SENEGAL-ECONOMY

Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has highlighted the urgent need to address the widespread dilapidation and significant safety hazards plaguing Senegal’s commercial markets. He advocates for the establishment of an autonomous administrative body to oversee their comprehensive management and modernization.

The current state of commercial infrastructure across Senegal is characterized by advanced age and substantial security risks, as noted by Mr. Sonko and conveyed by government spokesperson Marie Rose Faye.

Between 2013 and 2024, a staggering 53 markets have been ravaged by one or more fire incidents, a concerning statistic cited by the Prime Minister through Ms. Faye.

Mr. Sonko’s comprehensive assessment of these markets revealed critical challenges spanning technical, infrastructural, organizational, environmental, and sanitary domains, Ms. Faye further elaborated in the most recent Council of Ministers communiqué.

While acknowledging the progress made by the Programme for Market Modernization and Management (PROMOGEM), the Prime Minister, through Marie Rose Faye, underscored that PROMOGEM has already developed a strategic development plan for the period of 2025-2029.

This ambitious plan aims to restructure 528 existing markets and facilitate the construction of 67 new, modern commercial facilities, according to the government’s statement.

To accelerate these efforts, Prime Minister Sonko has put forth solutions designed to grant PROMOGEM greater functional agility, enhanced budgetary efficiency, and an increased capacity to attract innovative financing mechanisms, Ms. Faye explained.

Specifically, Ousmane Sonko proposed an institutional transformation for PROMOGEM. This would convert it into an entity endowed with administrative and financial autonomy, backed by a substantial financial allocation of 57.5 billion CFA francs over four years, drawn from the state’s public investment plan.

Furthermore, he has instructed the relevant ministers, including those overseeing Industry and Commerce, and Finance and Budget, to devise and implement a nationwide network of modern markets.

Mr. Sonko emphasized the importance of rigorous management for these commercial facilities, advocating for a collaborative approach involving both local authorities and the national private sector.