The government of Benin has launched a new digital system, Semo+, aimed at modernizing public administration by streamlining the process of justifying official missions. Introduced on October 7, 2026, in Cotonou, Semo+ utilizes geolocation and biometric identification to validate missions, both domestically and internationally. This move seeks to eliminate physical visa formalities and enhance the tracking of public resource utilization.
Semo+ enables officials on missions to electronically prove their displacements using a mobile application, leveraging geolocation and biometric identification. According to Aristide Aboyi Edah Sohou, Director National du Contrôle, this system mitigates the risk of non-performed and paid missions. He emphasized that the new process saves time, as agents no longer need to visit a commissariat for a visa, a process that now takes less than a minute.
The procedure is based on the agent's personal identification number (Npi) and fingerprints. A test run is recommended before the first use to verify the proper functioning of biometric authentication. The captured data is compared to that of the Agence nationale d'identification des personnes (Anip), which is the sole recipient of this data, as stated by Alain Ahounou, Director des Systèmes d’information (Dsi).
To validate their mission, agents must confirm that the mission has started and share their geolocation daily. The application is compatible with both Android and Apple devices, and agents can use a third party's phone, as authentication relies on the correspondence between their Npi and fingerprints.
Cheigun Habib Tidjani, Secretary General of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, noted that the launch of Semo+ aligns with the modernization of public administration, aiming to enhance transparency, traceability, and accountability in managing public missions. Assistance centers, user guides, and explanatory videos are planned to facilitate its adoption.
A circular from the Minister of Economy and Finance stipulates that all official missions, within Benin or abroad, must now be justified electronically through the mobile application. Failure to comply may result in the loss of mission expense benefits. The system also affects the calculation of rights, as mission periods are determined based on electronically justified durations.
The implementation of Semo+ may allow financial controllers and the Cour des comptes to exploit the system's data, with the long-term goal of achieving a "zero paper" policy. The system does not fundamentally alter the payment mechanism for missions but changes how mission effectiveness is justified, with potential adjustments for overpayments recovered from future missions or salaries.
Key points
- The new Semo+ system in Benin aims to reduce paperwork and enhance transparency in public administration by using geolocation and biometric identification for mission validation.
