Press Release No. 12/2

Press Release: Benin and IMF to Co-Host High-Level Conference On Public Service Reform

January 9, 2012

The Government of Benin and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will co-host a high-level conference on public service reform in Benin on January 17, 2012 in Cotonou. The conference will aim at exploring best ways to help Benin design civil service reform strategies that foster sustainable and inclusive growth. The event will be chaired by the Prime Minister of Benin and bring together participants from the governments of Benin and the other countries of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU); the National Assembly; private sector; civil society; academia; labor unions, the public sector, and the donor community.

The conference, “Civil Service Reform in Benin: Challenges and Prospects,” will be a platform for the authorities to take stock of progress accomplished, share relevant regional and international experience, and consider challenges ahead on the road of continued civil service reform in Benin.

“We are very much looking forward to listening to our partners in Benin as we discuss the challenges and opportunities of its civil service reform. The IMF has had a constructive dialogue with the Beninese authorities and the conference is an opportunity to broaden this dialogue to all those involved in the country’s civil service reform” said Mario de Zamaróczy, Advisor in the IMF’s African Department. “The Cotonou conference offers an opportunity for all stakeholders to explore ways to improve the quality of life of Beninese citizens through civil service reform.”

The conference will be followed by another seminar for Beninese parliamentarians on the role of the IMF in the world and in their country.