Dakar, Dec 27 (APS) – Senegal has remained locked in a “colonial economic model” based essentially on the export of raw materials, noted the Prime Minister in making his general policy statement to deputies on Friday. in Dakar.
”Senegal remained locked in the colonial economic model by exporting its raw materials, gold, fish, peanuts, phosphates, zircon and, soon, oil and gas,” said Ousmane Sonko.
According to the Prime Minister, these exports carried out at the same time as the country imports large quantities of processed products have generated a trade balance deficit of around 5,300 billion CFA francs in 2023, almost 30% of the country’s gross domestic product. country.
The trade deficit is widening from year to year, making the Senegalese economy uncompetitive, said the head of government.
”This resulted in growth that was too weak and too fragile. The average annual growth, from 1960 to 2023, is only 3.1%,” reported Mr. Sonko, stressing that the population increased on average by 2.7% per year during the same period.
Real income per capita has “never taken off,” added the Prime Minister. According to him, the Senegalese have almost the same level of income as they had when the country became a sovereign state in 1960.
”The sad reality of the figures since independence shows that our country is locked in a vicious circle of underdevelopment and poverty,” worried the head of government, speaking of ”a national private sector which does not take off” and ”uncompetitive sectors”.
”Each year, the number of jobs created is very much lower than the number of young people arriving on the job market,” he noted.
MFD/ESF
