(Ecofin Agency) - The Senegalese government has adopted in a council of ministers, the 2018 budget, amounting to CFA3,709.10 billion (about $6.7 billion) against CFA3,360 billion for the year ending next December, thus up 10.4%.

According to the report of the Ministers’ council, the budget is “in truth focused on major social priorities, with a significant, direct and immediate impact on Senegalese populations’ daily activities, so that their well-being is improved continuously”.

In this framework, more than CFA1,161 billion or 42% of overall, debt-excluded, expenditures will be dedicated to social sectors. In details, CFA40 billion will be allocated to household security, and CFA30 billion to youth and women entrepreneurship.  

The State also plans to inject CFA38 billion in education and professional training. It should also secure CFA27 billion for agricultural input subsidies, CFA15 billion for the community development emergency programme (PUDC) and CFA14.5 billion in community farming. Similarly, other major funds allocation in the sectors of health and education should be made to help populations improve their livelihoods.

The 2018 budget also puts a particular accent on the consolidation of important public investments as planned under the Emerging Senegal Plan (PSE), knowingly in agriculture, infrastructures and power.

The implementation of this budget will be made possible by a significant increase of the country’s revenues, proof of the economy’s good dynamics. The country was actually praised by IMF for its recent economic performances. However, the budget reflects the government’s caution, considering Senegal’s indebtedness level (which was the only factor criticized by the IMF), as well as the efficiency and rationalization of public spending.    

Fiacre E. Kakpo