The Head of State, His Excellency Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar FAYE, chaired the weekly Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, at the Palace of the Republic.
At the outset of his address, the President of the Republic reviewed the General Report of the National Dialogue on the Political System, which he received on Monday, July 14, 2025. He congratulated the chief facilitator, the steering committee, the dialogue commissions, and all participants, particularly those who joined the “Jubbanti” platform, for their mobilization, high-quality contributions, and patriotic commitment. He commended the quality and comprehensiveness of the consensual thematic and operational recommendations aimed at fundamentally strengthening the rule of law, upholding the authority of the State and its institutions, restoring Senegalese confidence in the justice system, and deepening and promoting the vibrancy of our democracy.
He reiterated his commitment to sparing no effort in sustainably improving the functioning of our political system and strengthening oversight of public action in an enduring climate of trust, reconciliation, peace, and stability, which is essential for unleashing the energies needed to accelerate the inclusive implementation of the National Transformation Agenda. He informed the Cabinet of his decision to establish a special committee tasked, within a maximum period of three (03) months, with proposing legislative and regulatory texts, as well as the modalities for implementing the consensual recommendations from the National Dialogue on the Political System.
Addressing the issue of preserving and sustainably developing our forest resources, the Head of State reminded the Government of the urgent need to ensure the protection and preservation of our forest massifs across the national territory. He instructed the Minister of Environment and Ecological Transition to continue and intensify efforts, alongside institutional actors, private operators, and local populations, for reforestation and sustainable forest management through the acceleration of forest planning and classification mechanisms. To support the sustained consolidation of our forest ecosystem, he emphasized the need for the Government to foster a national culture of promoting trees, landscaping, and forestry by revitalizing the services of the Water and Forestry Department, national parks, and the Senegalese Reforestation Agency and Great Green Wall. Sunday, August 3, 2025, will be celebrated as National Tree Day.
This year’s theme, chosen by the President of the Republic, is “Reforestation, Food Sovereignty, and Sustainable Territorial Development,” with the mango tree and the baobab as the patron trees. Accordingly, he instructed the Prime Minister and the Minister of Environment and Ecological Transition to ensure the smooth organization of this event in all regions, with strong involvement of local authorities and grassroots communities, particularly youth. Transparency in the management of extractive industries remains a priority of government action. In this regard, the Head of State reminded the Government of the start of Senegal’s periodic evaluation process under the 2025 Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).
He instructed the Prime Minister, along with relevant Ministers, to implement all appropriate measures and actions to further strengthen the significant progress already made by Senegal in the mining and hydrocarbons components of the EITI. He urged the Ministers in charge of Finance and Budget, Petroleum and Mines, and Local Authorities to urgently finalize the update of the regulatory framework concerning the register of beneficial owners and the disclosure of data on legal and beneficial owners of companies operating in the extractive industries’ value chain, the activation of the local development support fund and the mining rehabilitation fund, and the effective redistribution of mining revenues in accordance with defined administrative and regulatory modalities. He tasked the Prime Minister with overseeing the diligent management of Senegal’s 2025 EITI validation process.
Regarding the oversight and development of pharmaceutical activities, the President of the Republic reminded the Minister of Interior and Public Security and the Minister of Health and Social Action of the urgent need to take all necessary measures, in collaboration with the Order of Pharmacists of Senegal, to prevent and combat the illicit sale of medicines and “related products” across the national territory. Strategic control of commercial and industrial activities related to medicines remains a fundamental element of public health policy and the achievement of pharmaceutical sovereignty. The Head of State instructed the Minister of Health and Social Action to conduct a national mapping of pharmacies and authorized depots and to work with the Minister of Industry and Commerce to establish a comprehensive list of companies in the pharmaceutical industry. To establish pharmaceutical sovereignty, he highlighted the need for a comprehensive evaluation of the State’s interventions in the medicine and pharmacy sector.
He called for adequate monitoring of the recovery, revival, and development plans for pharmaceutical industries and the National Pharmacy of Supply, an entity whose repositioning in the ecosystem remains a priority. The Senegalese diaspora plays a significant role in the country’s economic and social dynamics. As such, it is considered Senegal’s fifteenth region and is represented in the National Assembly. Beyond its significant economic impact, particularly through financial transfers, the diaspora is actively involved in local development initiatives, innovation, skills transfer, and the promotion of Senegal’s cultural values abroad. In recognition of the Senegalese Nation’s gratitude toward its diaspora, the President of the Republic decided to institute a National Diaspora Day, to be celebrated annually on December 17.
Regarding his diplomatic agenda, the Head of State reviewed his working visit to Washington on July 9 and 10, 2025, at the invitation of the President of the United States, Donald TRUMP, and his visit to Cotonou, Benin, on July 15, 2025, at the invitation of President Patrice TALON. In his address, Prime Minister Ousmane SONKO discussed the situation of universities. After congratulating students who passed this year’s baccalaureate exams and encouraging those who did not succeed, he recalled the priority given to Senegalese youth by the President of the Republic. Despite the challenging financial context facing our country, their education and well-being remain an absolute priority. Preliminary baccalaureate results indicate a success rate of 42.85%, representing nearly 70,000 new graduates to be oriented, accommodated, trained, and, for some, housed.
In this regard, the Prime Minister emphasized the need to accelerate the completion, delivery, and equipping of new universities, some of which have been under construction for over a decade. These projects must be delivered as soon as possible to ensure optimal conditions for the next academic year. He also called for the rehabilitation and improvement of infrastructure in existing universities. The quality of education is not limited to infrastructure. Strengthening the pedagogical component is essential, particularly through the recruitment of qualified teaching and research staff to address the teacher shortage and accommodate growing student numbers. Finally, the Prime Minister instructed the Minister in charge of Vocational Training to ensure the rigorous implementation and optimal monitoring of the project to build 23 vocational training centers, with a strict adherence to agreed timelines.
Addressing the evaluation of administrative modernization, the Prime Minister praised the commitment, competence, and sense of duty of public administration staff, who constitute a major asset for collective success and a cornerstone of our State’s transformation. The main recommendation from this evaluation calls for a strategic reorientation of the Administrative Support and Modernization Program (PAMA). To this end, the Head of Government decided to launch an ambitious restructuring of the program. Several action levers will be mobilized:
- Define a new strategic framework to establish reforms and equip our administration with tools and resources;
- Implement the recommendations of the independent evaluation with realistic planning and rigorous monitoring and accountability mechanisms;
- Strengthen governance within the Public Administration Modernization Committee, which will now hold regular and operational meetings;
- Accelerate digital transition for all priority services, ensuring fast, efficient, and transparent administrative processes;
- Professionalize human resource management, particularly by finalizing the Operational Directory of Professions and Skills and adopting a new public service code of ethics;
- Promote administrative innovation through continuous training and the adoption of digital tools, transforming professional practices;
- Significantly improve public service reception;
- Optimize file processing for a more responsive and efficient administration.
The Prime Minister expressed the ambition to build a powerful, modern, and exemplary administration aligned with the Senegal 2050 Vision. He reviewed the government working meeting he chaired on Monday, July 14, 2025, during which a thorough review of the governance of the National Transformation Agenda was conducted. To ensure rigorous, coherent, and effective management, the Prime Minister announced a presidential directive, to be supplemented by a circular from the Prime Minister’s Office. These documents will detail strategic orientations, coordination and monitoring modalities, and the roles, responsibilities, and interactions among stakeholders. They will also define the periodicity of performance reviews to strengthen accountability, transparency, and alignment of government action with our transformation objectives.
The Prime Minister recalled the recent large-scale national consultations (Justice Conference, Industry General Assembly, Transport General Assembly, National Dialogue on the Political System, Social Conference leading to the Social Pact) and called for translating their recommendations into concrete actions with clear timelines and monitoring-evaluation mechanisms to measure progress. He instructed relevant Ministers to develop an operational plan for implementing the recommendations from their respective assemblies with precise timelines and to submit quarterly progress reports detailing actions taken, results achieved, and any challenges encountered.
Finally, the Prime Minister instructed the Minister of Communication, Telecommunications, and Digital Technology to deploy, within three months, the full digitalization of administrative correspondence. This reform represents a major strategic lever for modernizing our administration, improving the traceability of exchanges, and enhancing the quality of public service. Regarding his recent trip to China, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of rigorous monitoring of the 48 agreed actions. After noting the steps already taken by the Prime Minister’s Office, he instructed all relevant Ministers to ensure rigorous follow-up to guarantee effective implementation and maximize outcomes.
MINISTERIAL COMMUNICATIONS:
- The Minister of Economy, Planning, and Cooperation addressed the mobilization of off-balance-sheet state resources through asset recycling.
- The Minister of Water and Sanitation provided an update on the weekly management of flooding.
- The Minister of Urban Planning, Local Authorities, and Territorial Development discussed the revision of specific regulations for areas with development plans in the Dakar region.
LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY TEXTS:
The Cabinet reviewed and adopted:
- A draft law authorizing the President of the Republic to ratify the Treaty on Judicial Assistance in Criminal Matters between the Government of the Republic of Senegal and the Government of the Republic of Italy, signed in Rome on December 7, 2017.
- A draft decree instituting National Diaspora Day.
- A draft decree setting the number of places available for admission to the 6th grade of general secondary education for the 2025 session.
- A draft decree amending Decree No. 2020-791 of March 19, 2020, concerning the register of beneficial owners.
Minister of Vocational and Technical Training, Government Spokesperson: Amadou Moustapha Njekk SARRE