As part of the Project to Support the Renewal of Vacuum Trucks (PARC), implemented jointly with the General Delegation for Rapid Entrepreneurship for Women and Youth (DER/FJ), the Gates Foundation, and the National Bank for Economic Development (BNDE), the Minister of Water and Sanitation officially handed over brand-new vacuum trucks to the Association of Sanitation Stakeholders of Senegal (AAAS) on Friday. This handover marks the official start of the pilot phase, with 40 trucks intended to be operational in all regions of the country.

A significant milestone achieved thanks to the support and efforts of DER/FJ, BNDE and the Gates Foundation

Despite the difficulties encountered, the Project to Support the Renewal of Vacuum Trucks (PARC) has passed this important stage in its implementation thanks to the support and tireless efforts deployed together by the Delegation for Rapid Entrepreneurship for Women and Youth (DER/FJ), the National Bank for Economic Development (BNDE) and the Gates Foundation, through the National Sanitation Office of Senegal (ONAS).

The National Bank for Economic Development (BNDE), in accordance with its mission to support public development policies, fully participated in this structuring initiative, thanks to the synergy established with the DER/FJ and the decisive support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Objective: "to structure a more modern, better organized, professional sanitation sector that is sustainably integrated into the formal economic fabric"

Representing the Director General of BNDE, who was unable to attend, Mr. Pape Samba Diop reiterated the ambition of this national bank. "Through this program, our ambition is clear: to structure a more modern, better organized, professional sanitation sector, sustainably integrated into the formal economic fabric. This transformation relies on a collective approach based on partnership, social innovation, and the shared commitment of stakeholders," he emphasized.

In this regard, the representative of the CEO of BNDE expressed his gratitude to DER/FJ; to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for its financial and technical support and for the trust it continues to place in Senegal; to the BNDE teams, whose expertise, rigor and involvement were decisive in the structuring and financing of this program; to ONAS for its commitment to the sustainability of the system, in particular through the traceability of the income of the beneficiary providers and the support of the sector towards a continuous improvement of the quality of services; and to the Association of Drain Cleaners for its constant mobilization, its professionalism and its essential role on the ground.

"BNDE remains resolutely committed to offering innovative financing mechanisms to serve priority sectors, particularly those related to public health, environmental protection, youth employment and the promotion of entrepreneurship," added Pape Samba Diop.

For him, the handover of these trucks symbolizes a shared desire to take concrete action for a healthier, fairer Senegal, better prepared for the challenges of tomorrow.

2 billion CFA francs in funding for the benefit of the septic tank cleaners

To address the difficulties in accessing financing and the aging of the fleet (aged on average 30 years), a joint initiative involving the National Sanitation Office of Senegal, the Gates Foundation, the General Delegation for Rapid Entrepreneurship for Women and Youth, the National Bank for Economic Development (BNDE) and the Association of Sanitation Actors of Senegal (AAAS) led to the launch, in February 2021, of the Project to Support the Renewal of Vacuum Trucks (PARC).

The project is based on the AFTU model and aims to replace 95% of the aging fleet, or 300 new trucks over 5 years, for a total estimated cost of 15 billion CFA francs. The pilot phase, financed to the tune of 2 billion CFA francs, enabled the acquisition of around forty trucks through a leasing mechanism with favorable terms.