Gabon’s Minister of State and Economy, Henri-Claude Oyima, has reiterated the government’s commitment to a unified treasury system, calling it a cornerstone for effective budget management and sustainable development.
Speaking at the opening of the 2026 Budget Conferences, Oyima stressed the importance of centralising all public revenue under a single national account.
“All revenue generated within the national territory must be systematically and mandatorily transferred to the National Treasury,” Oyima declared. According to him, this financial discipline is essential for improving visibility over state resources, which is the foundation for sound and strategic budget planning.
“When we have a full picture of these revenues, we will be able to define appropriate expenditures for sustainable development,” he added.
This directive is firmly grounded in the nation’s organic finance law, which enshrines the principle of a unified public treasury. Article 80 of the law clearly stipulates that “public resources, regardless of their nature and recipient, are collected and managed by public accountants appointed on the proposal of the Minister in charge of the Budget and placed under his authority.
They are deposited and kept in a single account opened in the name of the Treasury at the Bank of Central African States.”
The legislation further specifies that while sub-accounts may exist, the primary account must not show a negative balance, and no public administration is authorised to open accounts in commercial banks. It reaffirms that “funds held by public accountants are managed under the principle of treasury unity.”
Oyima emphasized that these measures are not mere bureaucratic formalities but are vital to ensuring rigorous, healthy, and transparent management of public finances.
The ultimate goal, he said, is to “build a budget that supports our country’s transformation and meaningfully improves the standard of living for our citizens.”
With this approach, the government aims to steer public policies toward achieving non-oil economic growth of at least 5%, a critical threshold for diversifying the national economy and ensuring fairer wealth distribution.
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