According to official figures, Gabon’s debt-to-GDP ratio reached 54% at the end of 2024<\/strong>, still below the 70% threshold set by the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC<\/strong>). Despite concerns about the evolution of this debt, the Gabonese authorities do not see its reduction as an immediate priority<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n In an interview with TV5 Monde, Henri-Claude Oyima<\/strong>, Gabon’s Minister of the Economy, Finance, Debt and Participations, stated unequivocally:<\/p>\n\n \u201cReducing public debt is not an objective. The objective for us today is to ensure that everything the President of the Republic has promised the Gabonese people comes to fruition.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n The priority is to revive the economy<\/strong> and accelerate development<\/strong>, in order to meet the commitments made by the authorities to the population.<\/p>\n\n Despite this stance, Gabon is not abandoning debt management<\/strong>. Its 2025-2027 strategy calls for a gradual reduction in external borrowing<\/strong>, in favor of regional financing<\/strong> and long-term loans<\/strong>. The aim is to reduce the debt ratio from 55.7% in 2024 to 39.1% in 2027<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n The aim of this approach is to keep debt servicing costs under control<\/strong>, while retaining the leeway to finance national priorities.<\/p>\n\n To stimulate growth, the government is focusing on targeted policies<\/strong> in key sectors. Energy, economic, budgetary and food sovereignty are now at the heart of<\/strong> Minister Oyima’s development program<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n To combat inflation, estimated at 1.5%, purchasing centers<\/strong> will be set up to regulate margins on imported products<\/strong> and prevent commercial abuse. At the same time, the development of the agricultural sector<\/strong> is being actively encouraged to reduce imports and strengthen food self-sufficiency. <\/p>\n\n According to the Ministry of Agriculture, food imports cost nearly 550 billion FCFA (around 947 million USD) a year<\/strong>. This dependence weighs heavily on public finances and weakens the country’s economic resilience, making it all the more urgent to boost local production<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n Henri-Claude Oyima’s position marks a strategic shift in Gabon’s economic management<\/strong>. Rather than aiming for rapid debt reduction, the authorities prefer to focus their efforts on growth, national sovereignty and sustainable wealth creation<\/strong>. An audacious gamble, in a fragile economic context, but a potentially profitable one if the reforms announced are carried out rigorously and effectively. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Debt levels still under control according to the authorities According to official figures, Gabon’s debt-to-GDP ratio reached 54% at the end of 2024, still below the 70% threshold set by the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC). Despite concerns about the evolution of this debt, the Gabonese authorities do not see its reduction as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9995,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-africa","category-business"],"yoast_head":"\n“Relaunching growth first and foremost<\/h3>\n\n
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A progressive debt management strategy<\/h3>\n\n
Economic recovery and national sovereignty are top priorities<\/h3>\n\n
A costly structural food deficit<\/h3>\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n