Concerned Kriola denounces obstacles to opening a business in Cape Verde

A Concerned Kriola, born and raised in the United States, recently recounted the difficulties she faced when trying to open a business in Cape Verde. The entrepreneur, who was looking to invest in her home country, described the licensing process at the Praia City Council as “an unattainable task” marked by “disorganization, blatant disrespect and corrupt attitudes.”

The Concerned Kriola, whose name was not disclosed, claims to have submitted the license request several months ago to the Treasury technician, Xisto Tavares . Despite multiple attempts to contact him, she received no response or information about the status of her case. The entrepreneur also contacted the director of the Farm Planning Department, José Lopes , but without success.

She expressed frustration with the lack of consideration from public officials. She highlights that even after contacting the councilwoman Kyrrah Varela and the president of the Camara himself, Francisco Carvalho, they made promises including Carvalho saying she would "advance" but both proved indifferent to her requests. 'How can Cape Verdeans gain equity or 'advance' when they encounter a city hall and a council member who refuse to work with their own community?', she questions.

The entrepreneur criticized the lack of transparency and efficiency of the local government, stating that bureaucracy and possible corruption are impeding the country's economic development. She also highlighted the lack of support from organizations responsible for promoting entrepreneurship in Cape Verde, such as CVtradeinvest, led by José Almada Dias , and ProEmpressa, led by Edney Cabral .

The Concerned Kriola has called on the Cape Verdean community in the diaspora to raise awareness of the obstacles faced by local entrepreneurs. It hopes that this report can help pressure the government to take steps to simplify the licensing process and combat corruption.

Furthermore, she criticized the Minister of Communities, Jorge Pedro dos Santos , for his lack of response to community concerns. She believes the minister is violating his role as a representative of the population by ignoring the problems faced by entrepreneurs.