[1] Of lesser importance were the Farcha Slaughterhouse (Abattoir Frigorifique de Farcha), the Industrial Agricultural Equipment Company (Société Industrielle de Matériel Agricole du Tchad—SIMAT), and Soft Drinks of Chad (Boissons Gazeuses du Tchad—BGT).
[1] Those operations that did continue on a reduced scale were limited to the Soudanian region, which was not involved directly in large-scale fighting.
[1] By 1983, with the re-establishment of political stability on a national scale, the five major industrial concerns resumed full operations, and the less significant ones, such as SIMAT and the BGT, were rebuilt.
[1] Since 1983 the return of foreign investment has been slow because of the high costs of rebuilding and a continuing perception of political uncertainty.
[1] Moreover, the banks invoked strict criteria for loan eligibility because of the high risk of lending in Chad.
[1] Few owners of small businesses knew sufficient accounting and technical skills to meet bank information requirements for loans.
[1] Growth slowed for all industries after 1985, however, because of the dramatic downturn of world cotton prices, and output in 1986 began to decline.
[1] Furthermore, the drop in revenues to farmers in the soudanian zone for their cotton and peanut production affected their ability to buy equipment.
[1] Lost revenues to farmers, along with the reduction in the numbers of workers needed in ginning operations, took a toll on cash earnings and therefore on buying power.
[1] The decline in the cotton sector, which had provided the largest infusion of cash into the economy, further reduced consumer demand.