Former minister Frank Nguéma calls for stricter controls and recovery of funds designated for vulnerable populations.
The Court of Accounts has reported a deficit and fines totaling one thousand seven hundred billion CFA francs for the current 2026 fiscal year. Former minister Frank Nguéma expressed alarm at this figure, which represents approximately thirty-one percent of the state's rectified budget and nearly eighty percent of the public investment budget. Nguéma is urging for the full recovery of these diverted public funds and for strengthened oversight mechanisms to protect money intended for the most vulnerable citizens.
Nguéma emphasized that these funds are public money, belonging to taxpayers, and their mismanagement directly impacts citizens. He highlighted that the affected sectors include social security, health evacuations, the Fund for Economically Weak Gabonese, and CNAMGS, all crucial for supporting fragile populations. The former minister stated that behind these financial figures are human lives, affecting families in difficulty, children needing care, and the elderly without resources.
To prevent future occurrences, Nguéma proposed several measures, including the effective recovery of sums owed to the state after definitive judicial decisions, permanent audits of social financing, and accelerating the implementation of a unified national social register. He also advocated for the digitalization of social aid and benefits to improve fund traceability from the state budget to the final beneficiary.
Why it mattersThe recovery of one thousand seven hundred billion CFA francs is crucial for ensuring that funds intended for social security, health evacuations, and aid for economically weak Gabonese reach their intended beneficiaries.
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