Benin

Benin’s economic activity seems to have begun to recover since 2011, after having come under severe pressure in 2009 and 2010 from the combined effects of the global economic crisis and the floods that hit the country. The growth rate of the real economy increased from 2.6% in 2010 to 3.5% in 2011, then to 3.6% in 2012. The recovery in growth has been the result of combined efforts to revive agriculture and repair the infrastructure after the floods of 2010. The country has also benefited from good rainfall. These elements of positive growth were partially offset by the impact of a sharp increase in January 2012 in the price of adulterated petrol called “kpayo”. The economic outlook for 2013 and 2014 is positive and should confirm growth recovery, supported by good results from the 2012/13 cotton season and recovery in port activities.

L’activité économique béninoise semble repartie depuis 2011, après avoir été lourdement éprouvée en 2009 et 2010 sous l’effet conjugué de la crise économique mondiale et des inondations qui ont frappé le pays. Le taux de croissance de l’économie réelle est ainsi passé de 2.6 % en 2010 à 3.5 % en 2011, puis à 3.6 % en 2012. Le redressement de la croissance est le fruit des efforts combinés de relance de l’agriculture et de remise en état des infrastructures après les inondations de 2010. Le Bénin a en outre bénéficié d’une bonne pluviométrie. Ces éléments positifs pour la croissance ont été partiellement atténués par l’impact de la forte augmentation du prix de l’essence frelatée dite « kpayo », en janvier 2012. Les perspectives économiques pour 2013 et 2014 sont positives et devraient confirmer la reprise de la croissance, portée par les bons résultats de la campagne cotonnière 2012/13 et par la reprise du trafic portuaire.

L’activité économique au Bénin s’est progressivement rétablie en 2011, au lendemain de l’élection présidentielle de mars, suivie par des législatives en avril. La relance de l’agriculture après les inondations de 2010 et la remise en état des infrastructures ont porté le taux de croissance à 3.0 % contre 2.5 % en 2010. Le redressement devrait se poursuivre en 2012 et en 2013 avec des taux de croissance prévus à 4.2 % et 4.1 %. L’économie béninoise, trop peu diversifiée, n’en reste pas moins vulnérable aux chocs extérieurs. L’économie dépend trop largement de l’agriculture et du commerce. Les stratégies de relance de la croissance sur la période 2011-15, axées sur la modernisation et la diversification du secteur agricole et le développement des infrastructures, devraient cependant permettre une croissance forte et durable.

Economic activity gradually recovered in 2011 following the presidential election in March and the general election in April. The growth rate rose from 2.5% in 2010 to 3.0% in 2011 thanks to the recovery of agriculture after the 2010 floods and the improvements to the country’s infrastructure. The recovery should continue into 2012 and 2013 with growth rates of 4.2% and 4.1% respectively. Nevertheless, Benin’s economy, which is too highly concentrated on agriculture and trade, is vulnerable to external shocks. However, Benin should experience strong, sustainable growth for the period 2011-15 thanks to strategies aimed at modernising and diversifying agriculture and developing infrastructure.

Benin takes part in the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative and receives aid from the World Bank. The Agence Béninoise de l’Environnement (Beninese environmental agency) carried out a participatory Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the second Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper while it was being drafted. As a result, environmental issues are now covered in both a sectoral and a cross-cutting manner in the second PRSP.

Benin's economy is characterised by a labour market dominated by the informal sector which involves about 95% of the working population and plays a major role in income generation. In 2010, activity was slowed down by low agricultural and cotton production, reduced public investment and floods. The cost of these unanticipated factors is evaluated at 0.8 economic growth points. An estimated 8% of the Beninese population, nearly one-third of which lives off agricultural activities, was directly affected. Growth in gross domestic product (GDP) in 2010, which was initially expected to be around 3%, is now estimated at 2.1% in a context of control over inflation, compared to 2.7% in 2009. Projections for 2011 are banking on 2.5% growth, driven by trade with Nigeria, agricultural production and the pursuance of major public projects in the form of road infrastructure, general construction work and agricultural development.

Benin is one of the few sub-Saharan African countries to have achieved a peaceful political transition at the beginning of the 1990s. The country adopted a new constitution in December 1990, thereby ending the Marxist-Leninist system that had prevailed since 1974 and replacing it with a democratic system. The country has experienced a relatively stable socio-political situation since then. The last presidential elections, which brought President Boni Yayi to power in April 2006, laid the foundations for an economic revival that continued into 2008. Growth slowed in 2009 as a result of the world economic crisis, however, and remained at 3% compared to the 4.5% average over the three preceding years.

Le Bénin est l’un des rares pays d’Afrique subsaharienne à avoir réussi une transition politique pacifique au début des années 90. Le pays a adopté une nouvelle constitution en décembre 1990, mettant ainsi fin au système marxiste-léniniste qui avait prévalu depuis 1974, au profit d’un système démocratique. Depuis lors, le pays connaît une situation socio-politique relativement stable. La dernière élection présidentielle, qui a porté au pouvoir le président Boni Yayi en avril 2006, a jeté les bases d’une relance de l’économie qui s’est poursuivie jusqu’en 2008. Toutefois, en raison de la crise financière mondiale, la croissance s’est ralentie en 2009 pour rester cantonnée à 3 %, contre une moyenne de 4.5 % au cours des trois années précédentes.

The Constitution of Benin prohibits discrimination based on race, sex and religion, and grants men and women equal economic and social rights as citizens. In 1992, Benin ratified CEDAW. A Code of Persons and Family, drafted by the government in 1990, was voted upon and promulgated by the president in 2004.

LE BÉNIN CONNAÎT UNE SITUATION sociopolitique relativement stable depuis la large concertation nationale qui s’est tenue dans ce pays du 19 au 28 février 1990. Cette concertation, appelée « Conférence nationale des forces vives », a mis fin à la profonde crise sociopolitique et économique que le pays a vécue à la fin des années 80. Depuis 1990, le Bénin est devenu un modèle d’alternance politique en Afrique subsaharienne. Trois présidents de la République se sont en effet succédés à la tête du pays à la suite d’élections démocratiques : le président Nicéphore Soglo (1991-96), suivi des présidents Mathieu Kerekou (1996-06) et enfin Thomas Boni Yayi depuis avril 2006. Des élections législatives se sont également tenues en avril 2007 dans de bonnes conditions et ont permis à Yayi d’entamer son mandat présidentiel avec une majorité parlementaire. Néanmoins, depuis les élections municipales d’avril 2008, le président est confronté à une fronde au sein du parlement. Une recomposition politique a en effet permis à l’opposition de reprendre la majorité au parlement, compliquant ainsi la mise en oeuvre du programme du gouvernement.

THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SITUATION in Benin has been relatively stable since the wide-ranging national consultation took place between 19 and 28 February 1990. This consultation, known as the Conférence nationale des forces vives (National Conference of Dynamic Forces), put an end to the deep social and political crisis that had existed in the late 1980s. Since 1990, Benin has become a model for political transition in sub-Saharan Africa. During this time, three presidents have taken the helm of the country following democratic presidential elections: Nicéphore Soglo (1991-96), Mathieu Kerekou (1996-06) and Thomas Yayi Boni (April 2006-present). Parliamentary elections also took place in April 2007. These elections ran smoothly, with Yayi’s supporters gaining a majority in parliament. Nevertheless, since local elections in April 2008, the president has been confronted with a rebellion in parliament. Political reshuffling has enabled the opposition to re-establish a majority in parliament, thus making it difficult for the government to deploy its programme.

BENIN’S SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SITUATION has been peaceful for over a decade. The wide-ranging national consultation held between 19 and 28 February 1990 brought an end to the profound socio-political and economic crisis that the country suffered during the late 1980s. This consultation, known as the “Conférence nationale des forces vives” (National Conference of Dynamic Forces) was the first of its kind in Africa, and brought different strands of opinion, development organisations from various parts of the country, business and trade organisations, and religious communities together around the same table. It resulted in a number of important resolutions, notably i) to establish a liberal democracy based on respect for fundamental human liberties, ii) to promote the rule of law and iii) to adopt free-market principles.

Following satisfactory macroeconomic results during the 1990s, Benin now faces a significant slowdown of growth; the real growth rate was only 3.4 per cent in 2004, while it averaged 5 per cent during the 1990s. With a population growth rate of 3.1 per cent, poverty reduction is inevitably very slow. This slowdown is due to both temporary and structural factors. The year 2004 was characterised by a difficult regional and international environment for Benin’s economy...