At the vibrant heart of Libreville’s informal economy lies the Mont-Bouët Market, Gabon’s largest marketplace. Yet, beneath its bustling surface, a pervasive issue of systematic racketeering continues to plague hundreds of traders. This well-entrenched system of extortion has emerged as a significant hurdle for the capital’s newly appointed mayor, Eugène Mba, demanding urgent attention and decisive action.
Beyond the usual market sounds and vendor calls, a darker reality unfolds daily. Numerous vendors, brought together by the Syndicat des débrouillards du Gabon (SDG) and the ONG Solidarité pour le développement du Gabon (ONG-SDG), have courageously broken their silence. They are openly condemning what they describe as a truly « organized racket », allegedly involving certain municipal employees and members of the security forces.
Accounts from traders reveal that the sums demanded far exceed official regulatory taxes. « City agents are collecting 2,000 FCFA per stall instead of the 500 FCFA that is legally stipulated », one frustrated vendor explained. Compounding the problem, receipts or corresponding tickets are rarely issued, effectively concealing a widespread fraud that severely cripples the already tight budgets of small-scale entrepreneurs.
A deeply rooted and challenging problem
This troubling phenomenon is, regrettably, nothing new. It has persisted through successive municipal mandates without abatement, seemingly protected by entrenched influence networks and a notable lack of transparency in cash payments. For many, this racketeering has become a chronic ailment, further eroding profits already diminished by a general decline in purchasing power.
Given the inadequate control mechanisms within the Hôtel de Ville, the task ahead for Mayor Eugène Mba’s new municipal team appears formidable.
Could digitization offer a way forward?
In the face of what some are already calling a « mission impossible », potential solutions are emerging to streamline the management of Libreville’s markets. Several economic observers suggest that the primary answer lies in enhancing transparency and implementing digital payment systems. By prioritizing direct digital transactions to municipal coffers, the city could effectively eliminate cash handling by intermediaries, thereby cutting off corrupt agents from their illicit gains.
For Mayor Eugène Mba, the stakes extend beyond mere urban administration; it is about rebuilding trust between the municipal authority and the local economic operators, who form the vital backbone of the capital’s subsistence economy.
