BBN - BUDGET 2027-2029: Beninese MPs Go on the Offensive

The Beninese Parliament is shifting gears. Just 72 hours after the vote on the 2026 supplementary budget law, the members of the 10th legislature have already returned to committee meetings. This Monday, June 22, in the gilded halls of the Governors’ Palace in Porto-Novo, the Finance Committee launched a technical marathon: the meticulous examination of the 2027-2029 Multi-Year Budget and Economic Programming Document (DPBEP), supported by the expertise of UNACEB.

The objective of this workshop is crucial: to equip the MPs before the Budgetary Policy Debate (DOB). The aim is to provide them with the tools to analyze the country’s financial trajectory over the next three years and verify whether the promises made to the people are being translated into concrete figures.

At the opening of the proceedings, Gérard Gbénonchi, Chairman of the Commission, immediately raised his voice. For him, budgetary control has become a non-negotiable democratic requirement. « Every public franc must generate maximum impact in vital sectors: health, education, infrastructure, » he emphasized. The message is clear: the National Assembly will no longer be content with simply rubber-stamping proposals; it demands guarantees.

This rigor is fully supported by the President of the institution, Professor Joseph Fifamin Djogbénou. Proof that the era of « automatic voting » is well and truly over, the members of parliament spent the day dissecting four major issues: the review of the 2023-2026 fiscal years, expenditure projections up to 2029, the coherence of Romuald Wadagni’s reforms, and finally, the legal arsenal to be activated to challenge the Executive branch during the next vote on the 2027 budget law.

Far more than a simple refresher, this session lays the groundwork for a more incisive Parliament. Now equipped to question and correct, the national representatives intend to make the 2027-2029 budget a true reflection of the aspirations of the Beninese people.

✍️ By Joseph HOUNKPATIN