Budget 2026 : l’État assume "des choix difficiles fondés sur la priorité, l’équité et l’impact social"
After more than a month of intensive discussions with members of parliament (both in committee and plenary sessions), the government reaffirmed its commitment to rigorously prioritizing the 2026 budget, driven by resource scarcity and the scale of social needs. In a call for consensus, the executive branch acknowledged the budgetary trade-offs it deemed necessary to put the country back on a credible and sustainable path.
The Minister of Finance and Budget commended the quality of the parliamentary debates, emphasizing that the pleas of elected officials, representing the legitimate expectations of the people, were fully heard. Infrastructure, health, education, water resources, agriculture, youth: the urgent needs are numerous and undeniable. But, he reminded everyone, "to govern is to foresee, and to foresee is to choose."
Deliberate choices made in a context of limited resources
Faced with constrained budgetary resources, the State has opted for strict prioritization based on three major criteria, according to Cheikh Diba: the actual impact of public policies, territorial equity, and financial sustainability. "Where room for maneuver exists, funds have been allocated. Otherwise, the government has favored alternative solutions such as streamlining expenditures, internal redeployment, program optimization, and phasing investments," he says.
Structuring investments in key sectors
The 2026 draft budget includes significant investments in several strategic sectors. In education and training, the government plans to build middle and high schools in all 45 departments of the country to strengthen school inclusion. Regarding health and social protection, the construction of healthcare facilities is planned at an estimated cost of 60 billion CFA francs.
For agriculture and food sovereignty: community agricultural cooperation projects (9.6 billion CFA francs) and an agricultural mechanization program (13 billion CFA francs) are planned. Regarding water and sanitation, the government will implement the Grand Water Transfer project, with a budget of 50 billion CFA francs. Concerning infrastructure and transportation, the acquisition of two aircraft for Senegal (60 billion CFA francs) and the construction of the Dakar–Tivaouane–Saint-Louis highway (109.7 billion CFA francs) are planned.
Regarding youth, sports, and employment, the government has planned local sports infrastructure (6.9 billion CFA francs) and an infrastructure program related to the Olympic Games (91 billion CFA francs). For defense and security, the plan includes modernizing national defense capabilities (13 billion CFA francs), expanding Dakar's unified video surveillance system (14 billion CFA francs), and strengthening non-intrusive border controls (14.2 billion CFA francs). Finally, for territorial development, funding for agro-industrial parks is planned to the tune of nearly 100 billion CFA francs.
The government is also counting on increased mobilization of domestic resources through the measures of the economic and social recovery plan. Controlling public spending, particularly the wage bill, is a priority, with a special emphasis on digitizing recruitment, monitoring, and workforce control processes.
Beyond simply voting on the budget, the government is calling on members of parliament to play a co-pilot role in the national recovery effort. Their mission is not limited to relaying the public's concerns, but also includes explaining budgetary choices, strengthening public trust, and fostering support for the collective effort. The government also welcomed the National Assembly's new approach to evaluating public policies, particularly the monitoring of investment projects and programs, to ensure that objectives are met and resources are used effectively.
In conclusion, the Minister paid a heartfelt tribute to the staff of the Ministry of Finance and Budget, praising their competence, commitment, and often discreet but essential work. He cited several key figures in the financial administration, emphasizing that the state budget is first and foremost the result of collective effort. In a solemn appeal for consensus, he invited all stakeholders to work together to lift the country out of its vulnerability and build a competitive economy that serves the well-being of its citizens.
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