Un Bouquet pour DIOMAYE : De l’ impératif d’organiser les Etats généraux de l’économie (Par Marie Bâ AIDARA)
In Senegal, we welcome the measures taken by the new Authorities with a view to restoring the country's fortunes (Act 1 of the implementation mechanism of the National Development Strategy 2025/2029): these include, among other things, the organization of several conclaves in the areas of justice, transport, trade and industry, water and sanitation, digital technology, the modernization of the administration, employment and employability.
However, we believe that the authorities should place particular emphasis on the agriculture and livestock sector to ensure food security. A real strategy should be developed to ultimately cultivate what we eat and develop a genuine Senegalese label and even be able to export in order to obtain foreign currency in the immediate future.
In the name of state continuity, the Presidential Council on Agriculture and Food Security, which was to be organized since 2013, could finally be held in order to resolve the nagging question of food sovereignty.
It is urgent that we mobilize to revive the economy through, among other things, the measures below:
1/ redefine the order of priorities.
In my opinion, agriculture can remain the Government's number 1 priority, followed by health, number 2 priority, and tourism, which would come in third place. The pandemic will have taught us that the Government was wrong to drastically reduce the health budget in the 2020 Finance Act (LFI).
2/ Boost growth-promoting sectors , without forgetting the informal sector and the energy issue through the continued development of renewable energies. Pay particular attention to agro-industry and crafts, which must be able to export in order to reverse the structurally negative trend of our trade balance, which stands at -3252.3 billion FCFA in 2024 compared to -3983.9 in 2023 according to the ANSD. However, an unprecedented feat deserves to be recognized, namely that the cumulative exports for the first 5 months of 2025 amount to 2325.7 billion FCFA compared to 1413.8 FCFA for the same period in 2024, a net gain of more than 912 billion FCFA.
3/ Give pride of place to the Private Sector , which is, in reality, the engine of growth. Continue to support the Private Sector more than in the past, because the Head of State said, during his speech to the nation on April 3, 2024: "I intend to rely on a strong private sector because it is supported by the State." Without forgetting that for the implementation of the Priority Action Program of the SND 2025/2029, the State intends to rely on the national strategy for the Development of the Private Sector.
Furthermore, the public authorities should also have the courage to reverse the laws, decrees or royalties (there are many!) which do not promote the competitiveness of Senegalese businesses.
I will cite two as examples:
· Decree 2018-1943 of October 26, 2018 establishing a parafiscal tax for the benefit of the Energy Sector Support Fund called: "Tax on energy for industrial use" of the order of 2.5%. This measure further increases the burden on industrialists, which was already high until then. At a time when "electricity for all" is a major focus of the Head of State's social and territorial equity policy, we do not understand this measure intended exclusively for industrial companies;
· Law-2018-10 of March 30, 2018 amending certain general provisions of the General Tax Code. The tax on food fats contained in this law penalizes industry in favor of imports. It is collected "ad valorem" on the turnover of manufacturers while importers pay it at the customs cordon. This distortion is of course accentuated by the correction values, under declarations, exemptions noted at the Customs level. If the upward trend in production factors continues, certain industries could opt to relocate their activities, which would not be without consequences for our economy.
Even if the Senegalese state budget comes mainly from taxation, the post-Covid-19 period must push us to change paradigm and invent new innovative financing techniques to feed the financial authorities instead of the asphyxiation of households and businesses.
Following the latest revelations on the debt, in its latest note, the American rating agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) lowered Senegal's rating for the second consecutive time, dropping it to B- with a negative outlook. This is the lowest rating since its first rating in 2000.
Let us make the necessary corrections to move towards a new model of economic development that will make us truly sovereign in all respects. Let us change course. Let us rethink our economic future. To achieve this, we suggest that the public authorities organize the States General of the Economy (as Italy did in June 2020) in order to modernize it and give it a completely different direction. Our sovereignty, the economy and our society, which suffers from growing inequalities, should, among other things, be discussed there.
Marie Bâ AIDARA
Economist/Writer
Former Minister
mariebabacarba@gmail.com
Commentaires (10)
Si le gouvernement compte sur dés laudateurs (trices) pour changer le pays, alors la, nous avons du souci à se faire. On nous parle de l’amélioration du déficit de notre balance commerciale, en omettant sciemment de nous dire. que cette situation a été rendue possible grâce au secteur des hydrocarbures, un travail réalisé par l’ancien regime et notre croissance hors ce secteur est 3 %, soit la performance la plus nulle depuis plus de 10 ans, hormis l’année Covid.
Merci a la contributrice et a la redaction de seneweb
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