Benin: Summary of the Council of Ministers meeting on Wednesday, September 10, 2025

I- Regulatory measures.

Transmission to the National Assembly, for review and vote, of the draft finance law for fiscal year 2026.

The economic and budgetary guidelines for fiscal year 2026 focus on strengthening the key factors of the national economy’s structural transformation and a better budgetary approach to redistributing the fruits of economic growth for greater equity and social justice. These projections are consistent with the discussions held during the budget orientation debate on June 27, 2025, at the National Assembly. 

This bill therefore aims to enable the continuation of economic diversification efforts through the development of the industrial sector and infrastructure, as well as the strengthening of human capital.

It assumes an economic growth rate of 7.5%, driven notably by: (i) a dynamic agricultural sector whose activity would remain robust, thanks to initiatives supporting agricultural mechanization, access to agricultural inputs and agricultural advisory services, and water management for agricultural and pastoral purposes; (ii) increased industrial activity; (iii) increased traffic at the Port of Cotonou and tourism promotion efforts.

In this context, the draft finance law for fiscal year 2026 is balanced in resources and expenditures at 3,783.984 billion CFA francs, compared to 3,551.005 billion CFA francs for fiscal year 2025; the inflation rate remaining under control at around 2.0%, below the WAEMU community standard of 3.0%; while socially sensitive spending would represent 42% of the general budget.

On this basis, ongoing investment efforts in the key areas of health and social protection, knowledge development, tourism, energy, water, transport and digital technology will be continued and strengthened. 

Similarly, budget allocations will also be directed toward expanding the food supplement programme for pregnant and breastfeeding women and children, covering the first 1,000 days after birth.

In addition, actions will be added to the nutrition component aimed at achieving full coverage of public nursery and primary schools with school canteens, the granting of scholarships to internationally renowned private schools, the acceleration of technical education reforms, the operationalisation of Sèmè-City, and the strengthening and modernisation of healthcare technical infrastructure. 

Furthermore, particular attention will be given to financing activities related to the 2026 general elections, for which resources have already been fully mobilised.

Finally, the 2026-2028 three-year plan will prioritise, in terms of security, the installation of video surveillance systems in the country’s major cities and the substantial equipping of the Defence and Security Forces with high-performance vehicles and equipment. These are significant actions aimed at integrating cross-cutting themes and achieving the relevant SDG targets. 

The Minister of Economy and Finance is instructed, in coordination with the other ministers concerned, to present this bill to the National Assembly and to follow up on the completion of the related legislative process.

Under other regulatory measures, decrees were adopted concerning: 

• the conditions and procedures for applying administrative sanctions in civil aviation matters;
• approval of the amended statutes of the Investment and Export Promotion Agency (APIEx) and appointment of the members of its Board of Directors.

II- Communications

II-I. Approval under the Investment Code.

The following companies are eligible for the specific investment regime: 

• ELLIPSE HEALTHCARE BENIN SAS, for its project to build and operate a clinic in the “Les Cocotiers” neighbourhood in the 12th arrondissement of Cotonou;
• IKA BUILDING SARL, for the construction and operation of a 5-star hotel complex in Djomèhountin, in the same arrondissement.

Furthermore, the following companies benefit from Regime B: 

• WINOVO SARL, for the installation and operation of an aluminium scrap recycling unit in the Sèmè-Podji industrial zone;
• SOCIETE DES BITUMES DU BENIN SA, for its bitumen processing, storage and distribution project at the Port of Cotonou.

The implementation of these projects will lead to the creation of more than six hundred (600) jobs and will positively impact the various sectors concerned.

II-2. Adoption of the Master Plans for the Development and Management of Water in the Niger and Volta River Basins.

Our country is implementing integrated water resources management as its preferred approach to rational, efficient and sustainable management, in order to guarantee water in sufficient quantity and quality for all uses.

On this basis, several tools have been put in place, including the water development and management master plan, which is a planning and guidance instrument for the sustainable management of water resources at the scale of a river basin.

The purpose of this approach is to capitalise on the initiatives taken and the experience gained, and to provide land, water and associated ecosystem management stakeholders with an integrated multi-sectoral planning tool and an investment programme, facilitating decision-making.

It is within this framework that these master plans were adopted for implementation by 2040, with respective projected budgets of 172,062,607,000 CFA francs and 2,219.7 billion CFA francs.

III- International meetings and events.

Under this heading, the following were authorised to be held in Cotonou: 

• the first edition of the African Week of Arbitration, Justice and Commercial Information, in September 2025;
• the 1st congress of Benin’s Armed Forces Health Service, on September 17, 18 and 19, 2025; then
• days, congresses and scientific weeks for various healthcare professionals in September and October 2025; as well as Benin’s participation
• in the country visit to Denmark, as part of the Review Mechanism for the Implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, from October 7 to 9, 2025; and
• the 20th Congress of the International Council on Archives (ICA), from October 25 to 30, 2025, in Barcelona, Spain.

Done in Cotonou, September 10, 2025, 

The Secretary General of the Government,

Edouard OUIN-OURO.