• Gabon to bar foreigners from select local economic activities

• Restrictions target e-commerce, informal trades, and unlicensed services

• Policy aims to boost local youth, women, and entrepreneurship
  

Gabon announced on Tuesday that it will bar foreigners from a range of local economic activities as part of a new policy to boost national entrepreneurship and "economic sovereignty."

The move, approved during a cabinet meeting on August 12, aims to reserve certain professions for the Gabonese population, particularly young people and women. The new restrictions will apply to emerging sectors such as e-commerce and other novel forms of entrepreneurship.

Additionally, the government plans to regulate several informal activities, which are largely dominated by foreigners. These include unauthorized money transfers, street-side phone and small appliance repair, unlicensed hairdressing and aesthetic services, and informal gold panning. The ban also targets unregistered intermediaries in crop purchasing and the operation of small workshops or gaming machines without proper licensing.

The government said the new measures will be implemented gradually with a transition period and support from local municipalities. Gabonese entrepreneurs will receive assistance to formalize their businesses through simplified procedures, technical and fiscal support, and access to financing.

Gabon's decision follows an intense national debate about the role of foreigners in the local economy. Critics, including some social media influencers and business leaders, have long complained about what they call unfair competition and limited opportunities for Gabonese. However, others view the policy as xenophobic and a way to deflect attention from more complex economic problems.

This is not the first time Gabon has tried to bolster its local economy. In June 2023, former President Ali Bongo launched two funds: a 7 billion CFA franc ($12.4 million) micro-loan program for entrepreneurs and a 2 billion CFA franc fund to assist low-income Gabonese working in commerce, crafts, agriculture, fishing, and services.

Gabon is also not the first African nation to enact such a policy this year. In July, Tanzania passed a law prohibiting foreigners from engaging in 15 small-scale commercial activities, from street hairstyling to phone repair. Tanzanian authorities justified the law by citing the need to protect national micro-entrepreneurs, who they claim are being marginalized by informal foreign competition. Unlike Gabon's progressive rollout, offenders in Tanzania face hefty fines and potential prison sentences.

Ingrid Haffiny (Intern)