Gabon 2026 fiscal reform measures

In late July 2026 Gabon passed a new Finance Law that slashed public investment by roughly 45%, with deep cuts to agriculture, housing, industry and mining sectors. To offset declining revenues the government proposed a 3 % payroll tax on wages. The law also set a target for the overall civil‑service wage bill at 958.58 billion CFA francs and limited the total number of authorized public‑sector positions.

A few days later the government issued a rectificative decree tightening those payroll controls. It capped the authorized civil‑service headcount at 119,317 and required any staff‑number or salary‑scale changes to be justified by a five‑year self‑financing plan, with detailed forecasts submitted to the finance ministry. A separate decree adjusted remuneration for officials serving on recruitment‑exam juries, establishing fixed fees for drafting exam subjects, reviewing candidate files, correcting copies and conducting oral assessments.

Together the measures show Gabon's rapid implementation of austerity and fiscal consolidation, moving from broad budget cuts and a new payroll tax to detailed controls on public‑sector staffing and exam‑jury payments within a single week.