Mont-Bouët, the largest market in Gabon, serves as the vibrant core of Libreville’s informal economy. Yet, it is also a stage for a pervasive scourge that significantly impacts hundreds of traders daily. The persistent issue of systematic racketeering has once again taken center stage in discussions, posing a formidable challenge for the capital’s mayor, Eugène Mba. Recent investigations have brought to light this well-established extortion scheme, highlighting the urgent need for intervention.
Beneath the usual bustling stalls and the lively calls of vendors lies a much darker reality. Numerous traders, brought together by the Syndicat des débrouillards du Gabon (SDG) and the NGO Solidarité pour le développement du Gabon (ONG-SDG), have bravely broken their silence. They are collectively denouncing what they describe as a truly « organized racketeering » operation, allegedly involving certain municipal agents and members of the local law enforcement.
The amounts demanded, according to accounts from affected individuals, far exceed the official regulatory taxes. « Municipal agents are collecting 2,000 FCFA per stall instead of the stipulated 500 FCFA, » one vendor lamented. Even more concerning is the rare issuance of corresponding receipts or tickets, effectively camouflaging a widespread fraud that chokes already strained small budgets.
A persistent challenge: tackling entrenched market extortion
Regrettably, this phenomenon is far from new. It has endured across successive municipal administrations without diminishing, seemingly protected by deep-seated influence networks and a glaring lack of traceability in cash payments. For many, this racketeering has become a chronic affliction, further eroding profits already significantly impacted by a general decline in purchasing power.
Given the inadequate control mechanisms within the Hôtel de Ville, the task ahead for Mayor Eugène Mba’s new municipal team appears truly Herculean.
Digitalization: a path to transparency and accountability?
As some observers label this a « mission impossible », potential solutions are emerging to streamline the management of Libreville’s markets. Several economic analysts suggest that the primary answer lies in enhanced transparency and the digitalization of payments. By eliminating the handling of physical cash by intermediaries and instead favoring direct digital transactions to municipal coffers, the city could effectively undermine corrupt agents.
For Eugène Mba, the stakes extend beyond mere urban management; it is about rebuilding trust between the municipal administration and local economic operators, who are essential pillars of the capital’s subsistence economy and crucial for African society news and pan-African current affairs.
