During the closing remarks of the Gabon Economic Forum (GEF), Alain-Claude Kouakoua, who presides over the Fédération des entreprises du Gabon (FEG), underscored a critical challenge facing the nation’s economy: the substantial debt the state owes to private sector enterprises.
For many years, this liability has been commonly estimated at 4,340 billion FCFA. However, Mr. Kouakoua suggested that this figure is likely overstated. The FEG leader indicated that not all presented claims are justifiable, with some dossiers proving contentious due to insufficient or irregular documentation.
Consequently, a comprehensive joint audit is now underway, involving a dedicated Task Force and the Ministry of Economy. This crucial review aims to meticulously separate verified, mutually agreed-upon debts from those deemed uncertain, which will not be honored. No repayments will be processed until this audit is concluded. One immediate outcome is clear: the final, definitive debt amount will be significantly lower than the figures previously circulating. Furthermore, approximately half of this debt has reportedly already been settled since the CTRI assumed power in August 2023. Mr. Kouakoua also noted that the companies that received these payments did not publicize the settlements, contributing to the persistent ambiguity surrounding the overall debt status.
This new framework directly implements a key recommendation from GEF 2026, which prioritizes the clearance of domestic debt. This includes outstanding VAT credits and arrears on public contracts, to be addressed through an accelerated mechanism involving securitization and cross-offsetting. This initiative will operate within a national debt settlement program, complete with a publicly accessible monitoring dashboard and a dedicated National Monitoring Committee. This committee will effectively re-establish the functions of the former Club de Libreville.
While discussions at the forum also touched upon the reliability of public statistics and improvements to the CNAMGS, the state’s financial obligations to private companies remained a dominant and central topic.
For Gabon’s private sector, this announcement is exceptionally timely. After years marked by uncertainty, disputes, and prolonged waiting, a clear path has finally emerged towards a predictable, negotiated, and thoroughly verified resolution. Many stakeholders view this as the fundamental prerequisite for gradually rebuilding mutual trust between the Gabonese state and its business community.
