Four experts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Technical Assistance Mission to Central Africa (AFRITAC CENTRE), who have been in Brazzaville (Republic of Congo) since Monday, September 8, 2025, led a training workshop on identifying, analyzing, and communicating budgetary risks related to public enterprises and debt. The workshop was opened by Paul Malié, Chief of Staff to Christian Yoka, Minister of Finance, Budget, and Public Portfolio.

The Chief of Staff outlined the context and objective of the workshop. “For several years, the Republic of Congo has undertaken reforms related to its primary objective: strengthening the transparency and efficiency of public finances. Now, having concluded the 2022-2024 three-year program signed with the IMF under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) in 2025, it is crucial that the country continue to implement the commitments it made to this international financial institution. This workshop is particularly timely, as it focuses on managing budgetary risks related to state-owned enterprises and public debt.

Indeed, state-owned enterprises are a vital link in public finance management, both in terms of governance and management. These enterprises sometimes receive state support in the form of transfers. However, it often happens that the state provides support when these enterprises are struggling.” “That is why it is important that the State be able, in the future, to quantify budgetary risks in all its branches, through seminars or capacity-building workshops for government departments,” said Paul Malié.

Some topics covered in the training workshop of September 15 and 16, 2025

For two days, the four trainers, Séverin Yves Kamgna (Head of Mission); Marie-Hélène Le Manchec; Gregory Horman; and Guy Dabi Gab-Leyba, presented on several topics. Among them: “Presenting risks related to public enterprises: nature of risks and factors influencing the performance of public enterprises and budgetary risks (including debt)”; “Risk management: approaches to quantifying risks, risk reports, and mitigation measures”; “Presenting risks related to public debt: risks related to the debt portfolio and mitigation measures”; Risks related to debt non-sustainability and mitigation measures; Presentation of risks related to public guarantees and loans in Congo; Introduction to the IMF's SOE-HCT tool: structure and uses of the tool, methodology, analysis of financial ratios; data requirements, demonstration of the tool; Presentation of risks related to public enterprises in Congo: discussion of the legal and institutional framework, preliminary risk assessment; and Presentation of risks related to public debt in Congo: discussion of the legal and institutional framework, preliminary risk assessment.

Communication Unit of the Ministry of Finance, Budget and Public Portfolio