The weekly meeting of the members of the government of Benin took place this Wednesday, April 17, 2024. The session was filled with a variety of topics. Find here the full account of the subjects discussed.
The weekly meeting of the members of the Government of Benin was held on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Plenty of topics were discussed during this working session. Here is the full range of subjects that were addressed.
The following decisions were made:
I- Normative Measures.
1-1. Transmission to the National Assembly for authorization to ratify the Convention on the Statute of the Mono River and the creation of the Mono Basin Authority.
The authorities of Benin and Togo signed a convention in 2014 aimed at establishing joint management of the water resources of the Mono River basin. This approach is justified by the potential of this river for agro-pastoral activities, potable water supply, industry, hydroelectric power as well as for the preservation of ecosystems and biodiversity.
It involves a synergy of actions between the two countries, with the goal of contributing to the integrated and sustainable development of the river basin as well as its tributaries, sub-tributaries, and effluents. Natural and artificial water bodies, lakes, groundwater, and wetlands are also taken into account, as well as the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems they affect, the river’s estuary, including the coastal and oceanic influence zone.
With the Togolese Republic having already ratified the convention, a similar formality is expected from Benin so that the subsequent deposit of instruments by both States will facilitate its entry into force.
Subsequently, the development and implementation of rational and concerted solutions to the problems related to the management of the natural resources of the Mono basin will follow between the communities, on one hand, and the two States on the other.
The Council, therefore, agreed that the National Representation should be seized of it.
1-2. Approval of Participatory Management Plans for Classified Forests.
These plans are established for a duration of 10 years in accordance with current regulations. They define the main objectives for optimal forest management. They also describe the state of the forest resources potential in the classified forests, the activities for preservation, restoration, and rational exploitation of forest resources, as well as the organizational, institutional, and financial mechanisms to implement the planned activities.
The current management plans concern the classified forests of: Dan, Kétou, Logozohè, Agoua, Quémé-Boukou, Tchaourou-Toui-Kilibo, Quémé supérieur-N’dali, Quénou Bénou, Trois rivières and Alibori supérieur, located in the departments of Zou, Plateau, Collines, Borgou, Donga, Alibori, and Atacora.
Each management plan presents the status of the targeted classified forests, the technical, financial, and institutional assessment of the implementation of previous plans, the new zoning of the classified forest, the management mode of each series of arrangements, the organizational arrangement of co-management. It incorporates the roles and responsibilities of each of the stakeholders involved as well as the evaluation of the resources necessary to conduct the planned activities.
Besides, the plan highlights the complete parceling of each classified forest, accompanied by a sheet describing the management operations to be carried out parcel by parcel, over the duration of its implementation.
All of this apparatus is of capital importance for the preservation of these classified forests to increase their potential to perform various ecological, economic, and financial functions.
The concerned ministers will ensure the efficient implementation of these management plans in order to achieve the expected results.
Additionally, under this heading, the following decrees were adopted:
-assignments, organization, and operation of the Ministry of Energy, Water and Mines;
-assignments, organization, and operation of the Interministerial Steering Committee of the National Policy of Decentralization and Deconcentration;
-approval of the amended statutes of the National Agency for Touristic Heritage; the Agency for the Development of Arts and Culture; the Beninese Agency for Tourism Development and appointment of the respective board members.
II- Communications.
II-1. Contracting for the complete project management of the construction of Porto-Novo’s City Hall.
The project aims to improve the working conditions of the staff in order to provide better service to users, and it fits within the continuous modernization program of our city infrastructures.
The guiding principles in the design and execution of the project are safety, comfort, functionality of the structures, and architectural design that require great expertise and proven experience.
In order to carry out the work in line with the city’s ambitions, the Council has agreed to enter into a contract with a qualified company to manage the construction site according to professional standards.
II-2. State support measures for producers on the sale prices of fertilizers for the 2024-2025 agricultural campaign.
Over the past three years, due to the international economic situation marked by the adverse effects of the post-COVID-19 era and the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, the prices of fertilizers on the international market have experienced a significant increase. To mitigate the impact, the State and private stakeholders in the cotton sector have decided to mobilize subsidies to support producers on fertilizer prices for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 campaigns. These amounts are 55 billion FCFA and approximately 30 billion FCFA, respectively.
With these significant contributions, the price of fertilizers for producers was 280 FCFA per kg, equivalent to 14,000 FCFA per 50 kg bag during the concerned agricultural campaigns.
Currently, these prices remain high on the international market, to the extent that for the 2024-2025 farming campaign, selling these fertilizers at their real value would make them inaccessible to the majority of agricultural producers, which would have serious consequences on production and threaten national food security.
Therefore, following the past two campaigns, the Government has decided to renew state support for farmers to ensure the success of the 2024-2025 agricultural campaign.
To this end, the Council has authorized the implementation of a state subsidy in support of the selling price of fertilizers, amounting to a total of 24.400 billion FCFA.
On this basis, the fertilizers will be sold as follows:
– NPK fertilizers of all categories at 340 FCFA per kg, or 17,000 FCFA per 50 kg bag instead of 24,000 FCFA;
– UREA fertilizers at 300 FCFA/kg, or 15,000 FCFA per 50 kg bag instead of 19,500 FCFA;
– SSP fertilizers at 280 FCFA/kg, or 14,000 FCFA per 50 kg bag;
– KCI fertilizers at 280 FCFA/kg, or 14,000 FCFA per 50 kg bag.
The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries will ensure, in collaboration with the various stakeholders, the proper application of these measures as well as the availability of fertilizers in all communes.
II-3. Approval of the selling prices of insecticides, herbicides, and the purchase price of cotton seed for producers for the 2024-2025 agricultural campaign.
For the current 2024-2025 campaign, the selling prices of insecticides and herbicides to producers have been approved, taking into account their level during the previous campaign.
In this regard, insecticides will be sold, depending on the case, at 4800 FCFA, 3500 FCFA, or 4000 FCFA per bottle for the treatment of half a hectare (0.5ha).
Regarding herbicides, they will be sold at 3500 FCFA/litre, 7500 FCFA/litre, 7011 FCFA/litre, or 8000 FCFA/litre depending on whether they are total, selective, or early selective.
Moreover, the purchase prices for cottonseed to producers for the 2024-2025 cotton season have also been officially set as follows:
- Conventional cottonseed 1st choice: 300 FCFA/kg;
- Conventional cottonseed 2nd choice: 250 FCFA/kg;
- Organic cottonseed 1st choice: 360 FCFA/kg;
- Organic cottonseed 2nd choice: 310 FCFA/kg.
Lastly, with regard to deductions for critical functions, they are set at 13 FCFA/kg of cottonseed and those for the strategic reserve at 5 FCFA/kg of cottonseed.
The concerned ministers are instructed, in liaison with the professional families of the Interprofessional Cotton Association, to ensure the rigorous application of these prices and to secure these subsidized inputs for the benefit of our producers.
III- Individual Measures.
Mr. Pamphile Claude ZOMAHOUN is appointed Deputy Ambassador, Special Envoy for Haiti at the Embassy of Benin in Brasilia.
Done at Cotonou on the 17th of April, 2024,
The Secretary-General of the Government,
Edouard OUIN-OURO.
