At meeting in Washington: BEAC, IMF discuss resuming validation of regional guarantee.

The Governor of BEAC, Yvon Sana Bangui, led the BEAC delegation. 

Meanwhile, the team of the Bretton woods institution was headed by the Director of African Department at the IMF, Zeine Zeidane. 

In a release issued Monday, September 14, Sana Bangui said focus was on assessing conditions for validating the review of assurance guarantees in the sub region under suspension since December 2025.

The BEAC Governor also noted that they equally exchanged on advancing economic and financial programmes with IMF backing in CEMAC.

Sana Bangui disclosed that he used the meeting to project the resilience of CEMAC in the face of global uncertainties. He also wrote in Monday’s release that he reminded the IMF officials of CEMAC’s economic growth rate of three percent, a budget to Gross Domestic Product, GDP, of  2.7 percent and net foreign assets that have grown by 50.8 percent to 4,523.1 billion FCFA.

These, he noted, have been recorded despite the persistence of certain vulnerabilities. The Governor added that he told his interlocutors that CEMAC has an inflation rate of 2.2 % below the European Union, EU, standard of three percent.

Still on the outlook of CEMAC, the Governor also reminded the IMF of foreign exchange reserves at a comfortable level. Sana Bangui said CEMAC has reserves that can sponsor goods and services for four months.

On other aspects of the CEMAC economy, Sana Bangui said he briefed IMF officials that the sub region has a robust banking sector.

He stated in his release that: “Monetary and financial stability in the CEMAC is therefore maintained, and the region is not exposed to any potential risk of monetary adjustment”. 

Sana Bangui also noted that he presented progress of CEMAC member States in meeting with guidelines “for resuming discussions on regional insurance, notably the restoration of credible and sustainable fiscal trajectories”.

The Governor noted that during the Washington meeting, he touched on the strengthening of the capacity of staff of the Central African Banking Commission, COBAC, “the drafting of a new banking law, and the revision of the multilateral surveillance framework”.

He also revisited efforts of Heads of State to meet “sustainable recovery of the sub regional macroeconomic framework and reaffirmed the determination of member states and community institutions to complete the remaining actions”. 

Sana Bangui added that he advocated a “pragmatic approach to regional commitments…suited to the realities and specific characteristics of the CEMAC countries”.

Such, the Governor noted, is not to question governance, macroeconomic discipline “but rather to better align regional commitments with the programs agreed upon between CEMAC member states and the IMF”.

IMF renews support 

The Director of the African Department at IMF, the Sana Bangui press release indicated, used the meeting to renew the Fund’s commitment to support CEMAC.

Zeidane, the release of the Governor noted, assured of the IMF’s support “for reforms aimed at mitigating vulnerabilities in the banking sector, preserving monetary and financial stability, and strengthening the external position”. 

The BEAC Governor noted that the IMF visits to CEMAC in October this year will be used to “assess progress made in finalizing the agreed-upon reforms, with a view to validating the regional assurance review in December 2026”. 

He expressed gratitude to the IMF Director of the African Department, the Executive Director of Africa III, the Executive Director for France, and all IMF staff for supporting moves towards macroeconomic stability in CEMAC.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3911 of Wednesday September 16, 2026