Debt in Equatorial Guinea

The Autonomous Public Debt Amortization Fund (Caja Autónoma de Amortización de la Deuda Pública (CAADP)) within the Ministry of Finance manages public debt. The CAADP figure for September 2025 shows 32.1% of gross domestic product, with 79.2% of total debt as domestic debt and 20.8% as external debt. The trend was downward. A 2025 estimate by the African Development Bank gives 37% of gross domestic product; the reference date and methodology differ, so the two figures must not be combined. The debt anchor used by the International Monetary Fund is 50% of gross domestic product. Declining hydrocarbon revenues and production are considered a central risk. A plan to settle domestic arrears prioritizes distressed loans and provides for repayment of these over four years and other arrears over ten years. Arrears owed to Spain are considered resolved. A new information technology system for debt management and a medium-term debt strategy are being developed; a statistical bulletin for 2026 was planned. For bank and microcredit and other financing, local terms include credit (crédito), default (impago), domestic debt (deuda interna), and external debt (deuda externa). Licensed banks and microfinance institutions operate within the framework of the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) and the Central African Banking Commission (COBAC). The National Economic and Financial Committee of Equatorial Guinea (Comité Nacional Económico y Financiero de Guinea Ecuatorial (CNEF-GE)) publishes lists of licensed institutions and may mediate disputes between customers and banks, microfinance institutions, payment institutions, or insurers. The effective global rate (TEG) and the national usury ceiling (techo de usura) are published quarterly. Before taking out credit, the contract, effective annual interest rate, repayment schedule, fees, collateral, and guarantees should be reviewed. The nationwide household debt ratio is not reliably documented. At the first signs of payment problems, the lender should be contacted in writing. The balance, arrears, interest, fees, and a possible installment plan should be recorded in a traceable form. A verified statutory sequence for these steps and an automatic moratorium are not documented. Borrowers must make contractually agreed payments, provide accurate information, and comply with agreed collateral or guarantees. Lenders are subject to regulatory information, complaint, and payment rules. Financial information must be accessible, legible, and understandable; the TEG and applicable interest cap must be transparently identifiable. Unlawful debits may be challenged. On 2 April 2026, BANGE bank (BANGE) refunded XAF 182,000,000 following a Gendarmerie investigation into incorrect impago deductions. This individual case does not establish a general refund rule. Regulation N° 06/25/CEMAC/UMAC/CM/COBAC introduces a blacklist (lista negra) or listing out (mise à l’index) for non-repayment to customers of COBAC-supervised institutions. The trigger, duration, and appeal and correction procedures have not been verified in the available research. After a payment or settlement, written confirmation should therefore be secured, and an incorrect entry should first be challenged in writing with the institution; CNEF-GE mediation may then be considered. For companies and business debts, the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA) framework applies. The simplified debt-claim and enforcement procedure under AUVE, including the payment order procedure (injonction de payer), has applied since 16 February 2024. The creditor needs a substantiated claim, suitable documents, and the competent court; specific court and enforcement practices should be checked locally. OHADA insolvency law (AUPCAP) provides for conciliation (conciliation), preventive settlement (règlement préventif), judicial reorganization (redressement judiciaire), and liquidation of assets (liquidation des biens). A trustee (syndic) and a supervising judge (juge-commissaire) may be involved. These procedures primarily concern companies and business debts. General consumer insolvency or discharge of debts for private households is not documented for Equatorial Guinea. Costs and duration depend on the contract, CEMAC and OHADA rules, and the court or bailiff route. Uniform fees or standard time limits for CNEF-GE mediation have not been verified. A national network of independent debt advice is not documented; informal debt practices have also not been reliably quantified.