Amidst the diverse landscape of debt policy and management in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), Benin has emerged as a country demonstrating strong progress in its approach to financial governance. In this blog, we will explore the factors contributing to Benin's success, highlighting the steps taken by the government to promote balanced and transparent debt management. With a score of 4.5 in the 2022 Country Policy and Institutional Assessment, Benin has surpassed the SSA IDA average of 3.1, showcasing its commitment to responsible fiscal practices. The country’s economic performance has been supported by a strong legal framework, ongoing reforms, and effective coordination between debt management and macroeconomic policies. In 2018, the country improved its debt management capacity by introducing a public debt management procedures manual and a system to monitor the debt of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and their contingent liabilities. The Beninese Debt Management Agency (CAA) updates its debt strategy annually and submits it to Parliament together with the Budget Law. The CAA also regularly updates its Medium-Term Debt Strategy (MTDS) to ensure smooth and effective debt management. Additionally, the CAA has established a mechanism for more timely and effective disbursement of external loans by appointing portfolio officers in close contact with investment project coordinators. […]