Central African Republic: Payroll Absorbs 81% of Tax and Customs Revenues in First Half of 2026
The drift in state personnel expenditures, driven by the massive integration of agents into the civil service, compresses Bangui's budgetary margins and threatens the execution of priority investments by the end of the first half.
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As of June 30, 2026, on an initial annual envelope of 114.15 billion FCFA, the Central African executive recorded a personnel credit consumption rate of 68.41 billion FCFA, or 59.93%. Evaluated at 17.21% compared to the previous exercise, the increase in state agents' salaries now absorbs 81% of the fiscal and customs revenues collected by the Treasury.
Furthermore, equipment allocations on own funds stagnate at 33.07%, while credits dedicated to social interventions struggle to exceed 33.08% execution.
However, the mobilization of domestic resources shows relative vigor, totaling 109.80 billion FCFA for a theoretical semi-annual target exceeded at 53.10%. Driven by tax collections established at 43.61 billion FCFA (up 25.77%) and customs revenues amounting to 35.11 billion FCFA, total budgetary revenues rise to 166.08 billion FCFA. Conversely, the weakness of external financial contributions, captured at only 34.82% of forecasts with 56.28 billion FCFA, widens a global budget deficit of 13.39 billion FCFA.
Faced with the accumulation of unsettled commitments whose payment effectiveness rate stands at 13.97% of open credits, the executive faces a tightening of its operational liquidity.
The rebalancing of administrative expenditure is imperative to preserve financial credibility with multilateral partners.
At the end of this pressured semester, the restoration of public accounts requires rigorous arbitrations on civil servant recruitment. Strict control of the payroll conditions the reestablishment of national budgetary sovereignty.
Ndjomo Carlos
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