Dr. Ahoua Don Mello, civil engineer and former Director General of the National Bureau of Technical Studies and Development (BNETD), independent candidate in Côte d’Ivoire’s upcoming presidential election, presented his economic program titled “Changing Côte d’Ivoire and Supporting the Private Sector” to the Ivorian business community.

He was speaking on Friday, October 17, 2025, at the “Face au Patronat” forum—an initiative of the Confederation of Ivorian Businesses (CGECI)—which offers presidential candidates a platform to share their economic vision with the private sector ahead of the October 25 election.

During the session, Dr. Don Mello detailed the 42 proposals of his political platform, articulating an economic vision grounded in “economic sovereignty, Pan-Africanism, and democracy.” Addressing business leaders, he outlined his plans for direct enterprise support, public governance reform, social policy, and tax reform.

“My vision is to transform Côte d’Ivoire from a dominated economy into an African economic champion. We import too much, and that weakens our balance of payments,” he stated.

According to him, Côte d’Ivoire has become “a supermarket for Europe and China.”

“We believe in a multipolar world. Côte d’Ivoire must seek technology wherever it exists. We have yet to make the transition from a primary to an industrial economy,” he lamented, emphasizing the need to “fight for economic sovereignty.”

On fiscal policy, Dr. Don Mello denounced what he called “tax injustice and tax fraud,” arguing that the State should “adopt a more educational approach toward economic operators.”

Regarding public governance and the fight against corruption, he advocated for the establishment of checks and balances, criticizing what he described as “partisan justice.”

“The State must act as a fair referee between SMEs and multinational corporations,” he proposed, while also calling for the creation of a sovereign wealth fund in Côte d’Ivoire.

Dr. Don Mello also shared his ambitions for the Ivorian private sector, calling for an “energy and industrial revolution” to drive national development.

The presidential campaign officially ends on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at midnight. The CGECI currently brings together over 4,000 companies from all sectors of the Ivorian economy.