The Council of Ministers met on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at the Presidential Palace, under the presidency of His Excellency, Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar FAYE.
At the outset of his communication, the President of the Republic reminded that fighting the high cost of living remains a priority for government action.
The Head of State noted the deregulation of markets for mass consumption products and services in terms of supply, stocks, and prices. In this batch, he drew the Council’s attention to the situation with essential commodities.
He also indicated that the wholesale and especially retail prices of rice, sugar, oil, flour, milk, and bread, in particular, must be subject to special and ongoing government scrutiny and supervision by competent state services.
Furthermore, the President of the Republic recalled to the Council the strong concerns of his fellow citizens regarding the reduction and regulation of rent costs and facilitating access to decent housing.
Consequently, the Head of State gave instructions to the Prime Minister and the Ministers of Commerce and Industry, Finance and Budget, and Agriculture, to propose, before May 15, 2024, an operational emergency plan to combat the high cost of living, including bold measures to lower the prices of everyday consumables and certain essential services.
In this perspective, the President emphasized the need to involve consumer associations, industrialists, and economic operators to build lasting consensus in the effective implementation of new measures aimed at reducing the cost of living for households. He further insisted on the imperative to ensure ongoing price control on the ground and the mastery of any speculation tendencies, especially approaching major holidays and religious events.
To this end, the Head of State asked the Prime Minister to set up, at the Prime Minister’s Office, an early warning and monitoring system for the prices and supplies of essential products and commodities in the country.
The President of the Republic also revisited the urgent need for ongoing monitoring of the evolution of rental costs (for residential and commercial use) in Dakar and departmental capitals.
Moreover, the Head of State invited the Minister of Industry and Commerce to oversee the transformation of domestic trade, which involves modernizing neighborhood shops and developing innovative and effective strategies to promote the consumption of local products.
The President of the Republic, having analyzed the current international economic situation and its impacts on national life, has invited the Government to implement the Doctrine of Food Sovereignty (DFS) as of the next agricultural production campaign, in line with the new policy of industrialization, valuation, and consumption of our local products.
The President thus requested the Prime Minister to oversee the new voluntarist, endogenous, and consolidated vision of our public policies whose objective is to significantly mitigate the high cost of living and sustainably support the improvement of the purchasing power of the population through access to high-quality, everyday goods and products at affordable prices.
Furthermore, under this chapter, the President gave instructions to the Prime Minister to enhance reforms aimed at improving competition in these various sectors of activity and the sustained preservation of consumer rights. Then, the President placed great emphasis on vocational and technical training as well as youth employment, which remain, according to him, national priorities. On this matter, he asked the Prime Minister to take suitable measures aimed at pooling and optimizing the resources and interventions of all public structures that support and promote vocational training, entrepreneurship, and youth employment.
In this regard, he requested the harmonization of sectoral databases related to job demands and offers. The President asked the Prime Minister and the Ministers in charge of Finance, Vocational Training, Higher Education, and Labor to proceed, as soon as possible, with a review of the ecosystem of structures, means of intervention, and vocational and technical training offerings, in order to improve the allocation of resources targeted at vocational and technical training goals.
He pointed out the urgency of implementing at the Prime Ministry a system for tracking policies that promote youth employment and to ensure the rapid professional integration of young graduates from educational institutions in French and Arabic. The President also asked the Prime Minister to ensure the localization of policies for vocational and technical training and youth employment.
The President also asked the Government to engage with social partners (labor unions and employer organizations) in regular consultations for a “social truce.”
He emphasized the need to proceed with a consensual update of the labor code and the national convention between the state and employers. He also called for a social conference after May 1st, centered on the major theme of “employability and youth employment.”
Furthermore, the President informed the Council of the audiences he granted on Tuesday, April 24, 2024, to the leaders of the most representative labor unions and the heads of employer organizations, in the context of consultations to consolidate social stability and collective efforts to combat the high cost of living, revitalize the national economy, and create jobs for young people.
Cooperation on defense and security matters at the border regarding transversal threats such as terrorism, transnational organized crime, international trafficking of drugs and humans, and irregular migration;
Re-energizing cooperation in the fishing sector. In this respect, President Ghazouani affirmed that his country is willing to share fishery resources and advocated for an exchange of experiences in managing these resources.
He also called for enhanced joint maritime surveillance to address the issue of poaching vessels;
Delays in the construction of the Rosso bridge, with each party invited to remove bottlenecks;
Energy cooperation. Emphasis was placed on the twenty-eight-month delay in the GTA works and the need to form a united front against the operator BP to meet the expectations of the people;
Regarding the visit to The Gambia, the Head of State informed the Council that his very fruitful tête-à-tête talks with President Adama Barrow covered all areas of cooperation, with particular focus on:
Defense and security, a domain in which Senegal will continue to support The Gambia in its quest for stability;
Enhancing the fight against criminal acts of illegal logging and trafficking, which continue to destroy the forests of both countries;
Cooperation in the fishing sector, with discussions aiming to consolidate achievements, particularly in terms of facilities provided to fishers from both countries;
The free movement of people and goods, along with terrestrial, aerial, and maritime transport, which will be subject to ongoing monitoring;
The increase in cement tax from Senegal, which measure has been suspended pending the signing of a circular to annul it.
Finally, the President discussed the meeting he granted to Mr. Charles Michel, President of the European Council, on Monday, April 22, 2024.
In his address to the Council, the Prime Minister shared about the audience he granted to His Excellency Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, Vice President of Sierra Leone, on Monday, April 22, 2024, at the directive of the President.
Together, they reviewed the main axes of cooperation between Senegal and Sierra Leone and discussed ways to reinvigorate them to provide more opportunities for the private sectors of both countries.
To this end, they agreed to propose to both Presidents, of Sierra Leone and Senegal, the holding of a joint commission before the end of the year 2024.
The Prime Minister also discussed the development of a new framework for social dialogue, enhanced by rich exchanges held with representative trade and employer organizations under the oversight of the President.
This work will lead to a set of measures to temporarily reduce the price of essential goods and a framework for rebuilding social dialogue that includes salary equity, government commitments, job security, and the rights and duties of trade unions.
Following the directives of the President, given at the Council of Ministers’ meeting on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, for the effective and rapid setup of ministerial cabinets and proposing, for each ministry, a new rationalized organization as well as appointments in accordance with current regulations and validated sectorial objectives, the Prime Minister announced that by Thursday, three (3) circulars will be made available to Ministers and State Secretaries:
- A circular on the composition of ministerial cabinets and state secretary offices to remind of the rules concerning the formation of these cabinets and the appointment of their members;
- A circular on the relationships between ministers and state secretaries to clarify said relations to avoid potential conflicts and dysfunctions thereby fostering greater cohesion and coherency within the ministerial department;
- A circular on the organization of governmental work to emphasize the importance of organization and method in government work efficiency (programming, organization, coordination, control, and evaluation of policies, projects, and programs).
Moreover, the Prime Minister talked about the development of a Government Action Plan with a template that will be communicated to each ministry by circular. This will specify:
- The most urgent actions to be executed by the ministries by June 10, 2024, considering the budget allocations stated in the initial 2024 Budget Law;
- Priority actions for the second half of the current year and the necessary budget resources;
- Programs and projects up to the year 2029. All these details, put together, will form the structure of the policy statement that the Prime Minister will present to the National Assembly.
Regarding the work preparing the reference document on economic and social policies, the PROJECT, the Prime Minister affirmed that it will exclusively bear the seal of Senegalese expertise and will be completed in the third quarter of the year 2024. To this effect, a limited technical committee will be established at the Prime Minister’s office.
The instance will include ministries in charge of Planning, Finance, Industry, Food Sovereignty, Employment, Public Sector Transformation, and the Office of Organization and Methods (BOM).
At the end of the proceedings, the Prime Minister continued, the reference framework for the realization of the vision of the President of the Republic for a sovereign, fair, and prosperous Senegal through the design of systemic transformation programs and projects will be submitted for the President’s approval before the end of the third quarter of 2024.
The first phase of the multi-year action plan of the PROJECT will be included in the initial 2025 finance law, which will be submitted for approval to the National Assembly at the beginning of October next year.
REGARDING COMMUNICATIONS FROM MINISTERS:
- The Minister of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation made a communication on the state of higher education and research;
- The Minister of Fisheries, Maritime and Port Infrastructure made a communication on the process for selecting an operator for the exploitation of the Dakar shipyards;
- The Minister of Family and Solidarities made a communication on the launch of the Community Resilience and Development Project of the Senegal River Valley (CRDP/SRV) funded by the World Bank;
- The Minister of Youth, Sports, and Culture made a communication on the public auction sale of President Léopold Sédar SENGHOR’s library in France;
- The Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Livestock made a communication on the preparations for Tabaski 2024, the assessment of the 2023 agricultural campaign, and the preparations for the 2024-2025 agricultural campaign.
REGARDING INDIVIDUAL MEASURES
The President of the Republic made the following decisions:
Mr. Bara DIOUF, Administrative and Financial Manager, is appointed General Delegate for the Promotion of Urban Hubs of Diamniadio and Lac Rose, replacing Mr. Diène Farba SARR;
Mr. Bacary Sega BATHILY, Project Management Specialist, is appointed General Director of the Agency for Investment Promotion and Major Works (APIX SA), replacing Mr. Abdoulaye BALDE;
Mr. Pape Alé NIANG, Journalist, is appointed General Manager of the Senegalese Broadcasting Corporation (RTS), replacing Mr. Racine TALLA;
Mr. Waly DIOUF BODIANG, Principal Inspector of Taxes and Domains, is appointed General Manager of the National Society of the Autonomous Port of Dakar, replacing Mr. Mountaga SY;
Mr. Cheikh Mamadou Abiboulaye DIEYE, Engineer in Civil Engineering and Public Works, is appointed General Manager of Blaise DIAGNE International Airport (AIBD SA), replacing Mr. Abdoulaye DIEYE;
Mr. Fadilou KEITA, Financial Management Manager, is appointed General Manager of the Deposits and Consignments Fund, replacing Mr. Cheikh Issa SALL;
Mr. Maguette KANE, Inspector of Postal and Financial Services, is appointed General Manager of the National Company La Poste, replacing Mr. Mohamadou DIAITE;
Mr. Bassirou KEBE, Project Management Specialist, is appointed General Manager of the National Society of Moderately Priced Housing (SN HLM), replacing Mr. Mamadou Diagne SY MBENGUE;
Mr. Mouhamadou Moctar MAGASSOUBA, Corporate Finance Specialist, is appointed General Manager of the Cap Vert Property Company (SICAP SA), replacing Mr. Mamadou KASSE;
Mr. Serigne Mamadou MBOUP, Specialist in Hospitality Management and Strategy, is appointed General Manager of the Agency for the Development and Promotion of Coastal and Tourist Areas of Senegal (SAPCO SA), replacing Mr. Souleymane NDIAYE;
Ms. Marie Rose FAYE, Expert in Human Resources Management, is appointed General Manager of the Agency for Development and Support of Small and Medium Enterprises (ADEPME), replacing Mr. Idrissa DIABIRA;
Ms. Yaye Khadidiatou Djamila DIALLO, Business Law Specialist, is appointed General Manager of the National Agency for Early Childhood and the Case des Tout-Petits, replacing Ms. Maïmouna CISSOKHO;
Mr. Tidiane SIDIBE, Expert in Project Management and Territorial Development, is appointed General Manager of the National Land Management Agency (ANAT), replacing Mr. Mamadou DJIGO;
Mr. Sékouna DIATTA, Lecturer in Ecology, is appointed General Manager of the Senegalese Reforestation Agency and the Great Green Wall, replace Mr. Oumar Abdoulaye BA;
Dr. Cheikh DIENG, Environmental Expert, is appointed General Manager of the National Sanitation Office of Senegal (ONAS) replacing Mr. Mamadour Mamour DIALLO;
Mr. Magatte DIAKHATE, Inspector of Taxes and Domains, is appointed Director of Legislation and International Cooperation, replacing Mr. Mouhamadou Lamine SY;
Mr. Abdou GNING, Inspector of Taxes and Domains, is appointed Director of Domains, replacing Mr. Mamadou GUEYE.
Done in Dakar, on April 24, 2024 The Minister of Professional Training,
Government Spokesman Amadou Moustapha Njekk SARRE
