Benin: Léandre Houngbédji explains the 14.7% increase in the 2027 state budget

Beninese government spokesperson Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji said on Bénin TV that the 2027 budget proposal totals 4,757.029 billion CFA francs, up 14.7% from the revised 2026 budget. He linked the increase to reforms that broaden the tax base without introducing new taxes and cited economic resilience, with growth forecast at at least 8%, inflation at 1.1% and the deficit below 3%. Socially focused spending accounts for 45% of the budget and includes school canteens, free public schooling for girls, compulsory health insurance and the ARCH project. The proposal will be reviewed by the National Assembly’s finance committee before debate and a vote, and lawmakers can amend it.