Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has announced the Senegalese government’s intention to implement a highly selective and disciplined budgeting approach for its 2025 Amended Finance Law (LFR) to tackle economic constraints and the demand for strategic national development.
During a recent Council of Ministers session, he made this declaration, emphasizing the importance of fiscal responsibility and alignment with the 2025–2029 National Development Strategy.
It was noted that the revised finance law will prioritize low-complexity, high-impact projects that can be rapidly deployed without heavy structural requirements. For initiatives requiring complex structuring, only preparatory expenditures, particularly for intellectual services, will be approved in 2025, with implementation deferred to 2026.
Under fiscal efficiency, ministries will rigorously justify their budget requests. Sonko also urged cabinet members to evaluate the feasibility of implementation and strategic fit before seeking funding, weighing these in terms of value-for-money.
ALSO READ: SOUTH AFRICA’S CEF MERGES PETROSA, IGAS, SFF FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH
At the same time, it emphasized that ongoing projects-funded notably by external sources-should focus on settling pre-existing arrears before incurring new commitments. Projects that do not fit well within the National Transformation Agenda will be terminated or reconstituted into new priority initiatives as currently outdated.
For the sake of strategic coherence, the Prime Minister directed that all funding proposals be submitted for consideration by the cabinet alongside a focused list of its members, namely the Ministers of Economy, Finance, and Budget, by the end of May 2025. This now goes partway to cementing the commitment towards open governance, sound planning, and curtailing wastage of the public purse.
Sonko also pointed to a reshaped interaction with social partners in terms of a new social stability pact. This shift evinces a broader view not only to manage budgets but also to stimulate lasting economic reforms and social integration.
