Senegal: President Faye dissolves High Councils and merges financial establishments to lower spending, and that’s not all…(VIDEO)

By:Souleymane Loum 

Straight and virtuous governance, Faye and Sonko pledged during the short electoral campaign – barely 10 days – and throughout their bitter fight against the Sall regime, the head of state began with a bang. He has taken steps to put an end to the pomp, privileges and cronyism of the outgoing executive. No more assignments in major departments based on favouritism and partisan affiliation, now everything is done by call for tenders, on the only basis of competence, reports Source A this Wednesday, March 28.

It was furthermore decided, again according to the same source, to join a plethora of large financial institutions such as BNDE (National Bank for Economic Development), Fonsis (Sovereign Fund for Strategic Investments), Fongip (Guarantee Fund for Priority Investments), the CDC (Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations), the DER (General Delegation for Rapid Entrepreneurship (DER) and the Agricultural Bank. They will become the same department. Purpose: Rationalize operations and rescue the country money precious money.

Similarly, the new president would have decided to slash the High Council of Territorial Communities (HCCT), the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) and the High Council for Social Dialogue (HCDS). Dead and buried, they say. Here too, there are important savings in perspective for the public coffers, when we know the cost of these bloated staff, the massive expenditure on salaries and other benefits for senior executives and managers (cars and company houses, etc.).

Diomaye Faye had pledged during his electoral campaign to put an end to the political funds of the President of the Republic, a “slush fund” loaded with billions which have long polluted the political life of the country, by “buying” support with all his might, alliances and allegiances. Nothing goes in the direction of the general interest and the higher interests of the nation, only small personal interests. From now on, all political funds will be directly monitored by bodies such as the State General Inspectorate…and beware of abuse!

Diomaye Faye has not yet officially obtained the reins of the country – it will be on April 2, two days before Independence Day – but obviously, if he continues on this path he will extremely quickly be the best friend Senegalese citizens, exhausted by decades of monarchical excesses which have bled the country’s finances and by promises that presidents – all without exception – never keep once elected.