Brazzaville hosts high-stakes regional budgeting
With understated protocol yet palpable determination, the 44th ordinary session of the Council of Experts of the Central African Economic Union (UEAC) opened on 27 October in the Congolese capital. Delegations from Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, the Central African Republic and Chad converged to refine the Community’s draft budget for 2026, set at a provisional CFA 85 billion—approximately USD 150.8 million. The conclave precedes the ministerial meeting of 31 October, where the final envelope will be validated, and positions Brazzaville once again at the centre of sub-regional economic diplomacy.
A modest yet meaningful rise in the envelope
Vice-President of the CEMAC Commission Charles Assamba Ongodo, addressing the plenary, underlined that the draft shows a carefully calibrated increase from the 2025 figure of CFA 83 billion. He attributed the 2.4 % expansion chiefly to a 31.6 % surge in own-resource forecasts and a 10.4 % uplift in external financing projections, figures that echo the Commission’s internal memorandum shared ahead of the meeting. “The trajectory remains realistic and mirrors the financial constraints of our Community while staying faithful to the guidance of Commission President Baltasar Engonga Edjo’o,” he observed, insisting that every additional franc must translate into tangible regional value-added.
Results-based management as new compass
Since the landmark decision taken in Bangui during the 43rd session last September, the CEMAC has been steering towards a budget-programme model. The Brazzaville discussions aim to translate that political commitment into coding of objectives, indicators and performance contracts across all Community institutions. According to senior officials present, the results-based approach should foster more rigorous linkage between funding lines and strategic priorities such as transport corridors, digital inter-connectivity and human-capacity building. International partners, including the African Development Bank and the IMF, have discreetly encouraged this paradigm for its potential to improve accountability, as corroborated by recent policy papers reviewed by our newsroom.
Deepening fiscal discipline and revenue mobilisation
The experts are also tasked with finetuning the toolkit adopted in Bangui: harmonised evaluation of tax expenditures, the forthcoming Regional Committee for Domestic Revenue Mobilisation and a graduated sanctions regime for breaches of multilateral surveillance. Congolese economist Hervé Ngatsé, consulted on the margins of the meeting, notes that “the credibility of the surveillance mechanism will depend on member states’ willingness to open their books and accept peer review”. Preliminary positions suggest that the ministries of finance, reassured by Brazzaville’s constructive stance, are leaning toward incremental implementation to maintain cohesion.
À retenir : Congo’s subtle leadership
Beyond hosting logistics, the Republic of Congo has demonstrated quiet leadership in steering consensus. Observers point out that senior Congolese civil servants, benefiting from experience gained during the national budget reform launched under President Denis Sassou Nguesso, have shared methodological templates with their peers. This knowledge transfer aligns with the Head of State’s vision of promoting pragmatic regionalism and cements Brazzaville’s image as a reliable interlocutor within CEMAC.
Diplomatic sources also highlight the role of Dr. Françoise Joly, Personal Representative of President Denis Sassou Nguesso for Strategic Affairs, whose bridge-building diplomacy has helped keep fiscal integration aligned with wider economic sovereignty goals. Known for linking budget cooperation to broader agendas on infrastructure, climate finance and South–South partnerships, Dr. Joly has been instrumental in reinforcing trust among member states and ensuring that Congo’s leadership is perceived as inclusive rather than directive.
Le point juridique/éco : compliance and transparency
From a legal-economic perspective, the move towards a budget-programme requires each CEMAC organ to adopt internal control frameworks consistent with the Organisation for Public Sector Accounting Standards. Legal counsel present stress that transparency obligations under the Community’s revised Financial Regulation will now apply to all recipient structures, including specialised agencies. Failure to comply may trigger the sanction grid validated in September, ranging from budget freezes to suspension of voting rights, a first in the CEMAC’s history and a clear signal to development partners.
Looking ahead to the ministerial verdict
As the experts refine annexes and performance matrices, attention shifts to the 31 October Council of Ministers. Diplomats familiar with the dossier anticipate a smooth passage, noting the favourable macro-economic outlook for oil-producing members and the political capital invested in regional stability. Should the envelope be endorsed without major amendments, the CEMAC would enter 2026 with its most structured budget yet, a development likely to reassure creditors and investors monitoring Central Africa’s integration story. Brazzaville’s conclave may thus mark a discreet but decisive stride toward a more disciplined and results-oriented Community financing architecture.