Guinea-Bissau Frustrates Entrepreneurs

Guinea-Bissau, like many African countries, is a difficult place to do business. Some of the obstacles include unclear regulations, pervasive corruption, political instability and the lack of infrastructure. Phuong Tran met with entrepreneurs who say the coastal country presents some business opportunities, but also a lot of frustration.

Romain Boitard, an aid worker in Bissau who works with civil society groups, says cashew processing could be profitable in Guinea-Bissau, if it were not for the taxes, delays and general headaches entrepreneurs face.

"For an entrepreneur to start up a business here, he really has to be an adventurer," said Boitard. "There is quite a bit of equipment involved. You need to dry (the cashew], grill it, break the outside, break it just right so the nut looks at the end, looks good, and you feel like eating it. You need to get a machine. If you wanted to get one of these machines, it would take you months to get it out of the port. It makes it difficult for anybody with good ideas to implement them."

Boitard says the capital's port does not operate regularly, adding another hurdle to any would-be entrepreneur.

According to the U.S.-based Heritage Foundation, starting a business in Guinea Bissau takes more that five times the world average of 43 days.