The youngest president in the history of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, recently elected head of the country, revealed on Wednesday April 3 the main directions of his policy during the traditional speech to the nation delivered on the occasion of the 64th anniversary of independence.

The fifth Senegalese president first addressed the fight against the high cost of living. Rent, electricity, food... Senegal is considered one of the countries in West Africa where the cost of living is the highest.

“The Senegalese are brave but they are tired and expect from us solutions against the high cost of living. The question of the cost of living particularly concerns me and commands my full attention,” said Bassirou Diomaye Faye. “In the days to come, strong measures will be taken in this direction, after the consultations that I will undertake with the stakeholders concerned.”

The new president also promised to focus on education and youth employment in a country where more than 75% of the population is under 35.

“I will make it a high priority for public policies, in consultation with the private sector. To this end, we must revisit existing mechanisms, improve and rationalize them so that they better respond to employment needs and other income-generating activities. income for young people.

Audit of mining companies

Beyond socio-economic issues, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who campaigned on the theme of transparency in public life and announced a reform of institutions, promised "a strengthened democracy" and "a bold policy of good governance economic".

Finally, the new head of state assured that he wanted to initiate an audit of the oil, gas and mining sectors while reassuring investors that they are “welcome” in the country.

Also readInauguration of the new Senegalese president: what challenges for Bassirou Diomaye Faye?

“The exploitation of our natural resources, which belong to the people, will receive special attention from my government,” he said. “I will proceed with the disclosure of the beneficial ownership of the extraction companies (and) an audit of the state of the finances of these companies.”

Senegal's first offshore oil project is expected to begin production in mid-2024. The Sangomar project operated by Australian company Woodside Energy is expected to produce around 100,000 barrels of oil per day.

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