At the Council of Ministers this Wednesday, the Prime Minister presented a detailed update on the progress of Senegal's National Agenda for Systemic Transformation. He emphasized the need to ensure seamless coordination between strategic projects and territorial dynamics. He welcomed the encouraging results of the thematic project and program launch sessions, highlighting their crucial role in the success of intersectoral coordination, essential for the sector and value chain approach adopted as part of the Senegal 2050 Agenda. The Prime Minister also emphasized the importance of paying particular attention to so-called catalytic projects and those requiring rapid implementation.
Continuing, the Prime Minister encouraged the Ministers to move to the operational phase by finalizing the roadmaps for the projects selected during the launch sessions. He also stressed the need to adjust, if necessary, the Sectoral Policy Letters (LPS) in view of the first Amending Finance Law 2025. In a context of tight public finances, he announced that he will soon submit budgetary arbitrations to the President of the Republic, after consultation with the Ministers responsible for the budget and the economy.
The Prime Minister then addressed the simultaneous launch of the Support Program for Social and Solidarity Economy Actors (PROGRESS) and the 1000 Solidarity Cooperatives Program (PCS), which he chaired. He recalled the ambitious objective of the National Transformation Agenda, which aims to eradicate poverty in Senegal. Drawing on the results of the ANSD harmonized survey on household living conditions between 2019 and 2022, the Prime Minister highlighted the increase in the number of people living in poverty, particularly in rural areas, and highlighted the correlation between poverty, advanced age, low income, and difficulties accessing basic services such as health, drinking water, education, and electricity.
Faced with this worrying observation, the Prime Minister ordered the Minister of Planning to update these statistics in order to obtain an up-to-date reference situation for effective management of the country. He also stressed the need to strengthen synergies between poverty reduction mechanisms by creating a more efficient ecosystem. To this end, he decided to establish, under the coordination of the Prime Minister's Office, a framework for consultation between the relevant ministries, such as those of solidarity, health, social action, the social and solidarity economy, as well as agriculture and livestock. Among the priorities, he mentioned the management of the lean season in rural areas, including for livestock, and requested that concrete proposals be submitted to him as soon as possible.
Finally, the Prime Minister reminded the Ministers of the importance of strictly respecting the deadlines set for the submission of proposals for streamlining public spending. He also noted the progress made by the Ministry of Finance in establishing an instant payment platform, in collaboration with the BCEAO, to facilitate the payment of taxes and customs duties....
Source : rts.sn
