(Business in Cameroon) – The Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (EMCC) has approved its 2026 budget, set at FCFA 85.92 billion, during meetings held in Brazzaville on 27 and 28 October 2025. The adoption was announced on 29 October following deliberations of the Inter-State Committee, which gathered representatives from member countries to discuss the region’s fiscal outlook and economic policy framework for the year ahead.
The budget, balanced in both resources and expenditures, represents the financial plan for the CEMAC Commission and affiliated institutions for the 2026 fiscal year. It allocates FCFA 18.45 billion to the Community Development Fund (FODEC), intended to support regional development initiatives. According to the 2024 Multilateral Surveillance Report also adopted during the session, CEMAC recorded economic growth of 2.7 % during the year under review, sustained primarily by non-oil sector activity. The Council of Ministers also validated the main economic policy guidelines for 2026, which focus on strengthening public-finance discipline, stabilising the financial sector, and accelerating the structural transformation of the regional economy.
Eric Mbende, Director-General of Cooperation for the Republic of Congo and Chair of the Inter-State Committee, confirmed the adoption, stating that “the fruits have lived up to the promise of the flowers”, referring to the successful outcome of the discussions. He added that the committee’s experts found the budget well prepared and approved it without modification, marking the conclusion of the 44th session of the CEMAC Council of Ministers in charge of economic affairs.
The decisions taken in Brazzaville cover several strategic areas, including the endorsement of the Central African Pipeline System project and the validation of new policy orientations aimed at improving fiscal performance and integration across member states. CEMAC, which groups Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, continues to pursue initiatives aligned with its macroeconomic convergence programme.
The approval of the budget and accompanying policy guidelines comes at a time when the six-member CEMAC region is seeking to deepen regional integration and diversify economies away from hydrocarbons.
Mercy Fosoh
