The Minister of Finance and Budget, Cheikh Diba, led the political phase of the annual review of UEMOA’s reforms, policies, programs, and projects in Dakar today. The event brought together the President of the UEMOA Commission, Abdoulaye Diop, alongside key government officials.
The review, established by Additional Act No. 05/2013 of October 24, 2013, has been conducted in Senegal since 2014. Following a decision made in Bissau in July 2023, it now takes place biennially and is in its eleventh edition. According to Abdoulaye Diop, the review serves as a critical tool for strengthening economic integration within the community, enabling executive bodies to assess shared initiatives under the Union’s Treaty. The technical phase, held in Dakar from November 10 to 12, 2025, evaluated 145 reforms and five projects before the political phase validated the findings today.
Senegal’s reform implementation dips slightly
While the overall performance remains positive, a modest decline was noted. Senegal achieved an average implementation rate of 76.45% in 2025, down from 78.59% in 2024—a drop of 2.14 points. This setback is largely attributed to underwhelming progress in the culture and tourism sectors (-15.10 points) and crafts, quality, and business climate (-34.75 points). Delays in submitting the 2024 GUDEF report to the Commission further exacerbated these challenges.
On a brighter note, notable improvements were recorded in customs union (+4.55 points), human and social development (+6.58 points), energy and mining (+3.33 points), and public finance harmonization (+1.88 point).
Collaborative efforts and next steps
The technical phase was marked by joint work between Senegalese teams and the Commission, described as fraternal, professional, and objective. The synthesis will be presented by Commissioner Mahamadou Gado, responsible for Economic Policies and Domestic Taxation.
Cheikh Diba reaffirmed the government’s commitment to enhancing its community performance, announcing that the political phase’s conclusions would be presented directly to the Prime Minister in a meeting with the Commission President. He also praised Amadou Tchambou, the Commission’s Resident Representative in Dakar, for facilitating seamless collaboration between the regional institution and Senegalese administrations.
Abdoulaye Diop commended President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s dedication to regional integration, as well as the support from Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and the entire government in advancing the Union’s missions.
