Gabon WT/TPR/S/188 
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 IV. TRADE POLICY AND PRACTICE, BY SECTOR 
(1) INTRODUCTION  
1. The Gabonese economy is still based essentially on the exploitation of the country's natural 
resources.  Since reaching an historical peak in 1997, annual oil production h as continuously declined, 
despite heavy investment by prospecting and expl oration companies.  However, the boom in world 
prices since 2003 has more than offset the fall in volume by substantially increasing oil income, which 
has improved the performance of the Gabonese econom y.  Gabon also mines manganese and further 
diversification will come with the exploitation of the huge iron ore deposits of Belinga planned 
for 2011.  The average customs tariff rate for mi ning products is 11.3 per cent, to which should be 
added other duties and taxes and internal taxes. 
2. Lacking an agricultural tradition, Gabon imports  about 60 per cent of its food requirements, 
despite the relatively high tariff rates on the goods in question under the CEMAC CET, which is hard 
to reconcile with its declared policy of reducing p overty.  The average tariff rate is 23.7 per cent, 
without counting other import duties and taxes and internal taxes.  Subsidies are granted to 
agricultural production, and exemptions from VAT to  locally produced agricultural and processed 
food products.  Support for agricultural production will probably be intensified in the near future and 
the coffee-cocoa sector will receive a boost.  In or der to encourage local value added in the wood 
sector, export quotas for logs, already heavily taxed wh en they leave the country, have been put in 
place.  In principle, all forestry concessions are subj ect to sustainable management but, in practice, the 
State lacks the human resources to ensure full compliance. 
3. The manufacturing sector is embryonic and composed mainly of food processing, refining, 
wood processing and cement enterprises.  With a few exceptions (woodwor king, cigarette, dairy 
product and sugar industries), these enterprises se rve the local market be cause of the limited 
competitiveness (for many reasons) of the products  and low capacity.  Despite the fact that 
manufactured wage goods, including staple products, are not produced locally, or not in sufficient 
quantities, their level of tariff protection, inher ited from the CEMAC CET (at an average rate of 
17.9 per cent), remains high, further reducing the purchasing power of the population.  Moreover, the 
survival of domestic monopolies (private and public) in many areas also discourages imports, especially of manufactured products.  This appli es to the monopolies on the sale and/or importation of 
petroleum products, water and electricity, cement,  sugar, dairy products, and beverages, among 
others, whose prices are controlled.   
4. Gabon has an under-exploited potential for the provi sion of services.  It is hoped to develop 
ecotourism in order to profit from the extraordinary wealth of fauna and flora to be found in Gabon's 
forests.  In 2002, the State established a network of national parks and protected areas, and Gabon is, 
after Costa Rica, the country that has protected the largest percentage of its territory.  Hotel 
infrastructure development is subsidized, but the s ites are poorly served by the transport services and 
there are few good roads.  Hotel and restaurant services are covered by Gabon's commitments under 
the WTO's General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), as are financial services and certain business services.  The acquisition of 51 per cent of the capital of Gabon Télécom by a strategic partner, Maroc Télécom, was accompanied by the extension of the operator's monopoly on basic fixed 
telecommunications services to 2012. WT/TPR/S/188 Trade Policy Review 
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 (2) AGRICULTURE AND RELATED ACTIVITIES  
(i) Overview1 
5. Gabon covers an area of 267,667 km2, of which about 80 per cent is equatorial forest (half in 
the primary state) and 1.1 per cent is used for ag ricultural purposes.  Gabon has natural resources and 
weather conditions favourable for agriculture.  Rain fall is abundant and the h ydrographic network, fed 
by the rivers Ogooué and Nyanga, is widespread a nd dense.  The forests of about 22 million hectares, 
whose reserves of standing timber are estimated at 400 million m3, consist of some 60 species, mainly 
okoumé and ozigo.  Gabon also has an important fishery product potential.  Its sea coast is 750 km long, and its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) extends  over 213,000 km², about 8 per cent of which is 
reserved for offshore oil recovery activities. 
6. From 1975, the agro-industrial units established by the State
2 dominated food production in 
Gabon.  After turning out, for various reasons, to be unprofitable, most of them were wound up or 
privatized (Chapter III(4)(iv)).  In particular, the privatizations (or asset sales) involved the Société 
sucrière du Haut-Ogooué (SOSUHO), AGROGABON (table oil), SOGADEL (cattle breeding), 
EAULECO (mineral water) and the Société de développement de l'hévea-culture du Gabon  
(HEVEGAB), while SOCAGAB (coffee and cocoa) and the Société industrielle d'agriculture et 
d'élevage de Boumango  (SIAEB) were wound up.  The State still has holdings in AGRIPOG (market 
garden produce) and SMAG (flour, e gg and animal feed production) (C hapter III(4)(iv)).  The other 
private-law agro-industrial units present in Gabon are SOBRAGA (beer, wine and other beverages), 
SOVINGAB (wine), SIGALLI (yoghurt and marketi ng of dairy products and imported fruit juices), 
and SOCIGA (cigarettes). 
7. Traditionally, the main aim of village agricultu re is subsistence; it is itinerant on burned-off 
land.  Village farms are unprofitable because they are small (on average 1.1 hectares), use rudimentary production methods and suffer from the e ffects of the rural exodus on the availability of 
labour (the average age of farm workers is 55, and women do most of the manual work).  Legally, the 
State owns the land
3, but the customary regime of land ownership is observed in the rural areas, and 
this prevents the establishment of an official la nd market, on which the provision of security for the 
financing of agricultural activities partly depends.  In fact, there has been hardly any development in 
the production of manioc (cassava), plantain, taro , yam, sweet potato, maize or groundnuts since 
Gabon's first TPR in 2001 (Table IV.1). 
                                                      
1 The information has mainly been provided by th e Gabonese authorities.  In particular, reference 
should be made to the following documents:  Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development (2004); 
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development (2005b); Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development (2005c);  Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development (2005c);  Ministry of 
Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development (2005a);  "Agreement between Gabon and the FAO, 
UTF/GAB/010/GAB". 
2 The units are vertically integrated with plantations  in the case of coffee, cocoa, hevea and oil palm 
and known as "integrated zonal operations". 
3 Law No. 14/63 of 8 May 1963. Gabon WT/TPR/S/188 
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 Table IV.1 
Food crop production, 2002-2005 
(thousands of tonnes) 
 2002 2003 2004 2005 
Manioc 226 234 228 229 
Plantain 269 270 270 270 
Taro/yam/sweet potato 56 55 54 55 
Maize 25 26 26 26 
Groundnuts 16 17 17 17 
Source : Gabonese authorities. 
8. Gabonese agriculture is dynamic only in  peri-urban areas.  Since 1993, the Institut gabonais 
d'appui au développement  (Gabonese Institute for the Support of Development – IGAD) has managed 
the State land allocated to agricultural production in these areas.  Small-scale farming (market garden 
or livestock) is practised;  the main aim is to s upply the local markets.  The Port-Gentil market is 
supplied with hydroponically grown market garden produce by the enterprise AGRIPOG. 
9. Although Gabon has considerable potential for breeding large and small ruminants, it has no 
tradition of livestock breeding.  The Société meunière et avicole du Gabon  (SMAG) is the main 
industrial-scale poultry farming enterprise.4  It has about 3.5 million birds and produced about 
40 million eggs in 2005.  The ranches of the Société gabonaise de développement de l'éleva ge 
(SOGADEL), with a herd of about 2,000 animals, were sold to the private-law Gabonese subsidiary 
of the Société belge d'investissemen t pour l'agriculture tropicale  (SIAT -Gabon), which aims to build 
up the size of the herd to 20,000.  The small privat e farms in the rural and peri-urban areas, together 
with hunting, supplement this domestic production whic h, in spite of everything, is unable to cover 
national meat requirements, and this explains the large volume of imports. 
10. In 2005, Gabon's total production of fishery pr oducts amounted to about 44,000 tonnes (deep-
sea fishing is not counted as part of Gabon's domestic production as the catch is not landed there).  Production is divided up between industrial fishing ( 26 per cent), traditional sea fishing (51 per cent), 
and inland fishing (22 per cent).  Aquaculture, despit e its potential, is little developed.  Gabon's output 
of fishery products is insufficient to cover its aver age annual per capita consum ption of 37.5 kg;  it is 
supplemented by imports (Table IV.2). 
Table IV.2 
Fishery products: production and trade, 2000-2005 
 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 
Production 48,028 41,922 40,955 44,856 45,150 43,941 
Exports 2,650 2,878 3,218 3,570 5,029 3,399 
Imports 10,000 7,300 9,000 9,500 7,730 .. 
.. Not available. 
Source : Gabonese authorities. 
11. In short, domestic agricultural production fails to cover nationa l requirements and is 
supplemented by imports which account for about 60 per cent of the food products consumed in 
Gabon.  In 2005, around 84 per cent of the population was living in the cities5, and about 70 per cent 
                                                      
4 SMAG's capital of CFAF 2 billion is divided mainly  between the Gabonese State (34 per cent) and 
SOMDIAA (59 per cent). 
5 UNPOP (2006). WT/TPR/S/188 Trade Policy Review 
Page 54 
 
 
 of the food requirements of that group were met by imports (rice, wheat, meat, fish, fruit and 
vegetables, beverages, dairy products).  The main  reasons for this dependence are as follows:  the 
relatively high level of per capita income in Gabon,  thanks to oil revenue;  the shift in the eating 
habits of the urban population towards foods such as rice, which are not produced in Gabon;  and the 
relatively heavy demographic pressure, with an annu al rate of population growth of 2.5 per cent on 
average over the period 1995-2004.6  Small amounts of coffee and cocoa are exported, as is all hevea 
production (about 15,000 tonnes in 2005).7 
(ii) Agricultural policy8 
12. Gabon's historical choices in the area of agricu ltural policy have tended towards the creation 
of agro-industrial units (section (i) above).  Th ese have benefited from various support measures 
(heavy tariff protection, tax and duty exemptions  on imported inputs, the granting of production 
and/or marketing monopolies accompanied by price controls and administered margins), as well as from substantial State financing to absorb their losses.  From 1982 to 1998, nearly CFAF 300 billion 
(CFA francs) were allocated to the agricultural sector  by the State, 90 per cent of which went to agro-
industrial units.  These various support measures have  helped to maintain the presence of these goods 
on a narrow local market in the face of competiti on from imports.  Since the implementation of the 
privatization programme in 1997, the State has pa rtially withdrawn from the agricultural sector in 
favour of private-law enterprises. 
13. Village agriculture is handicapped by major cons traints, such as flight from the countryside, 
the high cost of production factors, the poor stat e of the road network, difficulties in obtaining access 
to credit, and the shortcomings of the support servi ces.  In the context of the objectives set by the Law 
on Development and Land-Use Planning (LDAT), namely, diversification of the Gabonese economy 
and the reduction of poverty (Chapter II(2)), the Mi nistry of Agriculture has drawn up a new policy to 
support the development of the sector (including livestock and fisheries).  The Master Plan for Agricultural Development (PDDA), adopted at the beginning of 2005, establishes a programme for 
the time-frame 2006-2015, the aim of which is a 45 per cent increase in agricultural production 
by 2015.  The PDDA gives priority to increasing agricultural production in peri-urban areas and to 
boosting village agriculture, livestock breeding, fisheri es and the coffee-cocoa sector (section (iii)(a)).  
The Plan is accompanied by a draft law on ag ricultural development and a draft agricultural 
investment code, which are currently being deba ted in Parliament.  An Agricultural and Rural 
Development Fund is envisaged to underpin this  regulatory framework (for example, through the 
granting of subsidized loans). 
14. In the 2006 Finance Law, the State has ea rmarked CFAF 170 million in supplementary 
appropriations to finance the studies necessary to develop its "new policy for the revival of the 
agricultural sector".
9  The State also allocated about CFAF 3, 216 billion to public investment in the 
agricultural sector for 2006 , in addition to the sums earmarked fo r improving transport in rural areas.  
The French Development Agency (AFD) and th e African Development Bank (ADB) are backing 
projects to support peri-urban agriculture, and livestock breeding and fisheries, respectively.10  The  
                                                      
6 WHO (undated). 
7 SIAT-Gabon, online information.  Consulted at:  www.siat.be [5 May 2007]. 
8 The exploitation of fishery, forest and hunting resources in Gabon forms the subject of specific 
subsectoral policies defined by regulato ry frameworks (section (iii) below). 
9 Ministry of the Economy, Finance, Budget and Privatization (2006a). 
10 French Embassy in Gabon, Economic Mission (2007). Gabon WT/TPR/S/188 
 Page 55 
 
 
 FAO and China are supporting the State's Special Food Security Programme (PSSA), with total 
funding of CFAF 650 million11;  other development partners are supporting agricultural projects.  
15. Currently, the main fiscal support measures for farmers and livestock breeders are: exemption 
from corporation tax for cooperatives and cooperativ e unions engaged in the production, processing, 
conservation and sale of agricultural products12;  exemption, for the first two years, from corporation 
tax and personal income tax, and an allowance agai nst those taxes over the next four years, for new 
agricultural enterprises, excluding the for estry sector and fisheries (Table II.3)13;  and exemption from 
the business licence fee ( patente ) for farmers/breeders, hunters, and fishermen, including those using 
dugout canoes.14  With a view to preserving Gabonese jobs, some private agri-food enterprises still 
benefit from production or marketing monopolies hither to held by recently privatized State-owned 
enterprises (Chapter III(4)(iv)), as well as from various concessions under their fiscal and customs agreements, whose contents remain confidential.  Certain local agricultural products (meat, fruit and 
vegetables, yoghurt, table oil, beverages, sugar, etc. ) are exempt from the inte rnal taxes applicable or 
pay them at a reduced rate, whereas competing imports are liable to tax (Chapter II(2)(iv)(b)). 
16. Under the ISIC definition, the simple average of  the tariffs applied to agricultural products 
(including livestock breeding, fisheries and forestry) is 21.9 per cent (Table AIV.1), which is higher 
than the overall average of 18.2 per cent.  Where th e food processing industry is concerned, the tariff 
is characterized by mixed escalation, due to the relatively high level of protection accorded to 
unprocessed agricultural products (Chapter III(2)(iv)(a)).  These measures are tending to reduce the competitiveness of Gabonese goods, especially processed agricultural products. 
17. Agricultural products, including foodstuffs, ar e subject to sanitary and phytosanitary 
measures, with the possibility of bans being impo sed on imports, such as that imposed on imports of 
live avian species and products thereof, from origins recognized as being affected by avian influenza 
(Chapter III(2)(vi)). 
(iii) Policy by sector 
(a) Coffee and cocoa
15 
18. In 2006, the authorities decided to provide funding for the revitalization of the coffee-cocoa 
sector with a view to producing better varieties.   Coffee and cocoa production in Gabon was at its 
highest in the 1970s, before the boom in oil produc tion.  Coffee output reached a peak of about 
4,000 tonnes in 1976, before falling back to about 200 tonnes in 2005.  Similarly, cocoa output, having peaked at 5,500 tonnes in 1974, has recentl y fallen back to about 500 tonnes.  Gabon is a 
member of the International Coffee Organization (ICO). 
19. The Directorate-General of the Gabonese St abilization and Equalization Fund (DGCSP), 
under the Ministry of Finance, is responsible fo r the implementation of coffee and cocoa financing 
policy.  Peasant farmers are organized in cooperativ es supervised by the decentralized services of the 
DGCSP.  The Stabilization and Equalization Fund (CAISTAB) holds a monopoly on the marketing of 
                                                     
 
11 FAO (undated). 
12 Article 3 of the General Code of Direct and Indirect Taxes (January 2007 edition).  
13 Articles 140 and 141 of the General Code of Direct and Indirect Taxes (January 2007 edition). 
14 Article 237 of the General Code of Direct and Indirect Taxes (January 2007 edition). 
15 "Café:  le nouvel or noir gabonais", InfosPlus Gabon, 7 August 2006;  "Économie:  Cacao/mission de 
prospection dans le Woleu Ntem II – Réhabiliter le CMCE:  un devoir", InfosPlus Gabon , 18 November 2005.  
Consulted at:  www.gabonplus.com [4 May 2007]. WT/TPR/S/188 Trade Policy Review 
Page 56 
 
 
 coffee and cocoa, which it alone is authorized to  purchase from peasant farmers.  In 2006, CAISTAB 
received an appropriation of CFAF 800 million to fi nance the harvest season and compensate peasant 
farmers for their losses.  The Ministry of Agricult ure provides technical support (seeds, inputs, crop 
spraying, etc.). 
20. Imports of coffee, other than coffee seed, are subject to a tariff of 30 per cent, which is 
unlikely to encourage the development of coffee processing in Gabon. 
(b) Market garden produce 
21. The State-owned enterprise AGRIPOG16, in Port-Gentil, supplies this market with 
hydroponically grown produce  In 2005, AGRIPOG produced about 314.7 tonnes of vegetables and 
65,000 bunches of lettuce, for a tu rnover of about CFAF 676 million.  The enterprise is experiencing 
management problems which have made it hard to pr ivatize;  it could be transferred to the IGAD.  
However, market garden production in Gabon has in creased sharply since the first TPR in 2001, 
thanks to the expansion of the area reserved for sm all peri-urban farms to 85 hectares in 2005, a year 
in which they produced about 1,715 tonnes of fruit and vegetables (as compared with 715 tonnes in 2004), for a turnover of CFAF 1.34 billion (CFAF 355 million in 2004). 
22. The IGAD is responsible for managing the land allocated by the State and for supporting the 
farmers/breeders who work it.  Its activities are financed by the State.
17  The IGAD provides farmers 
who have signed agreements with technical support (seed, inputs, phytosanitary treatments, 
agricultural equipment and training), together with  training in marketing and a market information 
system. The IGAD is implementing the Support Project for the Development of Peri-urban 
Agriculture (PADAP), financed with the backing of the AFD.  The project provides for the creation of 
217 new market garden, food crop, pig-breeding and pou ltry-raising units around the capitals of six of 
Gabon's provinces, together with support and advice for a network of 400 fa rms and production units. 
23. Gabonese fruit and vegetable production benefits  from the maximum tariff protection of 
30 per cent, except for seeds (Table AIII.1).  Moreove r, VAT at 18 per cent is applied to imported 
fruit and vegetables, whereas those produced locally  (e.g. by AGRIPOG) are exempt (Table III.3). 
(iv) Fishing and fish-farming 
24. Deep-sea fishing, involving the exploitation of  tuna resources, is practised in the EEZ under 
bilateral agreements with the European Union (EU)  and Japan, respectively.  Gabon and the EU have 
concluded a new fisheries part nership agreement covering the period from 3 December 2005 to 
2 December 2011.  It allows 24 freezer tuna seine rs and 16 surface longliners to fish in Gabonese 
waters, subject to a fishing licence issued by the authorities18, against payment.19  The agreement 
between Gabon and the Japanese Federation of Tu na-Fishing Cooperative A ssociations, signed in 
                                                      
16 The State owns 66.67 per cent of AGRIPOG and Total Gabon the rest. 
17 "IGAD:  le programme de production maraîchè re a atteint ses objectifs", InfosPlus Gabon, 
19 April 2006.  Consulted at:  www.gabonplus.com [4 May 2007].  The State owns 66.67 per cent of IGAD and Total Gabon the rest. 
18 Council Decision 2006/788/EC of 7 November 2006. 
19 The financial contribution is fixed at €860,000 a year, of which €715,000 is earmarked for the 
Gabonese State budget and €145,000 goes to support fisheries policy in Gabon.  This sum corresponds to annual 
catches of not more than 11,000 tonnes.  If this figu re is exceeded, the financia l contribution increases by 
€65 per tonne. Gabon WT/TPR/S/188 
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 2000, authorizes 30 Japanese longliners to fish in Gabonese waters and provides material support for 
fisheries development in Gabon, at the rate of CFAF 8 billion a year. 
25. Fishing, including small-scale fishing and fish-farming, are subject to the new Code adopted 
in 2005.20  The Code incorporates the objective of sustainable management of the resources 
concerned.21  To fish it is necessary to obtain a licence22;  fishery product handling enterprises must 
obtain technical approval.  Foreign vessels may fish  in Gabon's EEZ under bilateral agreement or if 
chartered by Gabonese nationals.  The Code provides for the imposition of duties, taxes and various 
fees;  their levels are fixed by the Finance Laws.  Investment in the fishing subsector is governed by 
the National Investment Charter. 
26. Out of a total domestic catch of 44,000 tonnes in 2005, about 10 per cent was exported, but in 
value terms this represented about one third of the CFAF 50 billion turnover of the fishing subsector.  
Gabonese exports of fishery products consist of cr ustaceans, molluscs and fish, shipped frozen.  These 
exports are subject to Gabonese sanitary regulations  (Chapter III(2)(vii)).  The main markets are 
China, the European Union and the countries of the subregion.  Gabon is on the positive list of countries from which the EU agrees to import fishery pr oducts (Chapter III(3)(iv)).  It is planned to 
build a specialized fishing port at Port-Gentil to  enable deep-sea fish to be landed prior to 
exportation.
23 
27. One obstacle to the development of fishing in Gabon is the relatively high tariff protection of 
23.2 per cent, with rates ranging from 20 to 30 per cen t (Table AIV.1).  This tariff structure is not 
encouraging efforts to improve competitiveness in th e subsector, including substantial investment in 
the renewal of industrial fishing equipment and the motorization of dugout canoes.  However, the 
price of fuel in Gabon is subject to administrative control (section (3)(ii)). 
(v) Forestry24 
28. Logging is the key subsector of Gabonese agricultu re.  This activity is a not inconsiderable 
source of tax revenue (about CFAF 8.2 billion in 2006);  an important source of export earnings 
(Chapter I(4));  and of value added through pr imary wood processing;  and it employs nearly 
6,000 people directly and 10,000 indirectly.  In 2006, Gabon's log production amounted to 
3.1 million m3, of which 40 per cent was exported as sawn timber (based on a log to sawn timber ratio 
of 3 to 1).  The trend in forestry activity si nce 2002 reveals a growing proportion of processed 
products in Gabon's forest product exports (Table IV .3).  The main market for processed products is 
Europe (75 per cent of total processed products in  2006), and the main markets for logs are the 
countries of Asia (54 per cent of log exports in 2006).  World prices of okoumé, expressed in euros 
                                                      
20 Law No. 15/2005 of 8 August 2005. 
21 For example, the authorities temporarily banned fishing between January and April 2007 (Ferdinand 
Ditengou Mboumi, "Fermeture temporai re de l'exercice de la pêche en Ré publique gabonaise", 1 March 2007, 
Cent Papiers.  Consulted at:  www.centpapiers.com [10 May 2007]). 
22 Order No. 001/97/MMP/DGCP/DGPA.  The tariffs are lower for Gabonese-registered than for 
foreign-registered vessels.  For the latter, the tariff is US$2,400 for three months, and US$800 dollars per month 
in the event of an extension. 
23 French Embassy in Gabon, Economic Mission (2006), "Pêche et aquaculture au Gabon", Jul.  
Available at:  www.missioneco.org [12 May 2007]. 
24 This section is mainly based on information provided by the Gabonese authorities and the following 
documents:  International Tropical Timber Organisation (2006), Status of tropical forest management 2005.  
Consulted at:  www.itto.or.jp [11 May 2007];  Eu ropean Commission and FAO (2003), "Experience of 
implementing national forest programmes in Gabon", April.  Consulted at:  www.fao.org [11 May 2007]. WT/TPR/S/188 Trade Policy Review 
Page 58 
 
 
 (the currency to which the CFA franc is pegge d), have remained generally stable since 200125, 
discouraging any increase in production. 
Table IV.3 
Production, exports and local sales of forest products, 2002-2006 
(m3) 
 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 
Production      
 Logs 4,119,500 4,632,030 3,500,000 3,200,000 3,101,895 
Exports      
 Logs .. 1,110,518 1,512,129 1,586,228 1,768,080 
 Sawn timber and plywood .. 204,183 201,937 421,082 384,797 
.. Not available. 
Source : Gabonese authorities. 
29. Logging began in the coastal regions of Gabon,  where transport was easier, and gradually 
spread eastwards, where the opera ting and transport conditions are more difficult.  State-owned 
forests cover 20.6 million hectares, of which 10.6 million are assigned to production (including 
7.6 million hectares on concession).  Logging is dominated by a few large enterprises.26  The logs are 
either processed on the spot or tran sported by river or rail to the coast, whence they are shipped to the 
main markets.  Since 1 January 2006, the forest ry enterprises have been exporting okoumé and ozigo 
freely, the monopoly held by the Gabon National Timber Company (SNBG) having been abolished (Chapter III(3)(iii)).  The SNBG still markets wood produced on a small scale by nationals. 
30. The regulatory framework for forestry is the Forestry Code published in 2001
27, and its 
implementing regulations whic h have not yet been adopted in full;  this framework is administered by 
the Ministry in charge of forests.  The Code estab lishes as its objective the sustainable management of 
waters and forests, fauna and flora;  Gabon is  a party to the Treaty on the Conservation and 
Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystems in Central Africa28, and its sustainable forest 
management plan fits within this framework.  In principle, the provisions of the new Code replace 
those of the old Forestry Code (1982), which, fo r various reasons, had failed to provide a proper 
framework for the sustainable ma nagement of the Gabons' forests.29  Thus, all the forestry titles 
granted under the old Code have been c onverted into titles under the new Code. 
31. Under the new Code, two logging permits are ava ilable to enterprises:  the sustainable forest 
concession (CFAD);  and the associated forestry permit (PFA), which however is only available to 
nationals.  Each CFAD must be accompanied by an industrialization plan and must form the subject 
of sustainable management;  as from 2004, the gran ting of new CFADs was suspended and an award 
procedure was envisaged for July 2007.  The authorities are responsible for following up the 
implementation of the land-use, industrialization and re forestation plans, but they have indicated that 
they lack the necessary human and financial resour ces;  a proposal for a National Forest Fund (FFN) 
                                                      
25 CEMAC (2006). 
26 Rougier Océan Gabon, Leroy Gabon, Compagnie Forestière du Gabon (in which 
Cora Wood acquired the State's 52 per cent share in 2001), and Compagnie équatoriale des bois. 
27 Law No. 16/2001 of 31 December 2001. 
28 This treaty, which established the Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC), was adopted at 
the Summit of Central African Heads of State held in Brazzaville on 4-5 February  2005.  The Congo Basin 
Forest Partnership (CBFP), launched at the Johannesburg summit in September 2002, is financed by the donors. 
29 Global Forest Watch (2000).  According to this or ganization, the former regulatory framework was 
neither complete nor respected, where th e implementing texts had been adopted. Gabon WT/TPR/S/188 
 Page 59 
 
 
 is being considered by Parliament.  With a view to promoting the industrialization of the wood sector, 
the new Code establishes a minimum level of pro cessing for logs produced in Gabon, which will be 
75 per cent as from 201230, as compared with about 43 per cent in 2006.  This provision would be 
progressively implemented by means of an export quota set annually by decree of the Minister 
responsible for water and forest resources and managed through the use of CFADs.31  This system 
appears to have been in operation since July 2007. 
32. The forestry tax system (felling tax, surface area tax) has been established by successive 
finance laws (2004, 2005, 2006).  The felling tax vari es with the production zone (A, B, C or D) and, 
above all, the level of involvement of the ope rators in the management-logging-processing process.32  
To encourage the industrialization of the wood sect or, the felling tax for locally processed logs is 
reduced by 50 per cent, whereas a rebate of 15 per ce nt applies to logs that are exported.  Processed 
wood products can be exported free of export taxes, wh ereas wood in the form of logs is subject to a 
tax equal to 17 per cent of the official value (Chapter III(3)(ii)). 
33. Under the ISIC definition, the simple average of  the tariffs applied to wood subsector imports 
is 28.6 per cent (Table AIV.1), which is above the ov erall average of 18.2 per cent.  Internal taxes are 
also levied on wood (Chapter III (2)(iv)(b)). 
(3) MINES , ENERGY AND WATER  
(i) Mining products33 
34. Gabon is the world's second largest producer of high-grade manganese ore (45 to 50 per cent 
manganese content), thanks to the Moanda deposit exploited by the Compagnie minière de l'Ogooué  
(COMILOG).34  In 2006, production was about 3 million tonnes (an increase of 66 per cent on 2001), 
all of which was exported to the United States and the European Union.  COMILOG plans to raise annual production to 3.5 million tonnes in 2008.  Since 2003, the price of manganese has risen in 
contracts between buyers and sellers.
35  Sales of manganese are driven by the demand for steel, which 
has increased sharply since 2001, in particular as a result of the growth of the Chinese economy.  The 
Government has granted licences to expl ore other manganese deposits in Gabon.  
35. Gabon also possesses the world's largest, still unexploited reserves of iron.  China Minmetals 
Corporation, a Chinese State-owned enterprise, has obtained a licence to expl ore the Belinga deposit, 
                                                      
30 Article 227 of Law No. 16/2001 of 31 December 2001. 
31 Article 237 of Law No. 16/2001 of 31 Decembe r 2001.  According to Article 238, Gabonese 
nationals are exempt.  
32 "Forestry tax system", Appendix, General Code of Direct and Indirect Taxes, January 2007 edition.  
Unmanaged concessions are subject to an area tax of CF AF 60/hectare/year, whereas concessions operated on 
the basis of management plans are subject to an area tax of CFAF 300/hectare/year.  Areas closed to exploitation 
are subject to an area tax of CFAF 200/ hectare/year.  The felling tax base is the official value (excluding export 
duties and taxes).  It depends on the prox imity of the place where the timber is cu t to the coast.  In Zone A, this 
tax is 9 per cent, in Zone B 7 per cent, in Zone C 5 per cent, and in Zone D 3 per cent. 
33 The main sources for this section are information provided by the authorities and the following 
references:  U.S. Geological Survey (2005);  Eramet Groupe (undated);  Site of President Bongo, "Ressources 
Naturelles".  Consulted at:  www.omarbongo.org [22 May 2007]. 
34 COMILOG is owned by Eramet Groupe (67 per cent), the State (25 per cent) and Gabonese private 
investors. 
35 U.S. Geological Survey (2004). WT/TPR/S/188 Trade Policy Review 
Page 60 
 
 
 in the north-east of the country.36  The exploitation of these reserves will require major investment in  
supporting infrastructure:  a hydroelectric dam that will supply the mine with electricity;  a railway, 560 km long, to link the mine with the port of Santa Clara (25 km north of Libreville) via the Transgabonais;  and a deep-water ore terminal at Sa nta Clara.  These investments are being made by a 
consortium composed of several Chinese State- owned enterprises, led by the China National 
Machinery and Equipment Import-Export Corporation.
37  Work started in December 2006, and mining 
should begin in 2011, with an a nnual output of about 20 million tonnes of iron.  Gabon also possesses 
deposits of phosphates and other minerals (gold, diamonds, lead, zinc, titanium, etc.).  Gabon 
produces small amounts of gold, which are insufficien t to meet the domestic demand of industry and 
the jewellery trade. 
36. The Mining Code, administered by the Ministry of Mines, has not changed substantially since 
Gabon's first TPR.38  The Code governs the prospecting,  exploration, prod uction, processing, 
ownership, possession, transportation and marketing of viable mineral substances contained in the soil 
or subsoil (with the exception of liquid and gaseous  hydrocarbons and groundwater), which are the 
property of the State.  The Code defines two categories of substances:  those "subject to concession" 
under the mining regime and those "not subject to  concession" since they fall under the quarrying 
regime (for example, construction materials).   
37. Substances subject to concession are eligible for an  authorization to prospect in a given zone 
granted for a non-renewable period of two years, or two mining titles, in all cases granted by decree of 
the Minister of Mines, namely, an exploration permit for a period of three years, twice renewable,  
and a mining permit, available to holders of an expl oration permit, granted for a period of ten years, 
renewable for as many further five-year periods as necessary.39  Concessions are granted by 
presidential decree for a period of 25 years, rene wable for one or more ten-year periods.  These 
mining titles give the holders the right to dispose freel y of the minerals extracted.  The authorization 
to prospect and mining titles give rise to the pa yment of surface area fees.  Each mining title is 
accompanied by a mining agreement concluded with the State which lays down the rights and 
obligations of the parties40 and establishes the rate of the proportionate mining royalty (RMP) applied 
to the taxable value of the substance mined.  These agreements generally form the subject of a 
parliamentary adoption procedure. 
38. Ore imports are subject to the payment of duties and taxes, including customs duty at the rate 
of 10 per cent and VAT at 18 per cent.  Precious stones are subject to customs duty at the maximum 
rate of 30 per cent, as well as to VAT.  This tari ff structure is not encouraging investment in local 
precious stone processing activities. 
                                                      
36 Xinhua press agency, "Chinese co mpany authorized to exploit an iron deposit in Gabon", 
28 May 2006.  Consulted at:  www.french.xinhuanet.com [18 May 2007]. 
37 Xinhua press agency, "Further strengthening of Sino-Gabonese relations in 2006", 
17 December 2006.  Consulted at:  ww w.french.xinhuanet.com [18 May 2007]. 
38 Law No. 5/2000 of 12 October 2000, as amended by Ordinance No. 3/2002 of 26 February 2002, by 
Law No. 7/2002 of 22 August 2002 (establishing the rates of the fixed taxes and duties applicable to mining 
titles), and by Law No. 8/2005 of 30 March 2005. 
39 Decree implementing the Mining Code. 
40 Article 35 of Law No. 5/2000 of 12 October 2000.  It is a question, in particular, of fiscal and 
customs measures such as:  exemption from corporation tax and personal income tax, together with the flat-rate 
minimum tax, for the period of the agreement (initial period and renewal);  reimbursement of the VAT invoiced by local suppliers of goods and services;  advances by  the State for work performed or information compiled 
beforehand for the account of the compan y;  and temporary admission of a list  of imported supplies, materials, 
products, machinery, equipment and tools, exclusivel y intended for and actually  allocated to research. Gabon WT/TPR/S/188 
 Page 61 
 
 
 (ii) Petroleum products and natural gas41 
39. Since the 1960s, oil has been the main source of Gabon's wealth.  In 2006, it accounted for 
almost 80 per cent of export earnings, 68 per cen t of State revenue (excluding grants), i.e. 
CFAF 1.1 billion, and almost half of GDP (Chapter  I(1)).  The historical peak of national production 
dates from 1997, since when the trend has been downw ard.  Driven by the steep rise in world prices 
since 2003,42 the investments made by the oil companies in exploring and developing new fields, together with the application of recovery technol ogies to existing wells, made it possible to stabilize 
national production at about 13.5 million tonnes a ye ar up to 2005, but the decline resumed in 2006 
(Table IV.4).  The main producer is Total Gabon, with about 110,000 barrels/day in 2005 (out of an 
average of 260,000 barrels/day).
43  In 2006, 90 per cent of production was exported, mainly to the 
United States. 
40. The regulatory framework for the oil industry has not evolved since Gabon's first TPR, 
although it is understood that a new Petroleum Code  is being prepared.  This framework governs 
prospecting, exploration and recovery activities re lating to liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons contained 
in the soil or subsoil, including in the EEZ, these bei ng the property of the State.  This regime is 
administered by the Ministry responsible for hydrocarbons. 
Table IV.4 
Gabonese crude oil, 2000-2006 
(thousands of tonnes) 
 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 
Production 13,500 12,890 12,563 13,432 13,483 13,300 11,927 
Exports 12,400 12,650 11,640 12,680 12,391 9,758 8,529 
Average price of Gabonese crude (in CFAF per 
tonne) 19,324 16,693 16,751 16,192 18,882 22,463 31,105 
Source : Gabonese authorities. 
41. The State offers "technical evaluation permit s" (AET) to oil companies interested in 
prospecting.  The holder of an AET gains pref erential access to the "exploration and production-
sharing contract (CEPP)".44  The CEPP leads to the issuing of two types of exclusive permit, one for 
exploration and the other for production, each fo r a total of 20 years, including renewals.  A 
considerable proportion of nati onal production is covered by the 75-year agreement regime45, which 
has not been available since 1983.  The tax regi me corresponding to the exploration and production 
phases has remained stable.46  The production mining title gives holders the right to dispose freely of 
                                                      
41 The main sources for this section are information provided by the authorities and the following 
documents:  French Embassy in Gabon, Economic Mission (2005h);  French Embassy in Gabon, Economic 
Mission (2005i). 
42 Prices are expressed in US dollars.  The CFA franc is tied to the euro, which has strongly appreciated 
against the US dollar since 2001.  Thus, the US dollar fell from CFAF 733 on average in 2001 to CFAF 528 on 
average in 2005. 
43 Total owns 58 per cent of Total Gabon and the State 25 per cent, while the rest is owned by 
Gabonese private investors. 
44 Law No. 14/82 of 24 January 1983. 
45 Law No. 15/62 of 2 June 1962 (former Mining Code) and Ordinance No. 45/73.  Under the 
concession regime, the fiscal provisio ns are those specified for each oil co mpany in the estab lishment agreement 
signed with the State. 
46 Law No. 14/74 of 21 January 1975.  The regime includes, in particular, fixed mining royalties, 
surface area fees, bonuses, taxable prof its tax, and fiscal and customs m easures.  At importation, plant and 
equipment needed for prospecting and exploration are admitted free of all duties and taxes, and those needed for WT/TPR/S/188 Trade Policy Review 
Page 62 
 
 
 the mineral substances extracted.  Oil enterprises ar e required to assign to the State, free of charge, 
25 per cent of their capital (see Table III.8)47 or of their production unde r the permits and concessions 
granted to them.  The State entrusts its share of  production to a private entity which markets it and 
hands back the receipts. 
42. The Gabonese Refining Company (SOGARA) has a monopoly on supplying the domestic 
market with refined petroleum products.48  SOGARA refines Gabonese Mandji crude and sells its 
output to the countries of the subregion and on the domestic market.  SOGARA buys on the 
international market to make up for its production deficit.  The prices at which SOGARA's refined 
products are sold to domestic distributors ar e set by the Stabilization and Equalization Fund 
(CAISTAB).  These prices were increased by 25 per cent at the beginning of March 200749, after 
remaining unchanged since 2002.50  Because the ex-works price is fixed, SOGARA makes a net loss 
on its sales;  these losses, calculated monthly, are re imbursed in full.  Consequently, the soaring world 
price of crude since 2003 has swollen the subs idy which, according to CAISTAB, amounted to 
CFAF 102 billion in 2006;  this subsidy has been in cluded, for the first time, in the State budget (in 
the 2006 Finance Law).  Despite the reimbursement of these losses associated with the marketing of 
refined products on the Gabonese market, SOGARA  is experiencing serious recurring operating 
problems.51  The approved distributors are Total Marke ting Gabon, Pizo Shell, Tamoil Oil Gabon, and 
Petro Gabon. 
43. The importation of petroleum products is reser ved for SOGARA.  These products are subject 
to a 10 per cent tariff and VAT at 18 per cent. 
(iii) Electricity and water52 
44. A monopoly on the distribution of electricity in  the concession areas (Libreville, Port-Gentil, 
Franceville and Gabon's other urban centres) is held by the Gabon Energy and Water Company 
(SEEG)53, in principle until 2017.54  In 2005, the SEEG had 168,705 electricity customers as 
compared with 135,085 in 2002.  The SEEG's 1. 4 billion kilowatt hours of electricity come from 
hydroelectric (65 per cent) and thermal (35 per cent) sources and fully cover the needs of the 
company's customers (1.1 billion kilowatt hours).  Ga bon does not appear to be currently engaged in 
transborder trading in electricity. 
45. The SEEG has undertaken to make substantial i nvestments in upgrading the infrastructure.  
The generation and transport of electricity have been liberalized, but so far do not seem to have 
attracted any investors.  Any new producer must obtain authorization by joint decree of the Ministers 
                                                                                                                                                                     
production are subject to a single 5 per cent rate or the temporary admission procedure.  Prospecting and 
exploration are exempt from VAT, while production is subject to VAT, after which it can be recovered.  
Enterprises with purely oil subcontract or status are also exempt from VAT. 
47 Ordinance No. 41/72 of 10 June 1972. 
48 The State has a 25 per cent stake in SOGARA, the other main shareholders being Total (43.8 per 
cent), Shell (17 per cent), and Agip (2.5 per cent). 
49 Agence France-Presse (2007).  The following pri ces were involved:  super (CFAF 595/litre);  and 
diesel fuel (CFAF 470/litre).  The price of para ffin oil remained unchanged at CFAF 245/litre. 
50 IMF (2006d). 
51 "Gabon – Oil and Gas:  Oil Refining".  Consulted at:  www.mbendi.co.za [22 May 2007]. 
52 The main sources for this section are information provided by the authorities and the French 
Embassy in Gabon, Economic Mission (2006d). 
53 Véolia Water owns 51 per cent of SEEG, SEEG employees 5 per cent, and the rest is in private 
hands.  The State apparently has a token share with the right of veto. 
54 Decree No. 628/PR/MMEP of 18 June 1997. Gabon WT/TPR/S/188 
 Page 63 
 
 
 responsible for electrical power and finance and, within the areas covered by the SEEG concession, 
must sell its production to the SEEG. 
46. Many forestry, mining and industrial enterprises generate their own electricity and are free to 
supply the rural communities (outside the limits of the SEEG concession).  The National Water and 
Electricity Board finances rural electrification projects and water supply systems for rural localities;  
it is funded by a water and electricity cons umption tax levied on customers' bills. 
47. Within its concession area, SEEG also holds a monopoly on the produc tion, transport and 
distribution of water.  In 2005, the SEEG had 104,32 3 water customers, as co mpared with 81,355 in 
2002.  In 2005, the SEEG produced 63 million m3 of water, of which 16 per cent was lost. 
48. The selling prices of electricity and water are established quarterly by the SEEG, for approval 
by the Energy Ministry, in accord ance with the formula contained in its establishment agreement.  
The selling prices are uniform within the SEEG con cession area.  Since 1 July 2007, the electricity 
and water bills of the underprivileged have been paid by the State. 
(4) MANUFACTURING SECTOR  
49. Gabon is one of Africa's biggest importers of manufactured goods per capita, because of its 
high per capita income and the narrow range of  products produced by its own manufacturers 
(Table AI.2).  The contribution of these activities to GDP formation is only modest (Table I.1).  The 
sector consists essentially of the agri-food (section (2)(i)), refining (section (3)(ii)), wood processing 
(section (2)(v)), cement and clinke r production, and aluminium sheet subsectors, factories producing 
various chemical products, workshops making clothing, and other small-scale activities. 
50. The State continues to be closel y entwined in Gabon's industrial fabric (Table III.7), despite 
the ambitious privatization programme launched in 1997.55  It should also be noted that many 
enterprises have retained their historical monopolies (which may concern sales on the domestic market and hence imports (de facto) or production)  in their post-privatization branches of activity, 
under tax and customs agreements;  this applies both to the manufacturing sector and to other sectors.  
Thus, privatization has not necessarily been acco mpanied by an opening up to competition through 
investment by new operators or through imports.   
51. This is true, in particular, of the sugar i ndustry, where the private-law enterprise Sucaf-
Gabon, which took over the assets of the State-owned Société sucrière du Haut-Ogooué  (SOSUHO) 
in 2000, still remains the only producer and seller of sugar on the Gabonese market.
56  This enterprise 
is protected by an import prohibition on sugar (at th e same time, there is a flourishing parallel sugar 
market), as well as by a reduction in VAT;  the of ficial sugar market was not liberalized in 2005, 
contrary to Gabon's notification to the WTO (Chapter III(2)(v)).57  Since the takeover, Sucaf-Gabon 
has carried out a major investment programme58, which enabled it to raise sugar production to 
25,206 tonnes in 2005.  Surplus domestic production is exported to the neighbouring markets, i.e. 
                                                      
55 Law No. 1/96 of 13 February 1996.  See Ministry of the Economy, Finance, Budget and Privatization 
(1999). 
56 Ministry of the Economy, Finance, Budget and Privatization (2006b), page 37. 
57 WTO document G/LIC/N/1/GAB/2 of 13 March 2002. 
58 According to the Protocol of Agreement signed be tween the Castel BGI Group and the State at the 
time SOSUHO was privatized, investments of more than CFAF 15 billion should have been spread over a 
seven-year period, with an eventual 30,000 tonne Group sugar output. WT/TPR/S/188 Trade Policy Review 
Page 64 
 
 
 those of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Centra l African Republic, under the CEMAC generalized 
preferential tariff (GPT), and Sao Tome and Principe. 
52. The sale of construction materials (cement and cl inker) is also a monopoly, held by the sole 
domestic producer CIMGABON.59  This private-law enterprise arose out of the privatization in 
2000 of Ciments du Gabon , which had held a monopoly on the production and sale of cement and 
clinker on the domestic market since 1981.60  Between 2004 and 2006, clinker production fell by 
almost 40 per cent as a result of technical problems at the main clinker plant in Ntoum, and CIMGABON began, and still continues, to im port large amounts of clinker from Asia.  At 
importation, clinker is subject to a customs duty of  10 per cent and cement to a duty of 20 per cent;  
these products (whether imported or domestic) pa y VAT at the reduced rate of 10 per cent. 
53. Cigarettes were Gabon's main manufactured e xport in 2006;  exports accounted for 87 per 
cent of the total sales of the Gabon Cigarette Company (SOCIGA)
61, the only domestic producer.  It 
exports to neighbouring markets under the CEMAC G PT.  Tobacco, the main input, is produced in 
Gabon but also imported;  at importation, it is subjec t to a tariff of 10 per cen t, as an exception to the 
CEMAC CET rate of 30 per cent.  It is also s ubject to VAT, as well as to the excise duty of 25 per 
cent also levied on cigarettes.  The latter benefit from several protective measures;  at importation, 
they are subject to a tariff of 20 per cent, not to  mention VAT calculated on a higher base than that 
applied to domestic products  (Chapter III(2)(ii)).  Cigarette sales on the national territory are part of 
the monopoly of the Gabonese Tobacco Administration.  Similar protection is accorded to the manufacture of alcoholic beverages (Table AIV.1). 
54. The beverage market is also supplied by two enterprises holding (de facto) production 
monopolies in their respective branches.  This is  the case, in particular, for the Gabon Beverages 
Company (SOBRAGA) which produces soft drinks (C oca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Orangina) and beers 
(Regab, Castel, Guinness) for the local market.  These beverages ar e sold in deposit-return glass 
bottles.  Mineral water is also produced, under a de  facto monopoly, by EAULECO.  Mineral water, 
like carbonated and alcoholic beverage s, is subject, at importation, to customs duty at 30 per cent, 
VAT at 18 per cent, and excise duty at 32 per cent. 
55. More generally, the simple average of the applied MFN tariff rates in the manufacturing 
sector (ISIC definition) is 18.1 per cent (Table AI V.1), with a large number of manufactured products 
being subject to the maximum rate of 30 per cent, as well as to other import duties and taxes 
(Chapter III(2)(iv)(b)).  The tariff structure i nherited from the CEMAC CET does not encourage 
investment, in particular in the agri-food industr ies, because of the relatively high cost of the 
agricultural raw materials, exacerbated by their relati vely heavy tariff protection.  Moreover, the high 
level of effective protection of most industries, w ith a few exceptions (Chart III.2), is affecting the 
competitiveness of Gabonese manufactures on foreign markets. 
56. In the manufacturing sector, subsidies are granted to SOGARA for oil refining 
(section (3)(ii)(b)), and the State provides tax and customs support for the creation of new 
manufacturing enterprises, as well as for Gabonese SM E-SMIs (Table II.3), within the general context 
of the National Investment Charter (Chapter II(4 )).  Moreover, several enterprises hold competition-
restricting monopolies and benefit from various a dvantages under their tax and customs agreements 
designed to enable them to contain their production costs, as the monopolies mean that they are not 
                                                     
 
59 The private-law company Scancem In ternational has a 75 per cent stake in CimGabon, the rest being 
held by private investors. 
60 USDOC, International Trade Administration (1993). 
61 Imperial Tobacco owns 90 per cent of SOCIGA, the rest being owned by the State. Gabon WT/TPR/S/188 
 Page 65 
 
 
 obliged to reduce those costs on the local market.  In practice, requests for protection from economic 
operators rarely go unanswered. 
(5) SERVICES  
(i) Transport 
(a) Waterway transport and port services62 
57. For external trade, the economic operators ma inly use foreign shipping lines (CMA-CGM and 
its subsidiary Delmas, Maerks, Alhers and OCL), which dock at Gabon's two main ports, Owendo et 
Port-Gentil (Môle is a port used for passenger and goods  traffic from the countries of the subregion).  
Owendo provides all the port services needed to expor t manganese ore (Table IV.5);  a new deep-
water ore terminal will be built at Santa Clara as pa rt of a project to exploit the Belinga iron deposit 
(section (3)(i)).  Port-Gentil, a deep-water port, is mainly used for crude oil exports and imports of 
consumer goods.  The two main ports are involved in the exportation of forest products, which are 
also shipped from the harbours of Mayumba and Coco-Beach. 
58. Owendo is linked to Franceville by the Transga bonais railway, and it is  planned to develop 
transit traffic between the Gabonese coast, on the one hand, and the two Congos and the Central 
African Republic, on the other.  An inland dry port has been built at Franceville .  At the same time, 
the authorities plan to promote Port-Gentil as the ideal  site for a Central African transhipment hub, a 
project also linked with the Mandji Island Free Zone project, which has not yet begun to be implemented.  Another project, in the feasibility study  stage, is the construction of a new deep-water 
port at Mayumba, in the south of the country.  A project for a river port at Lambarené is in the 
preliminary phase. 
Table IV.5 
Port activities at Owendo and Port-Gentil, 2002-2005 
 2002 2003 2004 2005 
Owendo     
Vessel movements (number) 3,394 3,450 1,236 1,394 
Total volume of goods 3,567,306 4,083,837 4,548,722 5,720,252 
Forest products 692,994 637,540 708,193 800,625 
Manganese 1,969,336 1,944,000 2,246,769 2,866,632 
Other goods 904,976 864,757 885,567 1,252,370 
Port-Gentil     
Vessel movements (number) 2,028 2,050 2,072 1,664 
Total volume of goods 12,698,228 14,168,000 14,222,204 14,034,058 
Forest products 432,398 425,000 417,602 389,485 
Crude oil 11,640,000 12,680,000 12,730,000 12,490,000 
Other goods 625,830 638,000 657,000 765,088 
Source : Gabonese authorities. 
59. In 2003, the Gabon Ports and Harbours Board (O PRAG), a State-owned enterprise, sold part 
of its concession to manage the ports of Librev ille-Owendo and Port-Gentil, for 25 years, to 
SIGEPRAG, a subsidiary of the group Progosa Invest ment/Puertos de Las Palmas.  OPRAG monitors 
the implementation of the agreement and manages the port's real estate assets;  its activities are 
                                                      
62 This section is based mainly on information provided by the authorities. WT/TPR/S/188 Trade Policy Review 
Page 66 
 
 
 financed by a security tax paid by the economic operators for their goods.  This partial concession 
does not cover handling, storage and consolidatio n services at Owendo and Port-Gentil, which are 
provided by:  the National Lighterage and Transit Company (Bolloré group) for chartering;  SDV 
Logistique Internationale  (Bolloré group) and Groupement d'enterprises de transport maritime et 
aérien  (GETMA) for handling;  MAERSK for contai ners;  and the Lighterage, Transport and 
Handling Company (SATRAM) for maritime tran sport.  All cargoes bound for Gabon must be 
accompanied by a cargo identification note (BIC) i ssued by the agent of the Gabonese Shippers 
Council (CGC) in the country of origin (section (2)( ii)), a requirement which also applies to cargoes 
of wood when they leave Gabon;  the CGC has concluded agreements which exempt oil and 
manganese from the BIC requirement. 
60. The International Ship and Port Facility Secur ity (ISPS) Code entered into force in Gabon on 
1 July 2004.  Gabon is a member of the Mar itime Organization for West and Central Africa 
(MOWCA), which concerns itself with the implem entation of various international conventions 
relating to security (SOLAS) and marine pollution (MARPOL), as well as of the recent International 
Safety Management (ISM) Code and the Conventio n on Standards of Training, Certification and 
Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).  Gabon partic ipates in such conferences through the CGC and 
the responsible ministry, despite the clos ing down of the National Shipping Company 
(SONATRAM).63 
61. Gabon has a 3,300 km long river network and the rivers play a key role by transporting 
timber-laden rafts from the felling areas to the coast .  River passenger transport is a monopoly of the 
Inland Navigation Company (CNI), a State-owne d enterprise whose mission is to open up the 
hinterland (numerous owners of dugout canoes operate in the informal sector).  In financial terms, the 
CNI is loss-making, but the possibility of privati zation does not appear to be being considered 
because of its mission. 
(b) Land transport 
62. In Gabon, the only railway is the Transgabona is, which provides an east-west link between  
Franceville in the interior of the country and Owendo on the coast, used for shipping manganese ore 
and forest products from the areas in which they are e xploited.  It consists of  a network de 22 stations 
spread out along a single track 800 km long.  It also carries passengers (about 218,525 in 2005).  The infrastructure is owned by the State.  Operated by the Transgabonais Railway Board (OCTRA), it was 
put out to concession for 20 years in 1999.  In 2003, the State provisionally transferred the concession 
to the Transgabonais Railway Operating Co mpany (SETRAG), a subsidiary of COMILOG 
(section (3)(i)), one of the main users which, in 2005, finally obtained the concession for a period of 
30 years.  It has promised to make major inv estments in modernizing the track and improving 
standards of passenger comfort.  In connection with  the exploitation of the Belinga iron ore deposit 
(section (3)(i)), the State is building a new 560 km long spur to link Boué to Beli nga;  this will also be 
operated by a concession-holder. 
                                                     
 
63 The Final List of Article II (MFN) Exemptio ns of the GATS (WTO document GATS/EL/34 of 
15 April 1994) concerns ma ritime transport, notably any bilateral,  plurilateral or multilateral agreement 
concluded or to be concluded by Gabon for the exchange of coastal shipping rights on a reciprocal basis.  The 
List also concerns existing and future measures adopted with a view to implementing the relevant provisions of 
the United Nations Convention on a Code of Conduct for Liner Conferences, or any other agreement which assigns to the national lighterage and transit company a minimum share of the trans port of cargoes between two 
points, as well as any measure relating to the developm ent of auxiliary maritime services and port services in 
Gabon. Gabon WT/TPR/S/188 
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 63. Gabon's highway network consists of 9,170 km of roads, of which about 10 per cent are 
paved, while 83 per cent are laterite.  The six trunk ro ads link the country's main cities.  In Libreville, 
surface transport is provided by the Gabon Trans port Company (SOGATRA), which is heavily loss-
making and designated for privatization.64  Licensed taxis also provide transport services.  Urban 
surface transport fares are administ ered by the responsible ministry.  International carriers can engage 
in cabotage. 
(c) Air transport 
64. Gabon is served on international routes by ten or so airlines, including Air France, Royal Air 
Maroc, Cameroon Airlines and, since 2007, Gabon Airlin es.  The latter benefits from the air rights of 
the former State-owned enterprise Air Gabon, now in li quidation.  As a result of this liquidation, there 
was a 20 per cent decrease in commercial aircraft  movements between 2003 and 2004 (Table IV.6), 
and the sector remained sluggish in 2005.  In 2005, the number of passengers on domestic flights 
(301,635) exceeded the number of passengers carried  by the Transgabonais railway, which illustrates 
the increasingly important role of air transport services in opening up the hinterland. 
65. There are two tiers of civil aviati on regulations, nati onal and regional.65  The presence of 
foreign airlines on Gabonese territory and their traffi c rights are governed by bilateral agreements (in 
the case of airlines of non-CEMAC origin) or by  the CEMAC Civil Aviation Code (in the case of 
CEMAC member airlines).  Airlines offering domes tic flights must be Gabonese, meet the eligibility 
criteria and be designated by the Ministry responsible for civil aviation.66  They are not restricted with 
respect to flight frequency or schedules, but must re spect the rules of fair competition with regard to 
fares (for example, no dumped prices).  Since July  2007, Gabon has applied the "solidarity tax on 
plane tickets", at the rate of CFAF 1,350 per ticket sold in business and first class. 
Table IV.6 
Air traffic trends at Libreville Airport, 2003-2005 
 2003 2004 2005 
Commercial aircraft movements (number) 28,420 22,532 22,784 
- Domestic network 18,253 13,403 13,740 
- International network 10,167 9,129 9,044 
Passengers (number) 854,776 698,589 635,422 
- Domestic flights 385,037 319,552 301,635 
- International flights 457,828 367,933 310,286 
- Transit 11,911 11,104 23,501 
Cargo volume (tonnes) 15,545 14,217 14,650 
- Domestic network 1,560 1,522 1,570 
- International network 13,985 12,695 13,080 
Source : Gabonese authorities. 
66. Gabon has international airports at Libreville , Port-Gentil and Franceville, and some 28 other 
airports.  Libreville Airport (25 per cent State-ow ned) holds the concession to operate and manage 
that airport.  ASECNA provides meteorological aviation support services for all the member countries 
                                                      
64 "La société de transport SOGATRA attend 125 bus", 25 May 2007.  Consulted at:  
www.gaboneco.com [1 June 2007]. 
65 Law No. 7/65 of 5 June 1965, at national level, and the CEMAC Civil Aviation Code of 
21 July 2000 and the Agreement on Air Transport between CEMAC Member States. 
66 Decree No. 865/PR/MTAC of 6 August 2003. WT/TPR/S/188 Trade Policy Review 
Page 68 
 
 
 (apart from France) and since 6 September 2001 has managed ten Gabonese provincial airports under 
contract.  It is remunerated on the basis of flig ht, passenger and cargo volumes.  Since the liquidation 
of Air Gabon, the Government has privatized the ma nagement of handling at Libreville Airport;  this 
service has been entrusted to the concession-holder Gabon Handling under a 20-year exclusivity 
agreement. 
(ii) Tourism67 
67. In addition to attracting business travellers with  a view to developing its natural resources, 
Gabon has a potential for leisure tourism and for ecotouris m, thanks to its exceptional fauna and flora.  
In order to protect the latter and promote the deve lopment of ecotourism in Gabon, in 2002 the State 
created a network of 13 national parks and c onservation areas covering 11.5 million hectares 
(11.25 per cent of the territory).68  However, the tourist sites are poorly served by inland transport 
services69, and five of the 13 sites lack hotel infrastructure.  Under the National Investment Charter 
(Chapter II(4)), the Government has introduced fiscal  and customs measures to encourage large-scale 
hotel investments70, in excess of CFAF 1.8 billion71, as well as smaller investments (Table IV.7).72  In 
return, tourism enterprises and those participati ng exclusively in an approved project undertake to 
give priority to recruiting Gabonese workers and to comply with environmental protection standards. 
Table IV.7 
Fiscal and customs incentives for investment in tourism, June 2007 
Conditions of approval: 
- The construction and/or e quipping of tourist accommodation, facilities on touris t sites, tourism promotion and transport facili ties, 
facilities for the operation of pleasur e craft, and extensions thereto 
Fiscal and customs concessions for inve stments in excess of CFAF 1.8 billion: 
- Exemption from corporation tax (IS) or pers onal income tax during the period of constr uction of the project and the eight years  of 
operation following completion of construction of the approve d project, and a 50 per cent reduction on the corresponding taxabl e 
profits during the eight years following the end of the exemption period 
- Carry-over of losses recorded during the exemption period to set against profits made during the first three years of operation   of the 
project 
- Exemption from withholding tax for payments  made during the period of construction of  the project and the first ten years of 
operation 
- Exemption from the payment of business licence fees for a period of five years 
- Ten-year exemption from property tax for new construction, and pr ogressive application of the ta x over four years (20, 40, 60, and 80 
per cent) 
- Exemption from customs duties and taxes on (new) plant and equipment  for a period of ten years 
- Exemption from VAT on capital goods and personalized supplies for approved tourist hotel enterprises 
Fiscal and customs concessions for inve stments of less than CFAF 1.8 billion: 
Income tax credit corresponding to 5 per cent of the amount  of the investment, excluding tax, for five years  
Source : Ordinance No. 2/2000 of 12 October 2000, General Code of  Direct and Indirect Taxes (January 2007 edition). 
                                                      
67 French Embassy in Gabon, Economic Mission (2006f). 
68 www.gabonnationalparks.com. 
69 French Embassy in Gabon, Economic Mission (2006f). 
70 Ordinance No. 02/2000 of 12 February 2000.  In particular, exemption from corporation tax during 
the implementation of the project and the first eight years of operation;  exemption from corporation tax on half 
the taxable profits for the next eight years;  exemption from property tax on new buildings for ten years;  
exemption from business licence fees for the first five y ears of operation;  a ten-y ear exemption from customs 
duties and import taxes on new equipment, tools, capital goods, and means of transport used for tourism 
purposes;  and exemption from VAT on capital goods and personalized supplies for approved tourist hotel 
enterprises (Article 166, General Code of Direct  and Indirect Taxes (January 2007 edition)). 
71 Article 12, Rectified Finance Law 2002. 
72 Income tax credit corresponding to 5 per cent of the amount, excluding tax, of the investment for a 
period of five years (Article 10, Finance Law 2003). Gabon WT/TPR/S/188 
 Page 69 
 
 
 68. Business tourism still dominates the subsector  in Gabon.  The hotel infrastructure is 
concentrated in Libreville, with a few units at Po rt-Gentil and Franceville.  Hotels owned by the State 
are generally operated under a management contract by three large international chains, and a few 
units have been privatized.   In principle, hotels are classified according to international standards;  
the last classification exercise dates back to 1994.  The prices of rooms and services are fixed by the 
operators.  In 2005, the bed occupancy rate was a bout 51 per cent.  There are a few medium-sized 
private hotels in Libreville and elsewhere. 
69. Tourism is currently being promoted by dissemi nating information on a site specially set up 
for the purpose.73  Tourism was the subject of specific commitments made by Gabon under the 
GATS74;  these commitments relate, in particular, to hotel and restaurant services and to travel 
agencies and tour operator services.  The comm itments concern both investment and certain 
categories of personnel (managers, senior executives  and specialists).  Gabon has been a member of 
the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) since 1995. 
(iii) Telecommunications and postal services 
70. The telecommunications subsector is composed of Gabon Télécom75, which has a monopoly 
on the provision of basic fixed telecommunications  services (fixed telephony a nd telex) until 2012;  
the three mobile telephony companies Celtel Gabon,  Libertis (subsidiary of Gabon Télécom), and 
Telecel, which obtained their GS M licences between 1999 and 200076;  as well as Internet service 
providers and numerous phone card distributors.  Driven by mobile telephony (Table IV.8), 
teledensity has risen sharply in Gabon to reach mo re than 50 lines per 10 0 inhabitants (bearing in 
mind the widespread phenomenon of multiple subscripti ons).  However, the level of Internet access, 
which still depends on a fixed line or a rented sat ellite link, remains low (about 60,000 users).  The 
extension of broadband service cove rage is one of the priorities of the privatization of Gabon 
Télécom, whose Libreville network is fibre-optic. 
71. Gabon did not participate in the WTO negotiations on telecommunications services which 
followed the Uruguay Round and ended in 1997.  The regulatory framework governing the opening 
up of telecommunications services to competition dates from 2001.77  Under this framework, the State 
has exclusive authority to establish and operate public telecommunications networks, which it can 
delegate.  Thus, the public service has been excl usively delegated to Gabon Télécom, in principle 
until 2012.78  In principle, Gabon Télécom is under an obligation to provide basic universal service79, 
financed by a special fund which derives its income  from a charge fixed at 2 per cent of the annual 
turnover of the three mobile telephony companies.80  Gabon Télécom rents out telephones to its 
customers.  Since 2002, Gabon  has been linked with Europe by the SAT3 fibre-optic submarine 
                                                      
73 Consulted at:  www.gabontour.ga. 
74 WTO document GATS/SC/34 of 15 April 1994. 
75 Since privatization in February 2007, 52 per cent of Gabon Télécom has been owned by 
Maroc Télécom and the rest by the State. 
76 French Embassy in Gabon, Economic Mission (2005c). 
77 Law No. 4/2001 of 27 June 2001 reorganized the telecommunications and postal services sector into 
two entities, Gabon Télécom and Gabon Poste, and estab lished the regulatory framework for the provision of 
postal services.  Law No. 5/2001 of 27 June 2001 established the regulatory framework for the provision of telecommunications services. 
78 Decree No. 1081/PR/MPT of 27 December 2005. 
79 The universal service "transmits emergency calls, supplies a universal directory and an information 
service, and serves the national territory with call boxes installed on the public highway" (Article 37 of Law 
No. 5/2001 of 27 June 2001). 
80 Decree No. 544 /PR/MPT of 15 July 2005. WT/TPR/S/188 Trade Policy Review 
Page 70 
 
 
 cable, but it was only in June 2004 that Gabon Télé com ceased to enjoy a monopoly on international 
connections, and the mobile operators are co mpeting strongly with it for this segment. 
Table IV.8 
Trends in telecommunications services indicators, 2002-2005 
 2002 2003 2004 2005 
Fixed line subscriptions 38,000 38,415 33,431 32,023 
Mobile telephone subscriptions 303,334 377,357 475,223 674,725 
Total subscriptions 341,334 415,772 508,654 706,748 
Teledensity (lines per 100 inhabitants) 23.9 28.4 33.9 46.0 
TV Sat 3,000 3,500 2,900 2,000 
Source : Gabonese authorities. 
72. The Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ARTEL), under the Ministry of Posts and 
Telecommunications, has been operational since 2001.  The Government allocates licences after 
consulting ARTEL;  mobile telephone licences, initially obtainable free of charge (with the obligation, 
albeit not honoured, to provide a minimum coverage  of Gabonese territory), form the subject of a 
single payment of CFAF 11 billion for a period of ten years.  ARTEL levies fees and other charges on 
various telecommunications services.81  ARTEL has supplemented the basic regulations with rules 
that govern interconnection82 and allow it to intervene as an arbitrator in disputes between 
telecommunications operators.  In 2005, ARTEL also introduced a new numbering system.  Telephone charges are set freely by the operators, with the exception of t hose relating to the Gabon 
Télécom monopoly, which are subject to approval;  in principle, ARTEL intervenes only in cases of 
anti-competitive practices.  ARTEL is also responsib le for approving telecommunications equipment;  
in principle, it makes a charge for this service.
83  Under an agreement with ARTEL, GABTEL 
manages frequencies and collects fees for their use. 
73. La Poste , a public institution responsible for managing the postal services, took over the 
viable assets and liabilities of Gabon Poste , in liquidation.  Under the regulatory framework84, 
La Poste  holds a monopoly on reserved postal services ( universal mail service, postal financial 
services) and provides various financial services through the Caisse d'épargne postale  (Post Office 
Savings Bank).  There are many private operators  offering express delivery courier services (DHL, 
EMS Delta+, Universal Express), apart from those offered by La Poste .  In practice, it takes mail from 
Europe about a week to reach Gabon. 
(iv) Financial services 
(a) Banking services85 
74. Banking in Gabon is subject to both the CE MAC common banking regul ations and national 
provisions; the Central African Banking Commission (COBAC) monitors the conditions under which 
the credit institutions operate, oversees the soundness of their finances and enforces compliance with 
the profession's code of ethics.  The minimu m capital required to open a bank in Gabon is 
CFAF 1 billion.  After consulting the COBAC, the Minister of Finance will approve credit institutions 
                                                      
81 See:  www.artel.ga. 
82 Decree No. 000540/PR/MPT of 15 June 2005. 
83 Ministerial Decree No. 27/MCPTI/CAB of 18 June 2004. 
84 Law No. 6/2001 of 27 June 2001. 
85 COBAC (2005);  French Embassy in Gabon, Economic Mission (2005g);  French Embassy in 
Gabon, Economic Mission (2005e). Gabon WT/TPR/S/188 
 Page 71 
 
 
 and their auditors.  The COBAC must make its opinion known within six months, after which the 
applicant may assume the opinion to have been favo urable.  The  conditions of establishment are the 
same for both foreign and domestic banks;  this  non-discriminatory access is codified in Gabon's 
schedule of commitments under the GATS.86  The COBAC has also developed regulations for 
microfinance institutions, to which those established in Gabon are subject.87 
75. Gabon has five commercial clearing banks and one development bank88;  altogether, the State 
holds 26.3 per cent of the capital of the approved ba nks.  Five of the six commercial banks observe 
the COBAC's prudential requirements.  Moreover, fi ve specialized financial institutions approved by 
the COBAC also provide financial services.89  Since its first TPR, Gabon has witnessed the 
emergence of a flourishing market for microcredit,  supported by various deve lopment partners and by 
the Banque gabonaise de développement  (Gabonese Development Bank – BGD).  Three microfinance 
institutions have been approved by the COBAC.90 
76. The BEAC sets the maximum lending rate and the minimum borrowing or deposit rate 
(15 per cent and 4.25 per cent, respectively, in Ma rch 2007).  VAT at 18 per cent is levied on interest 
(lending and borrowing).91  Commission is collected at 0.25 per cent on transfers to franc zone 
countries (other than BEAC member countries) and at 0.50 per cent on transfers outside the franc 
zone.92 
(b) Insurance services93 
77. Gabon is a signatory to the Treaty on the Inter-African Conference on Insurance Markets 
(CIMA).94  Enterprises wishing to provide insurance se rvices are required to obtain approval for each 
branch of activity.  However, the same company ca nnot offer several types of service, so that every 
insurance company establish ed in Gabon specializes either in li fe or in non-life insurance.  An 
enterprise established in Gabon cannot  cover risks situated outside the country;  likewise, risks 
situated in Gabon cannot be covered by non-resident  enterprises.  These types of cover may, however, 
be offered under the Community co-insur ance framework within the CIMA area. 
78. The minimum capital required to set up an insurance company under the CIMA code is 
CFAF 500 million for public limited companies a nd CFAF 300 million for mutual societies.  The 
Minister of Finance approves a branch after exam ining the application on the basis of the following 
criteria:  the fitness of the shareholders, direct ors and managers to administer and manage the 
company being formed;  the soundness of the business pl an in the light of the estimated statement of 
                                                      
86 WTO document GATS/SC/34 of 15 April 1994. 
87 BEAC, online information.  Consulted at:  www.beac.int/cobac/Microfin ance/microfiregle.htm. 
88 Banque internationale pour le commerce et l'i ndustrie du Gabon (BICIG), Union gabonaise bancaire 
(UGB), BGFI Bank, Citibank, Financial Bank and Banque gabonaise de développement (BGD).  The State is a 
shareholder in BICIG, BGFI Ba nk, UGB and BGD (Table III.6). 
89 BGFI-Bail, BGFI-Participation, de  BICI-Bail, FINATRA, and SOGACA. 
90 Caisse d'épargne et de crédit de l'Association des a ssistants de services sociaux du Gabon – CECAG;  
Caisse d'épargne et de crédit des femmes du Moyen OGO – FEMO or CEFEC.  Consulted at: 
www.lamicrofinance.org [2 June 2007].  Financière af ricaine de microprojets (FIN AM) also has a presence in 
Gabon. 
91 Article 165, General Code of Direct an d Indirect Taxes (January 2007 edition). 
92 Article 301, Chapter I, Book II, Title II, General Tax Code, January 2006 edition. 
93 French Embassy in Gabon, Economic Mission (2006e). 
94 The members are:  Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Côte 
d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo (CIMA, online information.  
Consulted at:  http://cimaonline.net/Traite/Code/traite7.htm).  WT/TPR/S/188 Trade Policy Review 
Page 72 
 
 
 accounts, the investment programme and the projected  financial situation, together with general 
market conditions.  The conditions of formation are the same for both foreign and domestic insurers;  
this non-discriminatory access is codified in Gabon's schedule of commitments under the GATS.95 
79. The insurance market in Gabon is organized around two products:  non-life insurance for 
transport, fire, motor vehicle and sundry risks (TFMVSR);  and life insurance.  Gabon has four 
approved TFMVSR insurance providers  and two approved life insurance providers (Table IV.9).  The 
insurance of merchandise imports with a valu e of more than CFAF 300,000 is mandatory96, as is 
motor vehicle insurance. 
Table IV.9 
Trends in insurance company turnover, 2003-2005 
(CFA francs) 
 2003 2004 2005 
Non-life branch    
OGAR 18,391,098 18, 033,709 18,435,442 
AXA 13,469,621 9,478, 403 8,571,352 
ASSINC 8,154,802 8,547,931 8,384,664 
NSIA 7,237,472 6,983,919 8,000,000 
Total 47,252,993 43,043,962 43,391,458 
Life branch    
OGAR - Life 3,119,92 0 2,953,697 3,265,772 
AXA - Life 2,558,122 2,764,279 2,764,249 
Total 5,678,042 5,717,976 6,030,021 
Total for the two branches 52,931,035 48,761,938 49,421,479 
Source : Gabonese authorities. 
                                                      
95 WTO document GATS/SC/34 of 15 April 1994. 
96 Ordinance No. 6/79/PR of 11 January 1979. Gabon WT/TPR/S/188 
 Page 73 
 
 
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