• ITIE-Gabon reorganized to clear reporting delays and meet global standards

• Authorities aim to publish overdue 2023 and 2024 extractive revenue reports

• Extractive sector remains central to public finances despite declining share

Gabon has launched a reform of its national extractive transparency framework, centered on reorganizing the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative in Gabon (ITIE-Gabon), the body responsible for publishing data on sector revenues.

According to information reported by the local press on December 17, the move aims to address delays in data publication and strengthen public access to information related to oil and mining revenues, according to officials involved in the process.

Meeting in Libreville during an extraordinary session, members of the ITIE-Gabon Multi-Stakeholder Group, which brings together representatives of the government, companies, and civil society, approved a roadmap designed to bring the mechanism back into line with international requirements.

The reform comes as reports covering the 2023 and 2024 fiscal years have yet to be published, placing Gabon out of step with the international EITI reporting calendar. The overhaul is based on several workstreams identified by the ITIE-Gabon national secretariat. Revising the legal framework governing the initiative is among the priorities, with the aim of aligning it with updated international EITI standards.

Authorities have also endorsed a catch-up plan for pending reports, particularly those covering financial flows between extractive companies and the state, budget revenues from oil and mining, and selected production data. Local media also report a stronger focus on disseminating information, including through digital tools accessible to the public.

The reform is taking place in a context where the extractive sector remains a pillar of Gabon’s economy. In 2023, hydrocarbons generated about 50% of government tax revenue, according to Bpifrance and Coface. In 2024, their share fell to 39.2% of budget revenues, based on figures cited by the local press.

Against this backdrop, transparency around payments, revenues, and redistribution mechanisms remains a documented issue for public finance management and citizen oversight. The EITI specifically aims to reduce information asymmetries in resource-rich countries.

In the short term, Gabonese authorities plan to restore a regular publication schedule and strengthen stakeholder participation. In the medium term, the adopted roadmap sets out a strategy aligned with post-2026 milestones, with the stated objective of embedding transparency more firmly in the governance of the extractive sector.

Abdel-Latif Boureima