Deposits and loans in the WAEMU banking system increased by 7.2% in 2024, or an additional 4,257 billion CFA francs, to reach 63,591.5 billion CFA francs, according to the newspaper Le Marché.

The source adds that, according to the General Secretariat of the WAEMU Banking Commission, these resources consist of 56.1% demand deposits, 43.6% long-term deposits and 0.3% borrowing resources. Demand deposits increased by 7.7%, reaching 27,084.4 billion, while long-term deposits grew by 6.6% to reach 21,159.1 billion.

It reports that equity and similar resources also recorded a notable increase of 12.1%, from 6,326.4 billion in 2023 to 7,097.7 billion in 2024. These funds come mainly from capital and reserves, representing 94.4% of the total, or 7,070 billion, an annual increase of 5.6% (397.7 billion). And consolidated capital and reserves at the beginning of the financial year reached 6,672.3 billion, an increase of 0.9%.

Compared to other resources, including financial assets, interim accounts, and miscellaneous, the newspaper reveals that they increased by 11.7% to 2,868.8 billion. Miscellaneous liabilities, related expenses, and provisions for risks also increased, reaching 2,556.7 billion at the end of December 2024.

According to him, the treasury of credit institutions continued to grow, despite a structural deficit; and the cash level increased from 6,248.6 billion in 2023 to 6,593.6 billion in 2024, an increase of 5.5%. This increase, adds the source, results from the evolution of assets with the Central Bank and the outstanding refinancing, which reached 4,445.5 billion at the end of 2024.

The annual report highlights that "the strength of deposits, growth in equity and improvement in cash flow reflect the resilience of the WAEMU banking system," while stressing the need to maintain prudent management to preserve financial balances, the newspaper emphasizes.