LIBREVILLE, July 21 – Gabon has authorised borrowing of up to $1.5 billion on international capital markets this year under its revised 2026 national budget, as the Central African nation seeks additional financing amid declining government revenues and rising debt obligations.
The revised budget, published on Tuesday, comes as Gabon continues discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over a potential financial support programme and awaits the findings of a comprehensive audit into years of public borrowing.
Budget documents show the government has also planned to issue 424.9 billion CFA francs in domestic Treasury bonds to support its financing needs.
Under the revised fiscal plan, Gabon’s total debt servicing obligations, including interest payments and loan repayments, are projected to reach 1.797 trillion CFA francs (approximately $3.16 billion) in 2026.
Interest payments alone have been revised upward by 16% from the budget approved in December 2025, rising to 487.6 billion CFA francs. The government also expects Treasury cash advances, used to bridge short-term funding shortages, to increase by 376% to 39.1 billion CFA francs.
At the same time, the revised budget significantly lowers the country’s revenue outlook.
Overall government revenue projections have been reduced by 22% to 3.24 trillion CFA francs, reflecting weaker earnings from the extractive sector.
According to the budget documents, oil profit-sharing revenue is expected to decline by 30%, while tax receipts from mining companies have been revised down by 97%, highlighting the pressure on one of Gabon’s most important sources of public revenue.
The revised fiscal framework projects an overall financing gap of 915.6 billion CFA francs for the year.
Meanwhile, Gabon’s ongoing public debt audit is reviewing borrowing records between 2016 and 2024 to identify undisclosed liabilities, projects that were never executed and funds that failed to reach government Treasury accounts.
The audit has attracted close attention from investors and international financial institutions. Moody’s Ratings has previously indicated that the review could uncover additional unreported debt, potentially affecting assessments of Gabon’s fiscal position and future borrowing capacity.
The revised budget underscores the government’s efforts to secure new sources of financing while strengthening fiscal transparency as it works towards restoring investor confidence and advancing discussions with the IMF.
