As we, the Collaborative Africa Budget Reform Initiative (CABRI), have reflected on the year of 2025 - the key lesson learned is that our past activities and endeavours will need to be strengthened going into 2026 and beyond! Whereas for the past five years or so, at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and of the events that unfolded in its aftermath, we may have believed that we were in an unusual time of worldwide polycrisis - it is clear now that the intensifying quantum of change has not peaked and that it will continue.
Scientifically in macroeconomic data analyses, a structural break refers to a sudden, unexpected shift in underlying relationships causing trend changes, often related to a crisis. The structural breaking currently being experienced goes beyond a single fiscal worldwide or country polycrisis, highlighting that we are in the midst of a process of polycrises.
In previous ‘Notes on PFM in Africa’, we have addressed key issues of the changing circumstances and understanding of fiscal discipline, accountability and transparency across the globe. These questions are also associated with rapidly changing political, national development and citizen sentiment circumstances and regimes. The need to reimagine public finance praxis and to building resilience into public finance is paramount.
Our previous work across countries in Africa has been founded in, and been an expression of, our intrinsic understanding that public institutions are more than the rules by which they are established, they are inherently directly tied to the capabilities of the cadre of public officials in finance and other ministries.
Equally across continents we see a shift in global order, a multiplicity in changes in relationships of economic, military and political power and of (non-) adherence to the rules of international institutions. Ultimately, outcomes will be determined by the capability to develop in the face of unfolding structural breaking change.
There are high stakes in country and regional decision making, more especially because allies and adversaries are changing fast. Decisions regarding public services delivery, trade and investment partners, politics and security, will not only determine citizens’ trust domestically, but also national sovereignty. In public finance terms a key consideration will be, who are currently and in future will be, the international investors in the national debt of developing countries?
Decision making today and into the near and further future will count for every country.
| CABRI's Mission is: |
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| To empower African governments in designing and implementing effective PFM systems, policies, and practices through collaborative peer-learning, locally-driven solutions, and dynamic networks of senior budget practitioners; realising good governance and integrity in PFM. This mission transcends political, economic and social regimes and is simply focused on: CABRI’s vision to drive efficient and effective service delivery, sustainable economic growth and development. |
All African countries that are not yet members of CABRI are eligible and are invited to contact us at info@cabi-sbo.org, so that you may join formally. Other stakeholders within the broader Public Finance Management community are also welcome to join us and our current partners.
At the end of 2025, CABRI produced the Digital Public Finance Management (dPFM) Reform stories of Kenya, Rwanda and Liberia; held a Policy Dialogue on Agriculture Value Chains, Youth Employment and financing instruments and launched a 12 month Building Public Finance Capabilities (BPFC) Programme for Health with 7 African countries. The CABRI Budget Practices and Procedures Survey in Africa was also launched, amongst others.
CABRI’s work showcases the reform initiatives undertaken and its impact on countries, through peer-learning, and with the intention of improving public finance praxis. The N’danaan team from The Gambia who participated in the BPFC programme on Nutrition were acknowledged by their Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs for achieving a 50% increase in funding for The Gambia’s school feeding programme, through their budget policy analyses.
In 2026, the findings of the CABRI Africa Debt Monitor and the Budget Practices and Procedures surveys will be made available, and will provide datasets as well as country comparisons of the latest trends. In addition, the Policy Dialogue on Debt and Climate will be held soon.
Mustapha Samateh, Director of Budget at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, The Gambia
CABRI welcomes Mr Mustapha Samateh, Director of Budget of The Gambia as the Chairperson of its Management Committee. We thank Mr Alaye Barra, outgoing Chairperson, for his dedication, and wish him every success in his new appointment.
We invite you to join CABRI for 2026, collaboration and peer learning will provide useful Public Finance praxis into the future!