How to revive Senegal’s economy? The issue was at the heart of a presidential council on Tuesday, September 29th. Representatives of the government, the private sector and partners from the country gathered around Macky Sall. The authorities presented a € 22.4 billion plan and defined priority sectors.
“After the defense, we must go on the attack” to regain growth according to the sports formula used by the head of state. And to this the authorities have adjusted their strategy with new priorities: “Firstly: Accelerate food supremacy by strengthening our autonomy over basic products, and we are on the right track, especially in the field of rice. Health and pharmaceutical sovereignty, the industrialization of the economy , the digital transformation of the economy … ”, explains Amadou Hott, Minister of Economy.
A strategy supported by Senegal’s partners. But which remains unbalanced, according to Fassory Diawara, representative of civil society: “Research and innovation are not taken into account in the definition of priority actions. The education sector accounts for only 3.6% of the resources allocated to funding. This in itself is difficult to understand. Youth policy is equipped with an overall inadequate budget distribution. In this respect, we notice a large gap between the Dakar axis and the other cities. ”
For the implementation of this plan, the authorities expect the participation of the private sector, up to one third. With the coronavirus pandemic, Senegal’s growth rate, expected to reach 6.8% in 2020, could fall to -0.7%. But the head of state is showing its optimism with a growth forecast of 5.2% from next year and the prospect of more than 13% in 2023 thanks to the exploitation of oil and gas.
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