By Biran Gaye
Senegal’s justice minister has announced that legal proceedings would be instituted against some officials over budget deficits under Macky Sall’s regime.
This comes following audits on the management of public funds ranging from public finances, land, built heritage to the management of agencies and public companies in Senegal.
Ousmane Diagne made this announcement during a press conference organised by the government on Thursday.
Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation Abdourahmane Sarr, while presenting the report on the situation of public finances, revealed that the actual figures, much higher than those announced by the outgoing authorities, show an average budget deficit of 10.4% of GDP over the period 2019-2023, almost double the 5.5% initially communicated.
He reported that public debt was also underestimated, actually reaching 76.3% of GDP, instead of the 65.9% announced.
To this effect, Justice Minister Diagne said: “These facts are of a certain gravity and seem to have a criminal qualification that the competent judicial authorities seized will have to determine with the means of investigation that they deem appropriate.”
