Republique of Senegal
One People – One Goal – One Faith
SEVENTH MEETING OF THE CONSULTATIVE GROUP
FOR
SENEGAL 2014
***
SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PRESIDENT
MACKY SALL
Paris, february 24, 2014
Ms
Yamina
Benguigi,
Delegate
Minister
for
Francophonie, Representative of France, the host
country,
Dear Ministers,
Mr Vice-President of the World Bank,
Mr Vice-President of the African Development Bank,
Mr Vice-President of the Islamic Development Bank,
Mr
President
of
the
Commission
of
the West African Economic and Monetary Union
Mr European Commissioner for Development,
Mr President of the West African Development Bank,
Mr Assistant Administrator and Director of UNDP
Regional Bureau for Africa,
Distinguished
Heads
of
Delegations,
Ladies
and
Gentlemen of the Diplomatic Body and representatives
of international organizations,
Dear members of the private sector and civil society,
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,
I would first like to greet and thank the French authorities
for the facilities provided for the holding of the
Consultative Group.
I also thank the Group of the World Bank and the United
Nations Development Program for the time and effort
devoted on our side, to the preparation and organization
of the meeting.
Thank you all, ladies and gentlemen institutional partners
and private sector for responding, in number, to our
invitation and talk with us about our vision and our
economic and social development priorities.
I wanted to personally participate in the work of the
Consultative Group for two reasons. First, to mark the
importance I attach to this open and constructive dialogue
with our partners.
Then, to present the Emergent Senegal Plan (PSE), a new
economic and social development program that we want
to start with your support, following a critical diagnosis of
our economic growth pace, based on our strengths and
weaknesses.
On the one hand, our strengths and potential are:
a geographical position, which makes Senegal a
Gateway to West Africa, open to Europe and the
Americas, in a market of over 300 million consumers
within the Economic Community of African States;
the political and social stability of Senegal, inherited
from a long tradition of democracy and harmony
within the Senegalese Nation;
the stability of our macroeconomic framework;
and a potential in human and natural resources that
we want to value more.
But on the other hand, the diagnosis confronts us with
our limits which are, essentially:
low productivity in the informal sector, which is an
important part of the economy;
our vulnerability to exogenous shocks;
the low profitability of our public investments, yet
among the highest in the West African sub-region;
and, finally, the delay in the reform of certain sectors
vital to the competitiveness of the economy.
In the end, we reached the conclusion that our current
growth rate, at 4.6%, is certainly relatively significant but
is still low and erratic to induce substantial changes likely
to qualitatively change the lives of our people.
We have therefore decided to change vision and
paradigms, to raise the level and accelerate the pace of
our economic growth. This is what has been the origin of
the PSE.
We have involved more than 200 Senegalese, senior
officials of the Administration, as well as those of private
sector resources, civil society and the Senegalese diaspora
to conceptualize this plan for months. I renew my thanks
to them.
Emergent Senegal Plan is based on a tripod:
stimulate the transformation of the structure of the
Senegalese economy, in the sense of supporting a
strong, sustainable and inclusive dynamic growth;
expand access to social services and social
protection and preserve the conditions for a
sustainable development;
and finally meet the requirements of good
governance through the strengthening of institutions
and the promotion of peace, security and African
integration.
PSE has not come out of nothing. It draws its substance
from the National Strategy for Economic and Social
Development, but giving it an operational dynamics
leading to our goal of accelerated economic growth, while
respecting the commitments agreed with our technical
and financial partners.
It is inspired by results-based management, and integrates
the needs of strong and job creating growth.
With the PSE, we seek a productive revival of Senegal,
based ultimately on more partnership and less support,
for the optimal exploitation of strategic sectors of our
economy that drive growth and employment, including
agriculture, infrastructure, energy, mining, tourism, ICTs
and housing.
In each of these areas, we have needs to be met but also
investment opportunities and partnerships to offer.
The ministerial team accompanying me will speak of each
of these areas during the sessions that follow.
I limit myself to three major pillars of the economic
component of the PSE:
Agriculture: We want to produce more and better, to
achieve food self-sufficiency and export. And we have
the human resources, land, water and comparative
advantages to fulfill this ambition.
But we need to further modernize and revamp our
agriculture.
This
is
the
subject
of
ongoing
mechanization program of the sector and reform of
our land system in order to balance the needs of
traditional use and performance of agribusiness, for
large scale production.
By changing methods for increased productivity, we also
are to overcome the stigma surrounding the farmer.
Contrary to popular belief, farming is not a poor affair,
which is required by default when no other option is
possible.
On the contrary, when valued and structured, it is a
noble profession, which allows the producer to earn a
dignified life and contribute to the prosperity of the
nation.
In this area, I wish that President Kufuor, who will join
us just now, sharing with us the experience that
earned him the distinction of the World Food Prize in
2011.
Regarding infrastructure, we continue our efforts
at three levels. First, the densification of the road
network, with 33 major projects in progress,
including the realization of tracks to open up some
rural areas and facilitate access of agricultural
products to the market.
Then the new projects of toll motorways, an area where
we already have a successful experience of publicprivate partnership; the development of new port
projects, including the Port of ore-Bargny Sendou,
and airports, including Blaise Diagne International
Airport being finished.
Finally, the renewal of our rail network and its extension
to the mining areas, including iron and phosphate.
The third pillar I want to talk about is energy: This
sector,
which
is
vulnerability factors of
probably
our
one
economy,
of
the
requires
reforms without delay.
We therefore undertook its recovery. Bold steps have
already been taken to improve the governance of the
National Electricity Company: particular by the
progressive
elimination
of
fuel
costly
rental
generators, limiting subsidies and generalization,
eventually, of energy-efficient lamps.
At the same time, we are pursuing the diversification of
sources, combining fossil fuels and renewable energy
to take advantage of cost variations. We finally took
the private production option by IPP (Independent
Power Producer), in order to increase production
capacity.
We have already started improving the quality of
transport and distribution for the supply of electricity
at better costs.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Our ambition for productive renewal of Senegal is also
a willingness that we have to promote, as in the texts
by the acts, a better political , administrative and
financial governance of our country.
We want, through a revolution of mentalities and
habits, to lay the sustainable foundations for good
governance, by deep break in our individual and
collective
relations
with
the
public
goods
and service.
That's why, after I took office almost two years ago, I
wanted to generate a new mindset that made
transparency and accountability the quintessence of
governance.
This is the meaning of the declaration of assets that I
made after my election and institutional reform that I
initiated, to put our democracy to the highest
international
standards
within
stability
and
modernity of the Institutions of the Republic.
This reform will bring back to five years, renewable
once, the seven-year term for which I have been
elected. It will be immediately applicable.
In addition, we incurred a cleaning project of public
finances management.
Among the measures already running, there is the analysis
of audit hitherto unheeded reports, the reactivation of the
Court of illicit enrichment repression , the creation of the
National Office against fraud and corruption (OFNAC) and
the adoption of the Code of transparency in the
management of public finances.
In this system, there is the law on declaration of assets for
institutions Presidents, Ministers, officers and directors of
expenditure appropriations in the amount of one billion
CFA francs at least (about two million dollars ).
In the same sense, we reduced and streamlined our
administrative structures, audited our public service and
took steps to reduce the standard of living of the State,
including phone expenses and administrative units. These
measures are expected to generate nearly $ 80 million
budget savings for the year 2014.
All actions taken in the direction of safeguarding the
public property will be pursued relentlessly. This is an
irreversible option.
We want a less spendthrift state in its operation, more
generous and more effective public investment; and a
less Jacobin State in its relations with the basic
communities.
In this sense, we want, by Act III of decentralization that
we just adopted, to foster regionalization of public policies
to enhance the potential of the terroirs in more rational
and viable local development poles.
We want a fairer and more inclusive society; a society
that gives each of her children, whatever their social
origin, the chance to realize his dream, by a quality
education and training that meets their ambitions and
abilities.
We want a fairer society; a society which, beyond the
male / female parity introduced in our elected bodies,
opens to its feminine component diversification of skills
and leadership positions.
We want a more cohesive society; a society where
growth and prosperity cannot be an end in itself but a
lever to expand basic social services and serve as a
bulwark against social exclusion, which paves the
frustrations and extremist excesses.
Thus we have initiated Universal Health Coverage for
universal access to a minimum of health care, and Family
Safety Grants in support to the most vulnerable social
strata.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In times like these, I know that the optimistic view of the
world on Africa is somewhat troubled by the conflicts that
mobilize the attention and support of the international
community.
Yes, where there is danger, make sure that peace, security
and democracy are restored.
But so far, let us also talk about trains that arrive on time
and note the security challenges in an inclusive and
integrated approach.
Let us work together for the peaceful Africa not be
forgotten; the Africa standing, resilient, and resolutely
embarked on the path of peace, stability, democracy and
development!
This Africa does not resolve to the promise of the
continent of the future. She also wants to be the
continent of the present. This Africa is not a part of the
world's problems. It is a part of the solutions to the
problems of the world. It is there that Senegal is
recognizable. And we believe that this Africa deserves to
be better heard and supported.
We are aware that the combined path of democracy and
accelerated growth for a cohesive society anchored in
good governance is a long-term task.
It assigns difficult tasks, because there will always be
performance to improve, obstacles to lift, mistakes to
correct and questionings that will require reforms. These
duties, we assume them fully. And we are sure that this is
the only way out to progress.
To this end, we will establish a Delivery Unit within my
Cabinet, articulated to the Prime Minister and the focal
points of the ministries, to ensure the monitoring and
evaluation of Senegal Emergent Plan, both at the
strategic direction and projects monitoring levels.
We know, finally, that the quest for emergence first
depends on our own responsibility.
This is why the financing of PSE Priority Action
Programme will be ensured by Senegal up to 69%.
With you, official and private partners, we want to
mobilize support and investments needed to accompany
us to the ultimate objective of the Emergent Senegal Plan.
The ultimate goal is to do without help, by the virtue of
the partnership.
It is the will that drives us. This is our reason for being
here. And it is, finally, the meaning of the message I
wanted to convey to you today.
Thank you for your kind attention.