By Nformi Sonde Kinsai
The Citizen’s Budget, first established in 2019, demonstrates the Ministry of Finance’s (MINFI) on-going commitment to transparency. It involves preparing and publishing the annual parliamentary budget in simplified, accessible language to ensure the public can better understand it.
According to the Minister of Finance, Louis Paul Motazé, the Citizen’s Budget document is an effective tool that enables everyone to better comprehend the nation’s economic choices and their concrete impact on daily life. It presents the main points of the budget simply and accessibly, informing citizens about public priorities, fiscal choices, and major projects planned for the coming year.
“The main objective was to give citizens a comprehensive and understandable overview of the policies being pursued in order to gain their support,” the Minister stated in the foreword to the 2026 document.
It therefore summarises and explains the 2026 Finance Law, aligning its major budgetary priorities with the objectives of the National Development Strategy 2020-2030, within an uncertain global economic context.
The 2026 edition highlights an ambitious, more structured, and more social budget, featuring innovations such as a new Special Fund for the economic empowerment of women and the promotion of youth employment. It also addresses key issues including the fight against insecurity, decentralisation, gender promotion, and climate change.
In light of this ambitious budget, the Minister called “upon all of us to redouble our efforts in mobilising public resources and ensuring their optimal use. To this end, every citizen is urged to demonstrate a surge of patriotism, both in fulfilling their tax obligations and in the responsible management of public resources. It is only through this commitment that we will achieve the desired effectiveness of our public policies.”
The Post is drawing inspiration from the 2026 Citizen’s Budget for a series of articles designed to enlighten the public, encouraging greater interest in and scrutiny of the government’s use of state resources.
The Key Figures of the 2026 Budget
The 2026 state budget stands at FCFA 8,816.4 billion (including borrowing) in revenue and expenditure. It is divided into FCFA 8,683.9 billion for the general budget and FCFA 132.5 billion for the 13 Special Appropriation Accounts (SAA). This represents an increase of FCFA 1,080.5 billion (+14%) compared to the amended 2025 Finance Law, resulting from a rise of FCFA 1,014.9 billion in the general budget and FCFA 65.6 billion in the SAA budget.
The projected state-owned revenue for 2026 amounts to FCFA 5,687.0 billion, which includes FCFA 523.7 billion from oil and gas. This total is further composed of FCFA 3,446.2 billion in tax and duty revenue, FCFA 1,243.2 billion from customs, FCFA 400.0 billion in non-tax revenue, and FCFA 73.8 billion in donations. To meet the total expenditure, loans totalling FCFA 2,996.8 billion are also projected.
On the expenditure side, the general budget, excluding principal debt repayments, accounts for FCFA 6,210.5 billion. Key allocations from this include a public investment budget of FCFA 2,031.15 billion and personnel expenses of FCFA 1,626.2 billion. Debt servicing constitutes a significant outlay, with FCFA 1,890.6 billion for the repayment of public debt (FCFA 1,041.6 billion of which is internal debt) and a further FCFA 532.5 billion for interest payments. The overall budget deficit is projected at FCFA 631.0 billion, representing 1.7% of GDP.
Notable sectoral allocations underscore the government’s stated priorities. A sum of FCFA 1,339.5 billion is earmarked for productive infrastructure and collective equipment, while FCFA 391.3 billion is allocated to public health and education. Funding for social affairs and employment is set at FCFA 77.8 billion. Decentralisation efforts receive FCFA 1,106.2 billion, marking an increase of FCFA 147.4 billion from the previous year. New initiatives are also funded, including FCFA 50 billion for the Special Fund supporting women’s empowerment and youth employment, and FCFA 406.3 billion allocated across 18 pilot ministries specifically for the fight against climate change.