President Bassirou Diomaye has completed a year as head of state in Senegal. His election has raised a lot of hope, especially on the economic front, as there were many promises to break with Pastef. Asked what the economic record is 12 months after the Diomaye-Sonko duo took office, economist Demba Moussa Dembélé replied: "We can note some failures but also significant achievements and undeniable successes." He nevertheless calls for consideration of "the magnitude of the problems inherited from the Macky Sall regime."

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Regarding the weaknesses of the economic situation, Demba Moussa Dembélé primarily highlights unemployment. According to him, this is linked to the numerous layoffs in certain public companies, notably the Port of Dakar, the CDC, and the AIBD. The authorities explain this decision as a need to restructure in the face of overstaffing, but this has an impact on employment.

"The difficulty in providing a rapid and credible response to the unemployment problem partly explains the continued irregular emigration, which continues to push many young people towards a hypothetical El Dorado," adds the economist.

Another weakness is "the continued dependence on external sources to finance the economy." The economist notes that, faced with certain emergencies and a lack of liquidity, the new authorities continue to borrow through Eurobonds, but also on the WAEMU market. This, according to him, reflects a "lack of real rupture with the policies inherited from the previous regime."

Demba Moussa Dembélé finds that the economy remains characterized by commodity exports and the use of external financing to exploit its resources, particularly hydrocarbons. This leads to the conclusion that "the new regime has not yet initiated economic policies aimed at breaking with the current development paradigm, based on an extroverted economy."

As a result, with the current model still in place, it is difficult to address crucial issues such as unemployment and poverty. Hence, according to him, the urgency of moving towards the structural transformation of the economy through industrialization.

However, despite these failures, Demba Moussa Dembélé notes several achievements. Among them, the consolidation of public finances, notably through the control of central government and agency spending. The layoffs are also part of this effort. "Another positive development is the termination of fishing agreements with the European Union and efforts to reorganize this sector in the interests of Senegalese fishermen," adds Dembélé.

This assessment also includes the results of agriculture, with fertilizer subsidies and increased producer prices. "According to the Secretary of State for Cooperatives and Peasant Management, some 300 billion CFA francs have been injected into the agricultural sector. The attention paid to this sector is linked to the stated objective of food sovereignty," our source emphasizes.

Another positive point in this assessment is the reduction in the prices of basic necessities thanks to a 50 billion subsidy. In addition, 1,000 consumer volunteers are appointed to ensure compliance with approved prices. "The regime has also addressed the problem of accountability, with the establishment of the Financial Judicial Pool. Already, some bigwigs from the former regime are sleeping in prison. Others will probably join them," the economist believes.

The final point of this assessment is the launch of the Senegal 2050 Framework, a   document which illustrates the desire to engage in a policy of economic sovereignty aimed at exploiting the country's resources in the interest of the Senegalese people.

In conclusion, in view of all the above, Demba Moussa Dembélé finds that "despite the difficult conditions inherited from the previous regime, the new regime presents an appreciable record, even if certain promised ruptures are slow to materialize."