – to structurally transform our economy – is based on the development of four existing special economic zones (SEZs), including: Pointe-Noire, Brazzavi...

Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso
Minister for International Cooperation & PPPs

At the dawn of the opening of the continental free trade zone, our country located in the heart of Africa must be a strategic hub for production, processing and distribution. It is in this perspective that the government of the Republic of Congo has decided to trust the ARISE group to ensure the dev...

Jean-Marc Thystere Tchicaya
Minister of SEZs & Economic Diversification

We welcome the partnership with the Arise IIP Group which, through the Industrial Platforms of Congo Pointe-Noire (PICP), is working hard to, in particular, make the Special Economic Zone of Pointe-Noire operational which, on relying on sectors with high growth potential, will become the driving for...

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