Study for support to the non-state actors working in the micro-finance sector

The Gabonese economy can rely less and less these days on its principal wealth – petrol, which is reflected also in the worrying social situation in the country.

A real « après petrol »strategy has to be thought of and put in place.  The Government has made this a priority through a policy of full employment. The group of non-state actors (the private sector, associations, co-operatives, unions) are invited to mobilise their human resources in order to develop the Gabonese economic fabric that remains essentially turned towards annuity products.  The primary sector is under developed, which has led Gabon to import essential agricultural products.  The secondary sector is very weak and can be difficult to claim to absorb an abandoned work force. The tertiary sector is developing but does not concern the most disadvantaged sectors of society.

The ACP-EC partenariat agreement insists upon the implication of the non-state actors in the development of a country, notably in the production sectors.  In this regard the co-operation policy that the EC supports with Gabon in the framework of the 9th EDF funds, gives the objective of raising the conditions of rapid expansion of the small production trades of which the principal actors are women and small entrepreneurs.  The reinforcement of these actors will permit in time to increase their participative role in the capacity of partners for the development of the authorities.

This assignment was to produce a feasibility study for a project aimed at reinforcing the non-state actors in Gabon. The study had to investigate the optimal aspects of the support measures of the future project in the area of reinforcing the capacities of the non-state actors through the development of production activities.  The action foresaw notably the reliance upon the support of the micro finance sector to act as a catalyst for initiatives and to create the rapid expansion of a genuine spirit for entrepreneurship within the community not using banks.