🇬🇦GabonCentral Africa
Gabon and Côte d'Ivoire strengthen administrative modernization cooperation
via Gabon Review2 min read
Gabon's Minister of Public Service, Laurence Ndong, met with her Ivorian counterpart, Anne Désirée Ouloto, in Abidjan on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. The meeting focused on enhancing bilateral cooperation in administrative modernization, digitalization of public services, and training of state agents. Both nations expressed a shared commitment to developing more efficient and citizen-focused administrations. Ndong, accompanied by the Director General of the School of Preparation for Administrative Careers EPCA and the Director General of the African Center for Management and Executive Development CAMPC, discussed public administration reform, digitalizing administrative services, state human resource management, and fostering a performance culture within public administrations. The Gabonese minister praised Côte d'Ivoire's progress in administrative modernization and reaffirmed Gabon's desire, under President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, to build a modern, efficient, and citizen-oriented administration. Discussions also covered cooperation between administrative training structures in both countries, including experience sharing and professionalizing public agents. Ndong conveyed greetings from the Gabonese President to Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara, acknowledging his support for Gabon and commitment to bilateral relations. The ministers also addressed ethics, transparency, and results-oriented public management, emphasizing the need for competence and performance in admini
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Gabon's President Oligui Nguema announced a 5% Value Added Tax VAT on construction materials, a measure to be included in the 2026 Amended Finance Law LFR. This decision aims to address the high cost of living, which the President acknowledged remains a significant burden for many citizens despite previous price capping measures. The reduced VAT will apply to essential construction materials such as cement, rebar, sheets, and tiles, directly benefiting households involved in building, renovating, or acquiring property. This 5% rate represents a middle ground, balancing the need to alleviate household expenses with the state's budgetary constraints. A previous total suspension of VAT on certain construction materials in 2025 was halted due to fiscal challenges. The 2026 Initial Finance Law LFI already introduced a 5% reduced rate on several basic food products and on construction work and tourism equipment representing a minimum investment of 300 million FCFA. The extension to common construction materials is intended to support middle and working-class populations. This fiscal adjustment is part of a broader budgetary effort, with the 2026 state budget of 6,358.2 billion CFA francs being constructed from scratch to ensure efficient spending. The President also highlighted the underutilization of a hotline for reporting abusive pricing, urging citizens to use it to help control market behaviors.
Gabon is intensifying its efforts to combat hypertension and diabetes at the community level. On May 6, 2026, in Libreville, officials from the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization WHO reviewed the pilot phase of a program, which included training 98 health professionals across four health departments: Komo-Mondah, Noya, Mpassa, and Woleu. The Minister of Health, Professor Elsa Joséphine Nkana Ayo épouse Bivigou, chaired a workshop to present the results of this pilot phase, which focuses on managing hypertension and diabetes in community health facilities. This initiative, supported by WHO, aims to strengthen the capacity of healthcare personnel to rapidly diagnose and treat patients. Ghislaine Akone Asseko, responsible for disease control at WHO Gabon, confirmed that four training sessions were held, and the participating health facilities received necessary equipment and medications. The program seeks to improve screening and follow-up for patients at primary and community care levels, thereby reducing cardiovascular complications, which are on the rise in Gabon. Following the successful pilot phase, health authorities plan to gradually expand the program nationwide to improve access to care for patients, especially in remote areas.
Gabonese President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema and Angolan President João Lourenço co-chaired a signing ceremony for three cooperation agreements in Luanda on Wednesday, May 7, 2026. The agreements, signed during President Nguema's three-day state visit to Angola, cover agriculture and forestry, security and public order, and extradition. These accords aim to strengthen bilateral relations between the two Central African nations, with a focus on diversifying economies and enhancing strategic partnerships in sectors such as oil, tourism, agriculture, and infrastructure. President Lourenço noted that relations between Libreville and Luanda have not yet reached their desired level, advocating for accelerated joint projects and the upcoming third session of the bilateral Joint Commission in Luanda. Both leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to regional stability and African integration, discussing cooperation within the Economic Community of Central African States ECCAS and the Gulf of Guinea Commission, as well as the African Union's Agenda 2063. President Nguema's visit includes economic and military engagements, such as a tour of the Luanda refinery and the Angolan Armed Forces' Higher War School, and a business forum.
Must ReadBGFI Holding Corporation, the parent company of BGFIBank Group, officially listed on the Central African Securities Exchange BVMAC on May 7, marking its first official quotation on the unified financial market of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa CEMAC. This initial public offering IPO represents a new growth phase for the Gabonese banking group, aiming to strengthen its role in financing economies, particularly in Central Africa. The IPO, which involved 10% of BGFI Holding Corporation's share capital, raised 45.3 billion CFA francs from 7,601 investors across 24 countries, achieving a subscription rate of 136%. Individual investors accounted for 71% of subscribers, indicating growing financial literacy in the CEMAC region. For BVMAC, this listing is significant as it addresses the exchange's historical liquidity deficit and limited number of listed companies. BGFI Holding is the first multinational to join the regional exchange's equity compartment, sending a strong signal to other large companies in the zone. The operation also demonstrates the regional financial market's capacity to host major fundraising under the supervision of the Central African Financial Market Supervisory Commission COSUMAF. This move aligns with the Bank of Central African States' BEAC broader effort to promote local currency financing and reduce the sub-region's reliance on external capital. By opening its capital to the public, BGFIBank Group aims to make regional savings a dri