Country Report Gabon November 2009

Summary

The death of the Gabonese president, Omar Bongo Ondimba, will lead to substantial changes in the country's political system.
After winning the August presidential poll, Mr Bongo's son, Ali Bongo Ondimba, has become the country's new president. A new cabinet has been appointed that has seen the departure of some important political figures.
The new administration will be under pressure to produce tangible improvements in living standards to ensure that the ruling Parti democratique gabonais (PDG) wins the 2011 legislative election.
The opposition is expected to win a substantial number of seats in the 2011 parliamentary election, which may force the PDG to seek new alliances with other political parties.
Real GDP is forecast to return to positive growth of 3.3% in 2010 in line with a moderate rise in oil production and the recovery of mining and forestry output, before falling to 0.7% in 2011 owing to a further drop in oil output.
Average inflation is forecast to rise to 3.5% in 2010 as a result of higher fuel prices and stronger domestic demand, before falling to 3% in 2011 owing to a moderate fall in imported inflation.
The current-account surplus is forecast to widen from an estimated 3.6% of GDP in 2009 to 7.6% of GDP in 2010, before narrowing sharply to 4.4% of GDP as a result of the deteriorating trade balance.

After completing a recount of the votes, the Constitutional Court confirmed Ali Bongo as the winner of the August presidential election. He was sworn in as the country's new president in mid-October.
A new cabinet has been appointed, headed by the prime minister, Paul Biyoghe Mba. Only 12 members of the previous administration were offered posts, meaning that over half of the 28-strong cabinet are new faces.
The appointment of a relatively unknown figure, Angelique Ngoma, as minister of defence suggests that Mr Bongo intends to maintain direct control over the army.
The government has decided to tighten the rules governing trade unions, bringing them more into line with international practice. Unions have reacted angrily against these moves.
A new mobile-telephony provider, USAN-Gabon, owned by Bahrain's Bintel, has begun operations under the brand name Azur.

This report covers the following industry codes:
SIC Code: 60;89;48
NAICS Code: 52;81;517