The Central African States Development Bank (BDEAC) has launched a tender to select a consulting firm to design a regulatory framework for financing public-private partnerships (PPPs).
The initiative falls under the bank’s 2023–2027 strategic plan, known as AZOBE, approved by shareholders at a general assembly on December 22, 2022. The plan seeks to position BDEAC as a modern financial institution and a key driver of sustainable development across the CEMAC region.
As part of this strategy, the AZOBE plan calls for stronger support for public development programmes and identifies PPPs as a core mechanism for mobilising the resources needed to finance infrastructure and structural projects. The tender marks an initial operational step in equipping the bank with regulatory tools aligned with this strategic role.
The planned harmonised regulatory framework is intended to strengthen the legal and financial security of PPP financing and to facilitate project implementation at the regional level. It aims to clarify applicable rules, reduce uncertainty for both governments and private investors, and standardise practices across CEMAC member states.
By adopting such a framework, BDEAC expects to improve the efficiency of public and private investment, enhance the region’s attractiveness to investors, and support the delivery of projects with significant social and economic impact. The initiative is also designed to improve project bankability and streamline the financial structuring of large-scale infrastructure developments.
The project is consistent with BDEAC’s mandate to support economic growth in member countries, improve living standards in the sub-region, and contribute to sustainable poverty reduction, while maintaining the bank’s financial stability.
In this context, the future PPP regulatory framework is intended to serve as an additional tool to expand development financing while managing the legal and financial risks inherent in public-private partnership arrangements.
Amina Malloum
