Gabon - Services

The services sector is the biggest employer in Gabon, with the government being the single largest employer in the nation, and incomes earned in this sector are significantly higher than average. The mineral and forestry sectors drive the economy, and services expand to support these activities. The production of the service sector increased at an average annual rate of 3.3 percent from 1990 to 1997. Due to the poor infrastructure and the dense forests, tourism is limited.

The telecommunications sector has been identified by the U.S. State Department as a prime area for growth. The parastatal Office des Postes et Telecommunications du Gabon (OPT), which has a monopoly on telecommunications services in the country, is slated for privatization. This development is expected to encourage foreign investment and create jobs as the country is opened to modern telecommunications networks and cellular services.