Dakar witnessed a pivotal moment on Monday as Cheikh Diba, Senegal’s Minister of Finance and Budget, led the political phase of the annual review of UEMOA reforms, policies, programs, and projects in the presence of Abdoulaye Diop, President of the UEMOA Commission, alongside key government officials.
The event, established under Additional Act No. 05/2013 of October 24, 2013, and conducted annually in Senegal since 2014, has now transitioned to a biennial format following a decision made in Bissau in July 2023. This marks the eleventh edition of the review, which serves as a critical mechanism for strengthening economic integration within the West African economic bloc. According to Abdoulaye Diop, the process enables executive bodies to assess collective actions taken under the Union’s founding treaty.
The technical phase, held in Dakar from November 10 to 12, 2025, evaluated 145 reforms and five projects before the political phase validated the findings. The collaborative efforts between Senegalese teams and the Commission were conducted in a spirit of partnership, professionalism, and objectivity, with a final synthesis to be presented by Mahamadou Gado, Commissioner for Economic Policies and Domestic Taxation.
Mixed results highlight strengths and challenges
While Senegal’s overall performance remains commendable, a slight decline in reform implementation was noted. The country achieved an average implementation rate of 76.45% in 2025, down from 78.59% in 2024—a decrease of 2.14 points. This dip is primarily attributed to underwhelming progress in the culture and tourism sectors (-15.10 points) and handicrafts, quality, and business climate (-34.75 points), compounded by delays in submitting the 2024 GUDEF report to the Commission.
On a positive note, notable improvements were recorded in the customs union (+4.55 points), human and social development (+6.58 points), energy and mining (+3.33 points), and public finance harmonization (+1.88 point).
Commitment to regional integration reaffirmed
Cheikh Diba underscored the government’s unwavering dedication to enhancing its UEMOA commitments, announcing that the political phase’s conclusions would be presented directly to the Prime Minister in a meeting with the Commission President. He also praised the facilitative role of Amadou Tchambou, the Commission’s Resident Representative in Dakar, in bridging the regional institution with Senegalese administrations.
Abdoulaye Diop commended President Bassirou Diomaye Faye for his dedication to regional integration, as well as the support extended by Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and the entire cabinet in advancing the Union’s objectives.
