Wednesday, 3rd September 2025.
By inAfrika Reporter
The Republic of Congo and the African Development Bank signed a $602,000 grant agreement to rebase the country’s national accounts, marking an important step toward modernizing economic statistics and enhancing fiscal transparency. The signing took place in Brazzaville with Minister of Economy Ludovic Ngatse and AfDB’s Leandre Bassole officiating.
The project will update Congo’s base year from 2005 to align with the 2008 System of National Accounts and prepare for the UN’s newly adopted SNA 2025, which integrates environmental goods and services into wealth measurement. This will ensure that underrepresented sectors such as digital services, telecommunications, and the informal economy are better reflected in GDP estimates.
Minister Ngatse emphasized that rebasing will more accurately capture the true size of the economy, potentially lowering debt-to-GDP ratios and improving macroeconomic indicators. This, in turn, will enhance Congo’s credibility with technical and financial partners and improve its standing in international financial markets.
The recalibration is expected to improve fiscal transparency, reduce perceived investment risks, and mobilize resources for development. AfDB’s Bassole highlighted the importance of credible data in shaping effective public policy, strengthening governance, and integrating sustainability into national planning.
The project will run for 18 months and is part of Congo’s National Statistics Development Strategy, which aims to improve the production of timely and disaggregated data. This aligns with AfDB’s Ten-Year Strategy and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, reinforcing the role of strong statistical systems in achieving sustainable and inclusive growth.
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