Compagine Ivoirienne d electricity Private company responsible for the production, transport, export, import, distribution and marketing of electric power throughout the territory of Côte d'Ivoire, and in the West African sub-region, the CIE is one of the leaders in its sector on the African continent. The State of Côte d'Ivoire and the CIE are bound by a contract of leasing type concession agreement. Aware of the importance of the electricity sector for the well-being of the people and the economic development of Côte d'Ivoire, and in the light of the lessons learned from their first period of collaboration (1990-2005), the State of Côte d'Ivoire and the CIE have indicated their intention to continue their partnership for a further period of 15 years (2005-2020) and strengthening on the basis of the following principles and objectives: The need to optimize management of the electricity sector costs and to improve its technical performance and the effectiveness of its management; the need to accelerate the access to electricity of the population currently unserved; the supply of electricity to the largest number of customers at a reasonable price; the desire to consolidate the role of Côte d'Ivoire in the provision of electrical energy in the region; the need to ensure the financial equilibrium of the electricity sector, both in its global dimension and for each of its operators, in order to make possible its development; the need to optimise the means to finance investments in the electricity sector by implementing appropriate mechanisms; transparency in the management of Service conceded and the strengthening of mechanisms to ensure, including through a periodic review; continuity of the general framework of the granted both Service management in what concerns the nature of the contract as the functional and geographic Concession perimeters; the recognition of the complementarity of roles and functions between the licensing authority and the concessionaire, as well as the will of the Parties to strengthen their collaboration for the development of the electricity sector;