Gabon

Overview

Gabon is a country in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo and the Gulf of Guinea. Following the death of El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba in 2009 - one of the longest-serving heads of state in the world and Gabon’s former president - new elections brought his son, Ali Bongo Ondimba, to power. Despite constrained political conditions, Gabon's small population, abundant natural resources, and considerable foreign support have helped make it one of the more stable African countries.

Economy

Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most sub-Saharan African nations, but because of high-income inequality, a large proportion of the population remains poor. Gabon depended on timber and manganese until oil was discovered offshore in the early 1970s. The economy was reliant on oil for about 50% of its GDP, about 70% of revenues, and 87% of goods exports for 2010, although some fields have passed their peak production. A rebound of oil prices from 1999 to 2008 helped growth, but declining production has hampered Gabon from fully realizing potential gains. Gabon continues to face fluctuating prices for its oil, timber, and manganese exports. Despite the abundance of natural wealth, poor fiscal management has stifled the economy.

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36 Matters

Aircraft registration - Gabon

We advised an aerospace manufacturer of business jets for civilian and military use on the registration of a lien against client’s... More

Need to terminate business arrangements with your suppliers or distributors? John W Ffooks & Co can help

Distribution agreements in three African countries

We advised a chocolate-and-confectionery wholesaler on the termination of their business relationship with a Congolese distributor and on... More

Investing in francophone Africa? Our team can give you the legal lay of the land

Comprehensive regulatory advice - OHADA region

We provided a comprehensive overview of pharmaceutical and corporate law across the OHADA region for an international pharmaceutical... More

Connecting IT to quality legal advice in OHADA

Data protection advice across the OHADA region

We advised a leading IT services company on the rules for data protection across the OHADA region. This involved ensuring compliance for... More

Digging into mining acquisitions in Gabon

ASX-Listed resource junior – Acquisition of Mining Assets

We acted for an Australian-listed mining junior on its acquisition of a majority stake in a producing asset in Gabon. We reviewed the... More

Getting retail banking right in francophone Africa

Retail banking in francophone Africa

We advised a leading international bank on regulatory compliance for retail banking in Francophone Africa, such as license requirements,... More

Processing securities in Gabon

Banking Opinion – Major US financial institution

We provided an opinion to a major US finance house on taking and exercising security, as well as how to deal with any funds which were... More

Operational advice for your bank

Banking services - Gabon

We helped a major American bank devise its internal policies for offering banking services in... More

Making money lending work

Money lending advice - Gabon

We advised a Chinese state-owned development bank on the framework for lending to Gabonese entities. Advice included the rules for giving... More

Setting up letters of credit

Letters of credit - Gabon

We advised a Japanese multinational banking and financial services company on the technical aspects of setting up letters of credit in... More

Crafting expert advice on bankruptcy law

Guide on bankruptcy law - OHADA region

We wrote the chapter on bankruptcy in the OHADA region for Thomson Reuters Inside the Minds: Bankruptcy Law Client Strategies in the Middle... More

Environmental OHADA survey

Environmental OHADA survey

We conducted an environmental survey entitled "Acquiring or selling business: key considerations relating to environmental law" in Benin,... More