ABIDJAN — Côte d’Ivoire’s Treasury is advancing efforts to take ownership of two key digital payment platforms used for collecting public revenues and processing government payments, in a move aimed at reducing costs and strengthening state control over critical financial infrastructure.
The platforms, Trésor Pay and Trésor Money, currently play a central role in the digitisation of government financial transactions. However, their operation by a private provider has become a growing concern for authorities, who argue that the existing arrangement generates significant costs for the state.
Treasury Director General Arthur Augustin Pascal Ahoussi has reportedly opened negotiations with the owner of the platforms, BMI-CI Finances, as part of a plan to transfer ownership to the government. The initiative is supported by the Ministry of Finance and Budget, which has commissioned an independent valuation to determine the acquisition price. Estimates place the transaction at around CFA16 billion (approximately €24 million).
According to sources familiar with the matter, the platforms currently allow the private operator to receive a share of revenues generated through their use, a model viewed by government officials as increasingly costly. Authorities also point to substantial maintenance expenses, estimated at hundreds of millions of CFA francs each month.
The planned acquisition reflects a broader strategy by Côte d’Ivoire to reinforce sovereignty over digital financial services and improve efficiency in public revenue collection. The government has invested heavily in digitalisation in recent years, promoting electronic payment systems as a tool to enhance transparency, expand financial inclusion and modernise public administration.
If completed, the transaction would give the Treasury direct control over platforms that have become essential to the management of public finances, while potentially reducing long-term operational costs and increasing returns to the state.
The negotiations remain ongoing, with final valuation and ownership terms yet to be concluded.