Guinea, formally the Republic of Guinea, is a West African coastal republic. Guinea is bounded on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, on the northwest by Guinea-Bissau, on the north by Senegal, on the northeast by Mali, on the southeast by Cote d'Ivoire, and on the south by Sierra Leone and Liberia. Formerly known as French Guinea, the current nation is often referred to as Guinea-Conakry after its capital Conakry, to differentiate it from other territories in the namesake area, such as Guinea-Bissau and Equatorial Guinea. Guinea is home to 12.4 million people and has an area of 245,857 square kilometers (94,926 sq mi).
Guinea became independent of France in 1958. It has a lengthy history of military takeovers. Guinea had its first democratic elections in 2010, following decades of authoritarian government. Despite the fact that Guinea continued to have multi-party elections, the nation faced ethnic strife, extensive corruption, and abuses by the military and police. Human rights are still a contentious subject in Guinea. Torture by security personnel and mistreatment of women and children (including female genital mutilation) were listed as continuing human rights violations by the US government in 2011. A military group deposed President Alpha Condé and suspended the constitution in 2021.
Guinea is an Islamic nation, with Muslims constituting 85 percent of the population. Guineans are divided into twenty-four ethnic groupings. The nation is split into four geographical regions: Maritime Guinea on the low-lying Atlantic coast, Fouta Djallon or Middle Guinea highlands, Upper Guinea savanna area in the northeast, and Guinée forestière tropical forest region. The official language of Guinea is French, which is also used in schools, government administration, and the media, although more than twenty-four indigenous languages are also spoken. The most numerous are by far Susu, Pular, and Maninka, which predominate in Maritime Guinea, Fouta Djallon, and Upper Guinea, respectively, although Guinée forestière is ethnolinguistically varied.
Guinea's economy is heavily reliant on agriculture and mineral extraction. It is the world's second-biggest producer of bauxite and has extensive diamond and gold reserves. The nation was at the epicenter of the Ebola epidemic in 2014.
After one year of work, employees are entitled to 2.5 days of annual leave every month.
Guinea observes the following public holidays:
New Year Day
Second Republic Day
Easter Monday
Labor Day
Laylat Al-Qadr
Eid Al-Fitr
African Liberation Day
Eid al-Adha
Assumption Day
Independence Day
Maouloud
All Saints’ Day
Christmas Day
Employees have the option of taking up to 26 weeks of paid sick leave.
Female employees are entitled to 14 weeks of paid maternity leave, six weeks of which must be taken prior to the delivery. For multiple deliveries, this time extends to two weeks. This is completely compensated, with the employer and social security splitting the cost equally. In addition, they are entitled to nine months of unpaid parental leave. Part-time employment is not permitted for female workers who are pregnant or nursing moms.
If a medical certificate is provided within three months of the pregnancy, female workers who work 18 days or 120 hours per month are eligible for a prenatal stipend. Social security pays for this. They also get one hour a day for nursing for the first 15 months following delivery. During pregnancy and delivery, female employees and wives of covered male employees get compensated medical benefits from the Social Security Fund.
If there are health concerns, female employees who are pregnant can be temporarily transferred to another function without losing pay. They can take sick leave if there is no replacement employment available.
There are no provisions in the Guinean law regarding paternity leave.
Other than the already mentioned terms for maternity leave in Guinea, there are no other provisions in the law regarding parental leave.
Employers must offer written notice when ending a contract. A fixed-term contract can be cancelled mutually or at the contract's end. Indefinite contracts are terminable by either party with notice unless there is misconduct, in which case the employer must provide a cause such as the employee's health, performance, or economic well-being.
Pregnant employees enjoy protected status, and if they are terminated for cause, they are entitled to two years of severance pay or the opportunity to return to their previous position. Additionally, they have the right to terminate their employment without notice for up to 15 months following childbirth.
Employers can lay off their employees when necessary.
The notice period is between one and three months.
The probation period is of 90 days for those in managerial and executive level positions, and 30 days for other employees.
Employees who have completed at least 12 months of service on an indefinite term contract are normally entitled to severance pay equal to at least 50 hours of salary for hourly employees and 25% of one month's income for monthly paid employees.
A typical workweek consists of 40 hours spread over a maximum of six days. Pharmacies, leisure, tourism, and bakeries all require 42 hours of work per week. Individuals who work in the beauty industry or as taxi drivers work 45 hours per week. Those employed in public transportation work a minimum of 48 hours per week. Guards and janitors work 55 hours per week. Female employees and those under the age of 18 are not permitted to work between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., and they are required to take at least 12 hours of rest between shifts. Female employees are prohibited from working in mines or quarries.
Overtime hours are limited to 100 per year, and full-time employees are not permitted to decline overtime. With the permission of the labor inspector, overtime may be extended beyond 100 hours per year. Sunday is a mandatory rest day for the majority of employees.
The national minimum wage in Guinea is 440,000 GNF per month, or about $62. This amount, however, does not apply to domestic workers.
The use of the community-based healthcare system in Guinea is subject to a fee. Although there is community-based healthcare for some medicines for low-income citizens, supplemental private healthcare is recommended for expats or assigned workers. The government intends to implement a National Health Development Plan by 2024 in order to promote and improve healthcare while aiming for universal coverage.
Guinea is a tax-free jurisdiction. Corporations are not subject to income, capital gains, profit, or other types of direct taxes, regardless of their residency status.
Guinea is a tax-free jurisdiction. Corporations are not subject to income, capital gains, profit, or other types of direct taxes, regardless of their residency status.
Guinea is a tax-free jurisdiction. Corporations are not subject to income, capital gains, profit, or other types of direct taxes, regardless of their residency status.
The Guinea Visa Policy is a collection of rules and limits that govern whether or not a visa is needed to enter Guinea. A visa is a kind of travel permit that is necessary to enter the nation and may be acquired online, at the immigration checkpoint, or at the local Embassy.
According to the Guinea Visa Policy, nationals of many countries are not required to get a visa in order to visit and stay in the country. These citizens are permitted to enter and stay in the country for a limited time. To enter Guinea, they just need a passport or a National ID.
Citizens of the United Arab Emirates may enter Guinea with a Visa on Arrival, according to the Guinea Visa Policy. This visa may be acquired by applying at the Guinea border post.
According to the Guinea Visa Policy, passport holders from the other countries, with the exception of two, may apply for an e-visa to enter and stay in the country for a short period of time. This visa is available for purchase online.
Citizens of the other two countries may visit Guinea by obtaining a Guinea Tourist Visa from the closest Embassy.
The nationality of the traveller, the purpose of the visit, and the length of stay in Guinea all influence the Guinea Visa Policy.
According to the Guinea Visa Policy, foreign people from around twenty-two countries are permitted to visit and remain in the country without obtaining a visa. However, several nations are still unsure if they require a visa to enter the country or not.
Only one nation is eligible for Visa on Arrival. This country's nationals may enter Guinea by obtaining a visa at the border post. This visa is valid for a period of up to 90 days.
Passport holders from about 225 countries may apply for an e-Visa to visit Guinea and remain in the country for a maximum of 30 days. This visa may be applied for and acquired quickly and simply by submitting an online application form. Before traveling to Guinea, foreign people from roughly two nations must apply for an Embassy Visa. They are also permitted to remain in the nation for a maximum of 30 days.
Employers must give an employment contract together with an offer letter to new employees within 48 hours of their start date. A perpetual contract must say that it is infinite, but a fixed-term contract must provide an end date. The probation term, notice period, severance compensation, overtime rate, work hours, and salary information must all be included in an employment contract.
Fixed-term contracts may not be longer than two years. If the employee remains on the job after two years, the contract will be converted to an indefinite duration contract.
Guinea franc (GNF)
Many distinct considerations might have an impact on how you set up your Guinea subsidiary. First, where are you in relation to the rest of the country? Different cities or regions may have different regulations regarding the formation of a subsidiary, making it easier or more difficult to incorporate in the area. If you are unfamiliar with the many locations of Guinea, we propose collaborating with a local specialist who can assist you in finding the ideal physical office space.
Following that, you must choose the sort of organization that is most suited to your operational objectives in Guinea. You may form a limited liability company (LLC), a public limited company, a branch, or a representative office, but each has its own set of constraints. Your firm will have the greatest flexibility if it is organized as an LLC, and the least if it is organized as a representative office.
Setting up your Guinea subsidiary as an LLC requires the following steps:
1. By-laws must be written and signed.
2. Place your startup funding in a bank account that has been banned.
3. Register the firm in the Economic Activities Register.
4. Announce the insertion of legal notifications in a journal.
5. Please provide two images of your company's director.
6. Please provide a copy of your company's director's identity and visa.
7. Submit a lease agreement for your office's physical location.
8. Provide confirmation of a bank account that has all of the original capital.
To register your subsidiary under Guinea's subsidiary rules, you must have one shareholder and one director, both of whom might be of any country or corporate entity. The shareholder and director, however, must be Guineans. There are different expenses involved in the incorporation procedure depending on whether you are beginning the business as an individual or as a corporation. Individuals launching a business must spend around 212,500 GNF for all expenses associated with the incorporation procedure. Corporations pay substantially more, with all associated fees totaling 650,000 GNF.
