Between roads, stadiums, and social infrastructure, the needs of the regions are mounting. Meeting on Monday, May 18, 2026, as part of the institutional dialogue between the government and the National Assembly, members of parliament and officials from the Ministry of Infrastructure outlined local priorities. "Almost everything is a priority in Senegal," acknowledged MP Oumar Sy, chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Territorial Development, Urban Planning, Housing, Infrastructure, and Transportation.

The Minister of Infrastructure, Déthié Fall, for his part, emphasized the need for "precise solutions," reiterating that his department aims to "accelerate the handling of infrastructure-related concerns." However, he clarified that sectoral policies remain the responsibility of the relevant ministries, with the Ministry of Infrastructure then intervening in the implementation and coordination of projects. But "it is always important to adopt a scientific approach that requires everything to be planned," stated Mr. Fall, stressing that the conclusions drawn from the seminar will be submitted to the competent authorities for review to allow for the gradual implementation of medium- and long-term projects.

Despite what he deemed insufficient budgetary resources, Oumar Sy nevertheless commended the Ministry of Infrastructure's cross-cutting mission of coordinating projects across various sectoral departments. Referring to the mid-term budget review presented to the National Assembly, the MP indicated that several projects are underway despite a level of financial disbursement considered lower than the actual progress of the work. He attributed this situation to the fact that some contractors have the financial capacity to begin work before receiving full payment for their contracts.

FERA faces difficulties in mobilizing resources

Discussions also focused on the operation of the Autonomous Road Maintenance Fund (FERA). Oumar Sy reminded everyone that this structure is financed through a tax levied on petroleum products used by road users.

However, he explained, the collected funds are not fully transferred to the FERA (Roads and Infrastructure Fund) due to the principle of a single state treasury. This situation, he argued, limits the fund's capacity to properly fulfill its missions of maintaining and financing road infrastructure. The commission chairman therefore advocated for the establishment of a mechanism guaranteeing the full transfer of revenues intended for the FERA.

During this workshop, participants also discussed Ageroute's missions, territorial equity programs such as Puma, Pudc and Promoville, as well as specialized infrastructure, including airport, port and railway infrastructure.