The Minister of Urban Planning, Territorial Communities and Spatial Development, presided over the closing ceremony of the 2nd edition of the Local Development Days held at Golf-Sud on Friday, February 13.

In front of local elected officials, territorial actors and institutional partners, Moussa Balla Fofana reaffirmed the ambition to make local development a strategic lever for economic and social transformation, starting from the neighborhoods and moving towards the territories.

A plea for territories that drive development

In his speech, the minister praised the commitment of Mayor Khadija Mayekor and the director of the Local Development Agency (ADL), emphasizing that the suburbs now constitute "a framework for innovation".

According to him, the logic is clear: transform neighborhoods to impact municipalities and then territories, in order to bring about lasting change in the country. A vision that places local communities and the local economy at the heart of public policy.

Act 4 to correct the limitations of decentralization

The minister indicated that the national consultations on Act 4 of decentralization are now complete after nearly 20 months of consultations across the country. The final report is being finalized and should serve as the basis for a new public policy document.

The objective is to correct the shortcomings of Act 3, particularly in terms of the viability of municipalities, technical capacities and territorial governance.

The crucial issue of local financing

When questioned about the limited resources of local authorities, the minister acknowledged the lack of a structured and dedicated local tax system. He announced proposals resulting from consultations with umbrella organizations, including the Association of Mayors of Senegal (AMS), to integrate a financing model specifically designed for decentralization into the ongoing tax reform.

For him, the viability of a municipality depends as much on its ability to mobilize its own resources as on state funding.

Citizen ownership as the key to success

Emphasizing the commitment of the population to their living environment, the minister called on communities to innovate in order to channel this citizen energy through environmental, social and economic projects carried out at the neighborhood level.

These Local Development Days are intended to be a space for demonstration and mobilization around a conviction: the development of Senegal will first and foremost involve the transformation of its territories.