Senegal-ENTREPRENEURIAT
DAKAR, May 8 (APS) – The Support and Valorization Project of Entrepreneurial Initiatives (Pavia) will have the advantage of helping to solve the country’s economic problems, said Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko on Thursday in Dakar.
” Our country has only one problem, a single challenge to solve. This is the economic challenge, on which we must now concentrate all our efforts. Pavia is one of the programs to take up this challenge, ” he said by presiding over the launching ceremony for the second phase of Pavia, an initiative of the general Delegation for Fast Entrepreneurship of women and young people (DER/FJ).
This project will finance priority activity sectors, according to DER/FJ.
The toll of the first phase of the Pavia was presented during the ceremony. With a budget of 74 billion CFA francs, namely 40 billion provided by the African Development Bank, 21 billion from the State of Senegal and 13 billion from the French Development Agency, this initial phase made it possible to finance 24,628 entrepreneurial initiatives, according to the Prime Minister.
Young people and women, the main targets of the project, are the ” engine ” of the Senegalese economy, said Ousmane Sonko. “It is in them that the potential for transformation of our economy resides” he added, calling to “lift the constraints of entrepreneurship” in Senegal.
Among these constraints are the lack of formalization of entrepreneurial activities, the difficulties of access to financing and the markets, the ” inadequacy of technical support ”, said Mr. Sonko.
The DER/FJ, responsible for implementing Pavia, is a “strategic lever, which is able to release entrepreneurial energies” and “build inclusive and sustainable growth”, according to the head of government.
The second phase of the project will be financed with 107 billion CFA francs, according to the General Delegation for Fast Entrepreneurship of Women and Young people.
The second phase of Pavia will be implemented according to three axes of sovereignty: food, industrial and technological, indicates the Der/FJ.
The general delegate for the rapid entrepreneurship of young people and women, Aïda Mbodj, believes that Pavia is a ” decisive lever ” of economic and social transformation.
” Women and young people with solutions, you are the beating heart of this program. Your courage, your creativity and your tenacity are the most beautiful response to the challenges of our time ” launched Ms. Mbodj.
“Like the rest of Africa, Senegal has a very important young population and must transform its demographic advantage into an economic asset ” said Akinwumi Adesina, the president of the African Development Bank group, taking part in the launch of the second phase of Pavia.
This project must generate 492,633 jobs by funding 51,212 entrepreneurial initiatives, according to Mr. Adesina.
Distinctions have been given to beneficiaries of Pavia, who have distinguished themselves by the quality of their entrepreneurial project.
MFD/HK/ESF
