UN General Assembly
1988

With regard to this last point, I should like to tell you that Gabon is able only to meet 20 per cent of its food needs itself. The remaining 80 per cent dangerously affects our balance of payments, resulting in insufficient savings and systematic recourse to loans in order to finance any projects, to such an extent that debt servicing is becoming ever more heavy. Here and now 1 should like to thank the authorities of the United Nations Development Programme which, in the course of its work in the Governing Council in Geneva, from 6 June to 1 July last, annulled Gabon's obligation to become a net contributor to reimbursing pre-financing of some of our projects. This evidence of attention and pragmatism on the part of international organizations towards our country constitutes assistance which we appreciate at its proper value.