Washington, DC — The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) today announced that PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) will sponsor the 7th Biennial U.S.– Africa Business Summit: Realizing the Investment Power of Africa, to be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., from September 29 to October 1, 2009.
PwC is taking an active role in bringing relevant and timely experience to companies interested in investing in Africa. David Gilbertson and Gilles de Vignemont, tax directors with PwC's International Tax Services practice, will lead sessions entitled Experience and Effects of Private Equity in Africa and Tax Implications of Investing in Africa, respectively. De Vignemont, who leads the African Tax Group within the U.S. firm's International Tax Desk program, joins Stephen Cashin, CEO of The Pan African Capital Group. Richard Paterson, PwC global energy, utilities and mining leader, will also moderate a workshop on the development of energy natural resources in Africa.
Last year, PwC and the World Bank released Paying Taxes 2009, the third report in an annual series that compares the ease of paying taxes for a small- to medium-sized domestic company in 181 countries worldwide. Forty-six African countries were included in the report, with the nations of Mauritius and Botswana ranked among the top 20 countries for ease of paying taxes. The report analyzes tax systems around the world and tracks related reform efforts, prompting dialogue between governments and business on the subject of tax reform.
"The Paying Taxes work undertaken by the World Bank and PwC is an instrumental and informative study," notes Stephen Hayes, president and CEO of CCA. "Paying Taxes highlights key issues within different tax systems in Africa and helps identify policies that must be addressed by both the private and public sectors."
The three-day summit is expected to attract more than 1,500 leaders from the private and public sectors in the U.S. and Africa. Participants will have the opportunity to network with key African and U.S. private sector and government representatives and attend more than 50 industry-specific sessions and workshops on Africa's most promising economic sectors, including financing, natural resource development, agribusiness, infrastructure, health, power, trade, and tourism.
For more information and to register for the 7th Biennial U.S. – Africa Business Summit, visit: www.africacncl.org. Through an electronic matchmaking program, summit registrants may schedule meetings with PricewaterhouseCoopers by registering at: http://meetings.pgcedc.com/register.html. All working media must be credentialed to cover the summit. Please open the following link: 09 Summit Media Credential Form and submit media form to: summit@africacncl.org.
PricewaterhouseCoopers joins Chevron; Exxon Mobil; Shell; Lockheed Martin; Fleishman-Hillard; Novus International; Marathon Oil Company; Northrop Grumman; South African Airways; USAID; AECOM; Acrow Bridges; Colgate Palmolive; Hess Corporation; allAfrica.com; Group Jeune Afrique; Abbott Fund; The Africa Report; Acrow Bridges; Raytheon; SOC; Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.; Johnson & Johnson; JR Boulle Corporations; Merck & Co. Inc; Pfizer; SEACOM; Tetra Tech; Africa Export-Import Bank; American Cancer Society; Boeing Company; CCA HIV/AIDS Initiative; Emerging Capitals Partners; Development Finance International; Gauteng Province; L-1 Identity Solutions; Millennium Challenge Corporation; Mars, Inc.; MITC Investimentos; EMEA Finance; New Africa U.K. Ltd.; Spintellingent; and Buchanan Renewables, as sponsors of the summit.
About PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers (www.pwc.com) provides industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to build public trust and enhance value for its clients and their stakeholders. More than 154,000 people in 153 countries across our network share their thinking, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice. "PricewaterhouseCoopers" refers to the network of member firms of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, each of which is a separate and independent legal entity.
About The Corporate Council on Africa
Established in 1993, The Corporate Council on Africa is a nonpartisan 501 (c) (3) membership organization of nearly 180 U.S. companies dedicated to strengthening the commercial relationship between the U.S. and Africa. CCA members represent nearly 85 percent of total U.S. private sector investments in Africa. The organization is dedicated to bringing together potential business partners and to showcase business opportunities on the continent.
CONTACT: Nicole Amarteifio, CCA, (202) 263-3538, namarteifio@africacncl.org
CONTACT: Maggie O'Donovan-Bolton, PwC, (914) 921-4181, maggie.o.bolton@us.pwc.com
