Message to the nation on the occasion of the new year My dear compatriots, foreign guests who live among us, On the threshold of the new year, I am happy to address you to present my wishes to you. This evening, while the Catholic community is in mourning, with the call to God of His Holiness, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, I would first like to join my thoughts to yours, in remembrance of the loved ones who have left us. I pray with you that they rest in peace. To our patients, I express my compassion and my wishes for a speedy recovery. The year 2022 ends as it began. The impact of the pandemic and a major war indeed continues to upset all forecasts and keep the economy in its worst recession since the Second World War. Despite this difficult situation, where many countries are in stagnation or recession, our economy remains resilient. The World Economics ranking, which is authoritative in terms of statistical data, recognizes Senegal as the country with the most regular growth over the decade 2011-2021. This year, our budget deficit has narrowed. Our growth rate, established at 4.8%, should reach an unprecedented level of 10% in 2023, with the start of exploitation of our oil and gas resources. Our domestic revenue increased by 23% during the year 2022, thanks to the good performance of our financial departments which achieved a more than satisfactory collection rate of 90% compared to the objective set. These efforts have given us more budgetary autonomy, allowing us to cover 85% of the State's internal public expenditure. In the same spirit of good governance of public affairs, the use of the Court of Auditors' report on the financial management of the COVID-19 pandemic will follow its course in accordance with the relevant legal and regulatory provisions. My dear compatriots, In a particularly difficult global context, marked by a general rise in prices, I wanted to make 2022 a social year, dedicated to protecting the purchasing power of households. This is the meaning of the measures relating to: the substantial increase in wages for a cumulative amount of 236 billion FCFA; subsidizing the prices of fuel, gas and basic necessities for more than 750 billion; the renunciation, by the State, of 157 billion tax receipts on imported products such as rice, wheat, corn, sugar and oil, in order to avoid their increase in price for the consumer; finally, direct support for 543,000 vulnerable families by money transfer for more than 43 billion. Added to this are the decisions resulting from national consultations on the fight against the high cost of living, aimed at containing the inflationary trend in prices, including rent. I would like to thank all the economic players and other driving forces of the nation who have contributed to the success of this exercise in national solidarity. The social protection effort will be reinforced in 2023 with the mobilization of more than 450 billion in subsidies for food and energy products. Those concerning fuel and electricity will however be adjusted and better targeted in favor of the most needy social groups. In addition, family security grants will be increased from 25,000 CFA francs to 35,000 CFA francs per quarter and extended to new beneficiaries on the basis of vulnerability criteria. That is to say, my dear compatriots, that the Government remains in the time of action, of social sensitivity by monitoring, listening and proximity; but also of the economic offensive. In short, Senegal has now moved from a state of poverty to a state of emergence. The fight for food sovereignty remains a primary objective. Thus, in three years, the budget for the agricultural campaign has doubled, from 40 billion FCFA in 2019 to more than 80 billion in 2022, to support producers with seeds, fertilizers and agricultural equipment. This year again, thanks to the intensification of our efforts and abundant rainfall, the harvests are satisfactory, with more than 3.6 million tonnes for cereals and 1.5 million respectively for groundnuts and horticultural products. We will do even better with the new hydro-agricultural developments underway, better water control and the progressive development of Agropoles, Community agricultural estates and Naatangué and Waar-Wi farms. As part of the modernization of the agricultural sector, I am delighted to announce the forthcoming acquisition of several materials and equipment, including tractors, combine harvesters, irrigation kits, storage warehouses and cold rooms. My dear compatriots, Despite the crisis, we are resolutely pursuing our infrastructure projects, because there can be no emergence without basic infrastructure. This year, we completed emblematic projects, such as the first phase of the TER, the Abdoulaye Wade stadium, the Nelson Mandela Foundiougne and Marsassoum bridges, the Keur Massar flyover, the Tambacounda-Goudiry-Kidira highways, and Louga -Dahra, among others. A total of 60 infrastructure projects are currently underway, involving the national private sector and an intensive workforce. These include, among others: the BRT line between Guédiawaye and Dakar; the 2nd phase of the TER, between Diamniadio and AIBD; the Daandé maayo road; the Kidira-Bakel axis; the North Dakar-Tivaouane-Saint-Louis highway, work on which will start in 2023 in line with the renewed traffic linked to the exploitation of our hydrocarbons; the Connectivity Program for Agricultural Production Zones, in the regions of Kaffrine, Kaolack and Thiès, for which the financial package is complete; and the Special Program for Opening up, a vast five-year project which has already started to build 2,850 km of roads, as well as engineering structures in rural and urban areas. Ultimately, this Program will mobilize 60 national companies and generate 50,000 jobs. Added to this are the specific territorial equity projects carried out by the PUDC, the PUMA and the PROMOVILLES, for a complete network of the country in tarred roads, motorized tracks, hydraulic and electrical infrastructures. It is all these efforts that have raised our country to 8th place in the Global Economy ranking of the best road and highway networks in Africa, out of 38 countries assessed. We have the same performance ambition for the strategic mining and energy sectors in accordance with our commitments under the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). The EITI Board thus recognized last October that Senegal has "achieved a very high score in the implementation of the EITI following its second Validation", with the transparent online publication of mining contracts. , oil and gas, all accessible to the general public. I am happy to announce that good prospects are ahead of us to achieve universal access to electricity as soon as possible. Work on our Sangomar oil project and the GTA gas project, which we share with our Mauritanian neighbour, are 71% and 85% executed respectively, with the participation of Senegalese companies and labor; giving full effect to our local content policy. In view of our first productions in 2023, our country joined the Organization of African Petroleum Producing Countries last November in order to defend its interests within the framework of African solidarity. On the other hand, SENELEC has strengthened its capacities with the commissioning of the Malicounda power station and our 33% share in the Gouina hydroelectric power station. Added to this is the new program to install 115,000 solar streetlights, primarily in municipalities that did not benefit from the first phase, and the electrification of 2,000 villages under phase 2 of the PUDC. Just like electricity, water and sanitation remain at the heart of my priorities. As promised, this year we satisfied an old complaint with the completion of the Drinking Water Supply Project for the Lower Casamance Islands. Similarly, work on the first phase of the Mamelles seawater desalination plant has started. This project will be followed by that of seawater desalination on the Grande Côte, for 300,000 m3 per day, expandable to 400,000 m3, in order to cover the needs of Dakar, Thiès and Mbour. In 2023, we will launch the surface water exploitation project in the Nanija Bolong basin, in the Department of Koungheul; i.e. 46 million m3 per year, to develop 12,000 hectares and stop the advance of salt water. Funding of 156 billion FCFA will also be mobilized for the first phase of the ambitious Project to Strengthen the Resilience of Ferlo Ecosystems (the PREFERLO), which consists of transferring 680 million m3 per year from Lake Guiers to the Ferlo area. , on a linear of 214 km, between Keur Momar Sarr and Ranérou. The PREFERLO will contribute substantially to the food sovereignty of our country by highlighting all the potential of agriculture and breeding of the soil. I also asked the government to strengthen the policy of social connections to support vulnerable groups in urban and rural areas. For a Senegal of all, a Senegal for all, and because water is a vital minimum, I particularly want every family, regardless of their modest means, to have access to drinking water. In terms of sanitation, major projects are underway with: the finalization of capacity building work at the Cambérène station; the launch of the Hann-Fann collector renewal project, to settle an old concern of the municipalities of Hann, Fann-Point E-Amitié, Grand Dakar, Biscuterie, Mermoz-Sacré-Cœur, Sicap Liberté, Dieupeul-Derklé, Grand Yoff and HLMs; finally, the continuation of the Sanitation Program for the cities of Dakar, Kaolack, Louga, Matam, Pikine, Rufisque, Tambacounda, Saint Louis, Tivaouane and Touba. in the quest for emergence, our educational system remains the beating heart that irrigates the social body, and gives life and hope to the nation. Educating and training our children means maintaining the light of knowledge that enlightens minds and illuminates our march towards the Senegal of our dreams. This is why the State continues to invest more than 25% of the national budget in education and training. Our recent achievements sufficiently prove this with: the inauguration of the Amadou Mahtar Mbow University; the start of preparatory classes for the Grandes Ecoles; the finalization of the construction works of the El Hadji Ibrahima Niasse University; capacity building of the Virtual University of Senegal, with the ongoing construction of 46 Open Digital Spaces; the start of teaching on the Franco-Senegalese campus; the creation of the Souleymane Niang Universities of Matam, and Eastern Senegal of Tambacounda, whose Project Coordinators have already been appointed; the mobilization of 52 billion for the modernization of the scientific equipment of our universities; improving the retirement pension of teaching and research staff; and increased benefits for administrative, technical and service staff. Despite our constraints and our limits, we must be proud of our university system, with regard to the performance of the Cheikh Anta DIOP University of Dakar, recently ranked 1st French-speaking university in Africa, and the excellent results of our candidates in the last CAMES Aggregation in Health Sciences. And throughout the world, compatriots and nationals of other nationalities, trained at Senegalese universities, excel in all areas of human activity, including the most advanced. All of this shows that we must continue to invest in the school, because it is timely and productive. This is why I insist on diligent execution: of the construction project, starting in 2023, of 22 high schools and colleges in the regions of Dakar, Thiès, Kaolack, Kaffrine and Sédhiou; and the Emergency Rehabilitation Program for several historic high schools, including Blaise Diagne, Seydina Limamou Laye, Seydou Nourou Tall and John Fitzgerald Kennedy in Dakar; El Hadji Malick Sy from Thies; El Hadj Oumar Foutyou Tall and Charles de Gaulle of Saint Louis; Valdiodio Ndiaye from Kaolack and Djignabo from Ziguinchor. I give the same order of priority to the implementation of the conclusions of the National Meeting with the daara community of November 28th. For centuries, daaras have been an integral part of our spiritual, educational and socio-cultural heritage. As such, they deserve greater recognition and institutional support. To this end, pending the forthcoming mobilization of other resources, I have decided to allocate 20% of the endowment funds to the daara education system, in order to sustain their concerted support, combining tradition and modernity. In the same dynamic of social inclusion and territorial equity, the DER/FJ, which currently has 205,000 beneficiaries, continues its deployment throughout the country, to finance, advise and support women and young people with projects. I particularly want the DER/FJ to ensure that its procedures and methods of intervention are made more flexible in order to better adapt to the needs and realities of its targets. Similarly, the State will further support urban cultures with increased resources from the new Fund for the Development of Urban Cultures and Creative Industries. The Government also remains committed to health for all. Thus, after the inaugurations of the hospitals of Sédhiou, Kaffrine Kédougou, Touba and Agnam, other construction sites of public health establishments are underway in Tivaouane, Ourossogui and Saint-Louis. Work on the polyclinic of the Principal hospital is continuing, as is the construction of the Aristide Le Dantec hospital and that of the Diamniadio National Oncology Center for the treatment of cancer. At the same time as we invest in health structures and their human resources, it is imperative that we reform and improve the governance of the sector, in order to make it more efficient and more transparent. This is why I asked for a full digitization of the system, the implementation of performance contracts for hospitals, and the revision of the University Hospital Agreement. My dear compatriots, Under its mandate at the head of the African Union, and in a turbulent and uncertain international context, our country, faithful to its Pan-Africanist ideals, has consistently advocated for peace and African integration. , and the defense of our continent's interests in global political, economic and financial governance. Our diplomacy was able to mobilize a general consensus which now paves the way for the historic membership of the African Union as a full member of the G20. I reiterate our gratitude and our sincere thanks to all our partners who have supported Africa's candidacy, in a spirit of fairness and solidarity. This success among others, added to the first coronation of our Lions at the African Cup of Nations and their 3rd participation in the Football World Cup, confirms the standing that our country must hold and maintain in the concert of nations. . This rank, which earns us the respect and confidence of Africa and the world, we owe it above all to our common heritage of a free nation, united in its diversity, peaceful and stable in a world constantly impacted by violence and antagonism, right up to our borders. Each of us is the heir to this heritage. Consequently, we have the individual and collective responsibility to overcome our differences in order to cultivate our way of living together and preserve it from the perils that bring peoples' misfortune. No one should imagine themselves bigger or stronger than this nation that shelters us all. We are because Senegal is. If we are here today, gathered as a nation, it is because our ancestors nurtured us and carried us on their shoulders. Our honor is to do the same for our children, by consolidating every day the pact of propriety, solidarity and human fraternity that binds this nation, generation after generation. This task which is incumbent on all of us, me in the first place, I will continue to see to it with all my strength, for a Senegal always united, peaceful, stable and prosperous. To all of you, my dear compatriots, I express my affectionate sentiments, with my best wishes; wishes for peace, good health, well-being and success. Good evening and deweneti. Release date 2022-12-31 as such, greater recognition and institutional support. To this end, pending the forthcoming mobilization of other resources, I have decided to allocate 20% of the endowment funds to the daara education system, in order to sustain their concerted support, combining tradition and modernity. In the same dynamic of social inclusion and territorial equity, the DER/FJ, which currently has 205,000 beneficiaries, continues its deployment throughout the country, to finance, advise and support women and young people with projects. I particularly want the DER/FJ to ensure that its procedures and methods of intervention are made more flexible in order to better adapt to the needs and realities of its targets. Similarly, the State will further support urban cultures with increased resources from the new Fund for the Development of Urban Cultures and Creative Industries. The Government also remains committed to health for all. Thus, after the inaugurations of the hospitals of Sédhiou, Kaffrine Kédougou, Touba and Agnam, other construction sites of public health establishments are underway in Tivaouane, Ourossogui and Saint-Louis. Work on the polyclinic of the Principal hospital is continuing, as is the construction of the Aristide Le Dantec hospital and that of the Diamniadio National Oncology Center for the treatment of cancer. At the same time as we invest in health structures and their human resources, it is imperative that we reform and improve the governance of the sector, in order to make it more efficient and more transparent. This is why I asked for a full digitization of the system, the implementation of performance contracts for hospitals, and the revision of the University Hospital Agreement. My dear compatriots, Under its mandate at the head of the African Union, and in a turbulent and uncertain international context, our country, faithful to its Pan-Africanist ideals, has consistently advocated for peace and African integration. , and the defense of our continent's interests in global political, economic and financial governance. Our diplomacy was able to mobilize a general consensus which now paves the way for the historic membership of the African Union as a full member of the G20. I reiterate our gratitude and our sincere thanks to all our partners who have supported Africa's candidacy, in a spirit of fairness and solidarity. This success among others, added to the first coronation of our Lions at the African Cup of Nations and their 3rd participation in the Football World Cup, confirms the standing that our country must hold and maintain in the concert of nations. . This rank, which earns us the respect and confidence of Africa and the world, we owe it above all to our common heritage of a free nation, united in its diversity, peaceful and stable in a world constantly impacted by violence and antagonism, right up to our borders. Each of us is the heir to this heritage. Consequently, we have the individual and collective responsibility to overcome our differences in order to cultivate our way of living together and preserve it from the perils that bring peoples' misfortune. No one should imagine themselves bigger or stronger than this nation that shelters us all. We are because Senegal is. If we are here today, gathered as a nation, it is because our ancestors nurtured us and carried us on their shoulders. Our honor is to do the same for our children, by consolidating every day the pact of propriety, solidarity and human fraternity that binds this nation, generation after generation. This task which is incumbent on all of us, me in the first place, I will continue to see to it with all my strength, for a Senegal always united, peaceful, stable and prosperous. To all of you, my dear compatriots, I express my affectionate sentiments, with my best wishes; wishes for peace, good health, well-being and success. Good evening and deweneti. Release date 2022-12-31 as such, greater recognition and institutional support. To this end, pending the forthcoming mobilization of other resources, I have decided to allocate 20% of the endowment funds to the daara education system, in order to sustain their concerted support, combining tradition and modernity. In the same dynamic of social inclusion and territorial equity, the DER/FJ, which currently has 205,000 beneficiaries, continues its deployment throughout the country, to finance, advise and support women and young people with projects. I particularly want the DER/FJ to ensure that its procedures and methods of intervention are made more flexible in order to better adapt to the needs and realities of its targets. Similarly, the State will further support urban cultures with increased resources from the new Fund for the Development of Urban Cultures and Creative Industries. The Government also remains committed to health for all. Thus, after the inaugurations of the hospitals of Sédhiou, Kaffrine Kédougou, Touba and Agnam, other construction sites of public health establishments are underway in Tivaouane, Ourossogui and Saint-Louis. Work on the polyclinic of the Principal hospital is continuing, as is the construction of the Aristide Le Dantec hospital and that of the Diamniadio National Oncology Center for the treatment of cancer. At the same time as we invest in health structures and their human resources, it is imperative that we reform and improve the governance of the sector, in order to make it more efficient and more transparent. This is why I asked for a full digitization of the system, the implementation of performance contracts for hospitals, and the revision of the University Hospital Agreement. My dear compatriots, Under its mandate at the head of the African Union, and in a turbulent and uncertain international context, our country, faithful to its Pan-Africanist ideals, has consistently advocated for peace and African integration. , and the defense of our continent's interests in global political, economic and financial governance. Our diplomacy was able to mobilize a general consensus which now paves the way for the historic membership of the African Union as a full member of the G20. I reiterate our gratitude and our sincere thanks to all our partners who have supported Africa's candidacy, in a spirit of fairness and solidarity. This success among others, added to the first coronation of our Lions at the African Cup of Nations and their 3rd participation in the Football World Cup, confirms the standing that our country must hold and maintain in the concert of nations. . This rank, which earns us the respect and confidence of Africa and the world, we owe it above all to our common heritage of a free nation, united in its diversity, peaceful and stable in a world constantly impacted by violence and antagonism, right up to our borders. Each of us is the heir to this heritage. Consequently, we have the individual and collective responsibility to overcome our differences in order to cultivate our way of living together and preserve it from the perils that bring peoples' misfortune. No one should imagine themselves bigger or stronger than this nation that shelters us all. We are because Senegal is. If we are here today, gathered as a nation, it is because our ancestors nurtured us and carried us on their shoulders. Our honor is to do the same for our children, by consolidating every day the pact of propriety, solidarity and human fraternity that binds this nation, generation after generation. This task which is incumbent on all of us, me in the first place, I will continue to see to it with all my strength, for a Senegal always united, peaceful, stable and prosperous. To all of you, my dear compatriots, I express my affectionate sentiments, with my best wishes; wishes for peace, good health, well-being and success. Good evening and deweneti. Release date 2022-12-31