The Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation, Sunday Jury guest on iRadio, returned to the flaws of the Emerging Senegal Plan (PSE). According to Abdourahmane Sarr, what is lacking in the PSE is “first and foremost a focus on public investments and debt”.
“A political project must be translated into a strategy, into a concrete framework, ensuring that this project is appropriated by the administration so that it can be operational. And when we talk about systemic transformation, we must first define the system we want to change. In Senegal, for the last 60 years, it is the central state which has tried to lead development and each time, saying that the private sector will take over. But the private sector has never taken over. Systemic transformation will involve putting the private sector at the forefront and the State will support it so that we have a competitive economy that will grow and create jobs,” declared Minister Abdourahmane Sarr.
Asked about the PSE, the guest of the Sunday Jury, maintains: “What is lacking in the PSE is first of all a focus on public investments and debt without being concerned about the competitiveness of the economy Senegalese. When you lead, you have high budget deficits. So it is public demand that is increasing.”
Better specifies the former director of the Center for Studies on the Financing of Local Development (Cefdel): “When your economy is not productive, this demand is found outside, in the sense that it translates into imports. You will have a countercurrent, that the balance of payments will be in deficit if you do not export enough. You take almost everything you consume with you. Everything you consume, including your infrastructure investments that you make, must be financed. So, you finance it with external debt and that does not provide jobs.”
He assures that: “If we carry out the necessary reforms, broaden the base, reduce rates and formalize our businesses, it is entirely possible to have a tax pressure which may not be felt by businesses. At a level of 22%, it gives you a lot more possibilities.
Senegal
