The political phase of the 11th annual review of UEMOA community reforms concluded yesterday in Dakar, following a one-day postponement. The event brought together Senegalese authorities and Abdoulaye Diop, President of the UEMOA Commission, to assess progress on regional economic reforms.
The latest evaluation reveals a slight decline in Senegal’s performance, dropping 2.14 points compared to 2024. While the country maintains a generally satisfactory overall score across 145 assessed reforms, its provisional implementation rate now stands at 76.45%, down from 78.59% last year.
Cheikh Diba, Senegal’s Minister of Finance and Budget, highlighted key areas needing urgent correction. The most significant weaknesses were identified in economic governance and convergence (down 6.3 points), as well as structural reforms. Notably, Senegal failed to submit its 2024 report on the single window for financial statements to the UEMOA Commission. The sectors of culture, tourism, crafts, quality standards, and business climate also require immediate attention.
« The findings from this political phase will be presented to the Prime Minister during a dedicated audience with the UEMOA Commission President, » stated Minister Diba.
Despite these setbacks, several sectors demonstrated remarkable progress. Agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and the environment improved by 12 points, while human and social development saw a 6.5-point increase. Energy reforms advanced by 3 points, and modernization of legal, accounting, and statistical frameworks gained 5.5 points. These positive trends reflect targeted sectoral efforts that authorities aim to further strengthen.
Abdoulaye Diop, President of the UEMOA Commission, emphasized the purpose of this annual review: to assess collective progress toward UEMOA treaty objectives, identify gaps, and propose actionable recommendations. Since its inception in 2014, Senegal has hosted ten such reviews, consistently achieving satisfactory results. This year marks the 11th edition and the second under the biennial political configuration established in July 2023.
To reinforce commitment, Senegalese authorities announced that the conclusions of this political phase will be formally presented to the Prime Minister, alongside the UEMOA Commission President. This move signals a clear call to action for all relevant ministries to expedite compliance with regional standards before the next review cycle.