The Ministry of Economy and Finance is strengthening the control and traceability of official missions with the launch, on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, of the third phase of the Official Missions Management System (Semo+). The new application introduces geolocation and biometric identification to certify the effectiveness of public agents’ missions.
A new step has just been taken in the modernization of official mission management in Benin. The National Control Directorate (Dnc) carried out, on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, the official launch of the Semo+ application, the third phase of the Official Missions Management System. The ceremony brought together the National Control Director, executives from the Directorate-General of the Budget, those from the Directorate-General of the Treasury and Public Accounting, program managers as well as directors of administration and finance. Presenting the genesis and justification of this reform, Victorin Chincoun, an official at the Dnc, recalled that Semo, initiated since 2016, aims to modernize, secure, and better trace the management of official missions. The mechanism relies notably on the efficiency of public action, transparency in public management, the accountability of public managers, and the good governance of public finances. Its implementation responds to several shortcomings observed in the former system, notably mission overlaps, difficulties in verifying their effectiveness, the inappropriate assignment of certain ranks, mission orders issued to persons with no connection to the administration, insufficient traceability, and the risks of undue payments. After Semo, launched in November 2020, which notably contributed to putting an end to overlapping missions, and then Semo2, launched in January 2026 and dedicated to the banking of mission allowances, Semo+ constitutes the third phase of the reform.
Semo+: geolocation, biometrics, and enhanced traceability
The main innovation of Semo+ lies in the digital proof of the effective execution of the mission. Through the dedicated application, the agent must confirm their presence at the mission location using geolocation and biometric identification. This proof, time-stamped, secured, and traceable, is set to gradually replace physical supporting documents, notably visas and stamps obtained from commissariats and police stations. A practical demonstration of the application’s use was given in front of the participants. At the end of this presentation, the National Control Director, Aristide Edah Sohou, and the Director of Information Systems, Alain Ahounou, provided answers to the various concerns raised by the participants.
A pure “made in Benin” product
Taking the floor, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Cheigun Habib Tidjani, welcomed a reform that he considers a breakthrough in the modernization of the administration. “I never knew that this is an application that was developed locally, in Benin, at the Ministry of Finance, by officials of the Ministry of Economy and Finance. This is truly a local product, by IT specialists from Benin,” he stated. He invited managers to support the adoption of the tool within their various structures. “I would like each of us to be the ambassador of this tool,” he insisted, while recommending that agents carry out testing phases prior to any mission in order to anticipate potential difficulties. The Secretary General also emphasized the need to make every manager a relay with their collaborators and to continue the efforts of all actors who contributed to the development and deployment of the solution.
