Current EIIP Involvement 

For the time being, unfortunately, we have no operations which are going on in São Tomé and Príncipe. For the immediate future, the ILO is working closely with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the National Institute of Roads (INAE) of the Public Works Ministry to be involved in the second phase of the Infrastructure Rehabilitation for Food Security Support Project (PRIASA). The project aims to provide communities with appropriate infrastructure and support them so they can regularly produce and sell agricultural and fishery products in sufficient quantities and with better quality. The target of the ILO’s involvement is the strengthening of the capacities of the national technicians of the INAE and the GIMEs (Road Maintenance Interest Groups) in order to allow them to provide reliable road rehabilitation.

In addition, we’ve started discussions with the African Development Bank in order to be involved in the new project the AfDB is currently developing within the GAFSP (World Program for Agriculture and Food Security). Indeed, the project would include some rehabilitation of rural roads for which the ILO’s technical assistance can be required for this component.

Historical Information

For the previous years, the level of involvement of the EIIP unit in São Tomé and Príncipe is also very weak despite several attempts mostly because of the shortage of funds and the issues related to language. However, with the support of the European Union and the African Development Bank, the São Tomé and Príncipe Government has been able to launch some initiatives in order to promote the Employment Intensive Investment methods. The EU through its different projects has contributed to the creation of GIMES and the strengthening of the capacities of the INAE’s national technicians. These actions have been reinforced with the two projects financed by the AfDB.