Benin’s Anti-Corruption Journey: IMF Report Recommends Strengthening Legal Framework and Judicial Independence

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has published a Governance Diagnostic Assessment report for Benin, highlighting progress made in enhancing governance and reducing corruption vulnerabilities since 2016. President Patrice Talon’s re-election in 2021 and subsequent initiatives have been significant in improving governance in the country.

Assessment Process and Key Areas

The IMF team assessed various areas essential for Benin’s economic development, such as:

1. Fiscal governance,
2. Financial sector oversight,
3. Market regulation,
4. Anti-money laundering and combating financing of terrorism (AML/CFT), and
5. Rule of law.

Benin’s central bank and monetary operations were outside the assessment’s scope since the country is part of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA).

Substantial Achievements and Recommendations

Beninese authorities have shown progress in improving governance, which is one of the main axes of the Government Action Plan 2021-2026. The IMF team commended Benin’s achievements in public financial management, fiscal transparency, and the rule of law, placing it second-best in Africa (after South Africa) on the “Transparency” indicator of the 2021 Open Budget Survey.

Nevertheless, there’s potential for more advancements in anti-corruption measures, particularly:

1. Enhancing transparency regarding promotions and disciplinary actions against judges, which is perceived to have interference and alleged corruption among certain judges. Transparency in sanctions imposed against corrupt judges and appointing magistrates is crucial.
2. Strengthening legal and institutional frameworks by operationalizing the High Commission for the Prevention of Corruption (HCPC) and publishing rulings and statistics from The Court for the Repression of Economic and Terrorism Crimes (CRIET). Additionally, legal frameworks need upgrades to ensure:
   • Whistleblower protection,
   • Sufficient legal regimes covering conflicts of interest,
   • Asset declarations for senior officials.

The report, released in February 2023 and available on the Ministry of Finance’s and IMF’s websites, has initiated discussions and capacity development activities. The Beninese authorities plan to use these recommendations as inspiration for their national action plan and updating their commitments within ongoing IMF programs.

Assessment Team and Methodology

The assessment team comprised representatives from the IMF’s Fiscal Affairs, Legal, and Monetary and Capital Markets Departments. The assessment process was performed in a mixed mode, with a remote mission in June 2022 and a two-week field mission in September 2022.