Niger: Junta revises 2023 budget as sanctions bite over July coup

The military regime that came to power in Niger through a coup at the end of July announced a drastic reduction in the national budget for 2023, due to the various international sanctions which affect the economy of this poor country, very dependent on foreign partners.

Since the coup d'état of July 26, "Niger has faced heavy sanctions imposed by international and regional organizations. These sanctions expose the country to a significant drop in both external and internal revenues", indicates the regime in a press release. read late Friday evening on public television.

“This state of affairs makes it necessary to revise the 2023 budget forecasts,” continue the authorities.

Thus, the revised budget amounts to 1,981 billion CFA francs (3 billion euros) compared to 3,291 billion initially planned (5 billion euros), a drop of 40%.

Niger is suffering heavy economic and financial sanctions imposed on July 30 by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), four days after the military coup which overthrew elected president Mohamed Bazoum.

The coup is also denounced by many Western countries, most of which have cut their development aid.

These sanctions have led to strong inflation of food products and even the shortage of certain medicines.

The military-appointed Prime Minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, recently explained that he would develop an austerity program giving priority in particular to security spending and the payment of civil servants' salaries.

To avoid asphyxiation, this uranium, gold and oil producing country hopes to rely on its internal financial resources and is looking for other allies.

At the beginning of September, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) called for “breaking with any logic of collective punishment” to limit the effect of economic sanctions on the Nigerien populations.