557 Scenes
PH: DR: Jean-Pierre DEGUE, Executive Secretary of the Benin Social Guard, member of the Coalition-Benin.
Mr. Jean-Pierre DEGUE, Executive Secretary of Social Watch Benin, member of the Rural Coalition, returns to the topic of the national workshop on debt in Benin.
Maputo, Aline ASSANKPON
In Benin, in 2024, the theme of the national workshop on debt is: “Accountability as a Prerequisite for Sustainability and Debt Management”. This topic is justified for two reasons: the first, Benin is considered a “good student” in terms of budget transparency in 2023, therefore the second country, after South Africa according to the results the report on budget transparency in Africa.
The second one is justified because there was a reform that gives the President of the Republic the authority to enter the financial market without the consent of parliamentarians. “And the law requires him to notify the Parliament within three (3) months. And this is what is happening now. This situation is starting to worry us, and that means we have returned to questions of accountability and responsibility regarding public debt.”
“At this workshop, we noted the strengths and weaknesses of the legal framework. For example, as a strength, given the need for transparency and accountability, the Government is now preparing to send the Director General of the Self-Governing Debt Management Fund (CAGD) to this annual exercise which will allow the to bring all interest together, in particular: Representatives from the IMF, the World Bank, the Regional Economic Communities (ECOWAS and UEMOA), managers of the; Court of Auditors at Parliamentary level, Parliamentarians, lawyers, Academics, Civil Society Organizations and media actors for an accountability exercise”. “So this is an annual event that is expected by the Government”.
“As a weakness, we also noted that the higher debt control institution was unfortunately not able to do any monitoring of the debt in Benin.
The Executive Secretary’s appeal to AFRODAD (which makes it possible to organize this annual workshop) is to have the necessary means to strengthen these actors in their accountability role. It seems that civil society is further ahead of the information related to public debt and even the problems that characterize the legislative institution.
It is also to develop a coalition of citizens on the issue of debt management. “At least, at the national level, something is starting to move because for a long time, the issue of debt was not taken into account and it did not interest any citizen.”. While they are the most affected by the payment of debts through taxes.
