In Gabon, the situation is tense with the World Bank. In a note dated July 1, the monetary institution announced the suspension of disbursements to Gabon. The World Bank accuses Gabon of having accumulated several months of arrears in paying its debt. The government acknowledges not having paid on time but speaks of simple technical problems that have already been resolved.
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With our correspondent in Libreville, Yves-Laurent Goma
At Gabonthe information was made public in a written note from the vice-president of the world Bank for West and Central Africa, which was leaked on social media on Wednesday, July 3. Ousmane Diagana had stayed in Gabon at the beginning of May, where he met with the main leaders of the transition, including the head of state Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema.
The text specifies that as of June 30, Gabon had accumulated arrears worth approximately 10 billion CFA francs, hence the suspension. Several ongoing projects could be penalized. These include projects to modernize cities through the construction of paved roads, training young people in technical professions, extending fiber optics to neighboring countries, and the eGabon project, which aims to digitize the Gabonese administration.
In a statement Wednesday evening, the government explained that the non-payment of these arrears is due to technical problems. The Ministry of Public Accounts maintains that the Gabonese public treasury has already paid these arrears. The ministry adds that the government has inherited too heavy a liability. In ten months, it has paid 136 billion CFA francs of debt.
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