“ The situation looks very worrying for the State’s treasury “, according to the Central African Minister of Finance returning from Washington. He explained that he could not count on the budget support expected from donors. Following these remarks, the World Bank wanted to make some clarifications. For this budget support to be validated, States must meet two major criteria: governance reforms and budget transparency.
For the World Bank, the problem does not come from the reform programs. Efforts on this side are committed, she acknowledges. The sticking point is the transparency of public finances.
“ The problem is this visibility in government spending, according to Han Fraeters, the World Bank representative in Bangui. In the security sector, there are expenditures that cannot be found in the budget. And this is really where we asked the government questions and we are waiting for the government’s response. »
The financing of the Russian paramilitaries
The question is not openly formulated, but at the heart of donors’ questions: how are the Russian paramilitaries financed? Without response, therefore no disbursement. The Central African state is losing nearly a third of its projected income. Faced with this situation, several possible levers for the authorities: mobilize more domestic revenue, reduce public spending or even borrow on the domestic market.
For the World Bank, the easiest way would be to answer the questions: The government has the choice to work with us for budget support. We advise the government to do so. Our commitment to budget support remains intact and we want to work towards that. »
If the issue of budget support is not resolved, development projects continue, says the World Bank. Two projects, totaling $65 million, were approved this week.
►Also read: RCA: Human Rights Watch accuses Russian paramilitaries of murder and torture of civilians