Operating a Business

flag Gabon Gabon: Operating a Business

In this page: Setting Up a Company | The Active Population in Figures | Working Conditions | Cost of Labour | Social Partners

 

Setting Up a Company

Société à responsabilité limitée (LLC/SARL)
Number of partners: Minimum one shareholder and one director, which may be of any nationality and not be resident in the country
Capital (max/min): XAF 1 million minimum capital
Shareholders and liability: Liability is limited to the amount contributed.
Public Limited Company (PLC)
Number of partners: Minimum one shareholder and one director, of any nationality. If the company has more than three shareholders, a board of directors must be appointed (with minimum three directors)
Capital (max/min): XAF 10 million minimum capital divided into shares
Shareholders and liability: Liability is limited to the extent of the shareholders' contributions
Limited Partnership (Société en Commandite Simple - SCS)
Number of partners: At least two partners with no maximum.
Capital (max/min): No minimum capital required.
Shareholders and liability: Limited partners who do not participate in management have limited liability. However, general partners or managing partners have joint and unlimited liability
General Partnership (SNC)
Number of partners: Minimum two partners
Capital (max/min): No minimum capital required.
Shareholders and liability: partners have joint and unlimited liability
The Competent Organisation
Trade Register (RCCM)
 
Setting Up a Company Gabon Sub-Saharan Africa
Procedures (number) 7.0 7.5
Time (days) 10.0 21.3

Source: Doing Business.

 
Business Setup Procedures
Consult Doing Business Website, to know about procedures to start a Business in Gabon.

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The Active Population in Figures

201820192020
Labour Force 702,664721,991726,653

Source: International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database

 
201720182019
Total activity rate 54.10%54.48%54.74%
Men activity rate 62.92%63.50%63.88%
Women activity rate 44.67%44.85%44.99%

Source: International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database

 

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Working Conditions

Legal Weekly Duration
Art. 165 of the Labour code states that the legal employment’s duration is forty hours per week.
For agricultural enterprises, the employment hours duration is calculated by year, with a maximum of 2,400 hours.
A rest day per week is mandatory, and it has to consist of at least 24 consecutive hours.
Retirement Age
For full pension, a worker must have at least 55 years of age 50 if prematurely aged), with at least 20 years of coverage, including at least 120 months of coverage in the last 20 years.
Working Contracts
According to art. 19 of the Labour Code, employment contracts can be either oral or written. In case a working contract is in written, it is exempted from stamp duties.
Working contracts can be concluded for a fixed term, opened ended or for a specific task. An employment contract must be in written if it is concluded for a fixed term (maximum two years) or for a specific task (art. 23 and 25).
Labour Laws
Consult the Labour Code, to obtain a summary of the labour regulations that apply in Gabon

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Cost of Labour

Minimum Wage
The legislation provides that the government may set minimum wage rates for any occupation or sector that is not covered by a collective agreement (or in case the collective agreement does not set minimum wage rates). However, the government has only set the national minimum wage, equal to XOF 150,000 per month (ILO, 2019 latest data available).
Average Wage
There are no official data regarding the average salary in Gabon. According to salaryexplorer.com, the average salary is XOF 553,000 in 2021.
Social Contributions
Social Security Contributions Paid By Employers: 20.1% of covered earnings.
Social Security Contributions Paid By Employees: 4.5% of covered earnings.

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Social Partners

Social Dialogue and Involvement of Social Partners
Workers have the formal right to join unions, engage in collective bargaining, and strike under certain circumstances. However, since 2017 the government reduced the trade unions’ freedom following a strike of the teachers’ union CONASYSED (which was also barred from conducting any activities due to an allegation of disturbance to the public order). It has also been reported that the police used excessive force to disperse striking oil workers as well as students demonstrating in support of the striking teachers. Furthermore, another strike from the workers of the oil sector had suspended after the government’s intervention.
Labour Unions
Gabonese Trade Union Confederation (COSYGA)
Gabonese Confederation of Free Trade Unions (CGSL)
Unionisation Rate
N/A
Labour Regulation Bodies
Ministry of Labour

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Latest Update: April 2024