The National Agency for Supervision of Decentralized Financial Systems (Anssfd) of Benin organized a strategic meeting with representatives of international NGOs on Wednesday, April 16, 2025 on its premises on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. Representatives of international NGOs operating in the field of community savings and solidarity credit were present.

The meeting, which was held in the context of the reform of the regulatory framework for microfinance in the UEMOA region, aims to clarify the legal provisions in force and to initiate a dynamic of collaboration for a compliant and sustainable microfinance model. The aim was to end the misunderstanding between regulators and development partners, and to build a normative framework that allows social microfinance initiatives to thrive without breaking the law. In reality, the Anssfd has been acting since August 2024 under the mandate of the Minister of State in charge of Finance to supervise the activities of decentralized financial institutions, including those carried out indirectly by NGOs

According to Philippe Dahoui, Director General of Anssfd, since the 2007 reform, confirmed by the 2012 Community law transposed in Benin, any activity related to the collection of savings or the granting of credit must imperatively be conducted by an approved institution. He said that the new UEMOA law of December 2023, which is currently being enacted in several countries in the sub-region, reinforces

So, according to these statements, henceforth, only limited companies or cooperative companies with variable capital with boards of directors will be able to operate in this field. SFDs such as associations or mutualists are prohibited. “Even the Beninese government does not fund the beneficiaries directly. It goes through authorized microfinance institutions. This principle applies to everyone, including NGOs,” he said.

For this reason, the ANSSFD therefore proposes a legal and constructive path. NGOs can sign specific agreements with approved SFDs in their areas of intervention. These agreements may relate to solidarity loans at reduced (or even zero) rates, the management of collective accounts for groups of women or young people, or the use of SFDs as technical relays to