Pico Cao Grande Monolith – Sao Tome

DISCOVER SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE

 

  • Country Profile
This small, poor island economy has become increasingly dependent on cocoa since independence in 1975. Cocoa production has substantially declined in recent years because of drought and mismanagement. Sao Tome and Principe has to import fuels, most manufactured goods, consumer goods, and food, making it vulnerable to fluctuations in global commodity prices. Maintaining control of inflation, fiscal discipline, and increasing flows of foreign direct investment into the oil sector are major economic problems facing the country. The government also has attempted to reduce price controls and subsidies.
Over the years, Sao Tome and Principe has had difficulty servicing its external debt and has relied heavily on concessional aid and debt rescheduling. It benefited from $200 million in debt relief in December 2000 under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries program, which helped bring down the country’s $300 million debt burden. In August 2005, the government signed on to a new 3-year IMF Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility program worth $4.3 million. In April 2011, the country completed a Threshold Country Program with The Millennium Challenge Corporation to help increase tax revenues, reform customs, and improve the business environment.
Considerable potential exists for development of a tourist industry, and the government has taken steps to expand facilities in recent years. Potential also exists for the development of petroleum resources in Sao Tome and Principe’s territorial waters in the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea, which are being jointly developed in a 60-40 split with Nigeria, but any actual production is at least several years off. The first production licenses were sold in 2004, though a dispute over licensing with Nigeria delayed the country’s receipt of more than $20 million in signing bonuses for almost a year.

Source: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Library

  • AGOA Apparel Status

Sao Tome and principe was designated as AGOA Eligible Country on October 2nd 2000. Sao Tome and principe has not yet been declared eligible for Apparel Provision and does not benefit the Lesser Developed Country Special Rule for Apparel (3rd country fabric) nor Lesser Developed Country Rule for Certain Textile Articles (Category 0). Regarding the Category 9 Textile Products, Sao Tome and principe is not yet eligible to export Handloomed / Handmade, nor the folklore annex and ethnic printed fabrics.

  • United States of America Embassy to Sao Tome and Principe
  • Sao Tome and Principe Embassy to the United States 
  • Addresss: 1211 Connecticut Ave NW # 300, Washington, DC 20036
    Phone: +1 (202) 775-2075 
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