Sénégal presents its UEMOA reforms review with cautious optimism
Dakar hosted the political phase of the 2025 UEMOA reforms review, led by Finance and Budget Minister Cheikh Diba. The session brought together UEMOA Commission President Abdoulaye Diop and key government officials, marking the eleventh iteration of this biannual assessment since its 2014 inception.
Key milestones in Sénégal’s regional integration journey
Established under Additional Act No. 05/2013 and conducted annually until 2023, the review became a biennial event following a decision made in Bissau. The technical phase, held from November 10 to 12, evaluated 145 reforms and 5 projects before this week’s political validation.
According to Abdoulaye Diop, the review serves as « a powerful catalyst for deepening economic integration » within the West African bloc, enabling member states to assess collective progress under the Union Treaty.
A mixed performance with notable achievements
The overall implementation rate stands at 76.45% for 2025, a slight decrease from last year’s 78.59%, representing a 2.14 point drop. This decline stems primarily from underwhelming results in the culture and tourism sectors (-15.10 points) and handicrafts, quality standards and business climate (-34.75 points), compounded by delays in submitting the 2024 GUDEF report to the Commission.
However, Sénégal made significant headway in several critical areas:
- Customs union: +4.55 points improvement
- Human and social development: +6.58 points
- Energy and mining: +3.33 points
- Public finance harmonization: +1.88 points
Collaborative review process yields positive outcomes
The technical evaluation was conducted jointly by Sénégal’s teams and UEMOA Commission officials in a « fraternal, professional and objective » manner. The synthesis will be presented by Commissioner Mahamadou Gado, who oversees Economic Policies and Domestic Taxation.
Minister Cheikh Diba emphasized the government’s commitment to enhancing regional performance, announcing that political phase findings would be directly submitted to the Prime Minister during a meeting with the Commission President. He also praised Amadou Tchambou, the Commission’s Resident Representative in Dakar, for his facilitative role between the regional institution and Sénégalais administration.
Abdoulaye Diop commended President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s dedication to regional integration, as well as the Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and the entire government for their support in advancing UEMOA’s objectives.