(Ecofin Agency) - The government of Senegal posed restrictions on outgoing calls in the public administration to cut public spending. Restrictions came into effect since September 1^st.

According to the State Information Office (BIG), which disclosed the information, the subscription of civil servants has been reviewed with mobile operators and “only incoming calls are maintained until September 30 before the lines are fully terminated.”

The State “took all the necessary regulatory measures to implement this decision with Decree 2019-1310 of 14 August 2019 fixing a flat-rate monthly allowance for mobile telephony charges for certain State employees.”

BIG says “the savings generated will be used to effectively meet the needs expressed by the population in terms of health, education, vocational training, but also infrastructure to restore territorial equity and social justice.”

This is not the first time that the Government of Senegal is planning the rationalization of the State's telecom bill. Since 2014, various actions have been undertaken, including the State telephony, a modern fixed and mobile telephone system used only by the administration, developed by the State Information Agency (Adie). Measures also include the partnership agreement signed with the Société nationale des télécommunications (Sonatel) of Senegal, for preferential rates to the administration.