Officials commented on the matter. Ondo emphasized that this substantial financial mass remains underutilized to support productive investments due to cultural barriers, low financial literacy, and a lack of trust in the formal financial system. This situation significantly impacts small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which account for nearly 90% of Gabon’s entrepreneurial fabric, but face limited access to banking financing.
Drawing on data from the Gabonese Guarantee Company (SGG) and Okoumé Capital, Ondo estimated the productive sector’s financing needs at 1,200 billion FCFA, with 537 billion FCFA designated for SME-PMI financial guarantees. Discussing development prospects, he reminded that the National Growth and Development Plan (PNCD) 2026-2030 requires a total financing of 27,955 billion FCFA, or approximately 5,600 billion FCFA annually. Ondo argued that future growth depends on Gabon’s ability to mobilize long-term savings, advocating for a better redirection of national savings towards productive investments.
In the context of the evolution of digital financial services, Ondo noted that according to the DGEPF data, mobile money transactions reached 4,087 billion FCFA in 2024, totaling 368. 3 million transactions. By June 2025, the sector counted 4.
7 million accounts with deposits totaling 1,669 billion FCFA.
However, the accumulated savings on these accounts remain below 1% of annual flows, confirming that mobile money remains primarily a payment and transfer tool rather than a true savings instrument. Ondo also pointed out the underdevelopment of micro-insurance and participative financing, which contribute little to the national economy’s financing. Ondo concluded by noting that informal savings are circulating outside circuits capable of financing the economy sustainably, calling on regulatory authorities and financial institutions to implement mechanisms to channel this informal savings towards Gabon’s economic development.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 5*
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This original article was produced by the ImNews editorial team
Source: Agpgabon
Source: Redaction
