This is the BEAC building, the Central African office of the central bank that coordinated the money supply in the Franc Zone. During most of our time in CAR, the exchange rate between the Central Africa franc and the French franc was fixed at 50 to 1, then currency was devalued to 100 francs to the French franc. The explanation was that the devaluation would spur economic growth by making Central African exports cheaper, plus stir domestic production of many goods by making imports more expensive.