The Council of Ministers approves the Amending Finance Bill for 2024

The Council of Ministers met on Wednesday 18 September 2024, under the chairmanship of His Excellency Mohamed Ould Cheikh El-Ghazouani, President of the Republic.

The Council examined and approved the following two bills:

– Amending Finance Bill 2024.

The drafting of the Amending Finance Bill (PLFR) for 2024 is part of a context of renewed confidence on the part of the Mauritanian people through the re-election of His Excellency the President of the Republic, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, for a second term, and aims to:

– Align budgetary policy with the priorities of the programme of H.E. the President of the Republic, ‘My Ambition for the Homeland’, as set out in the Government’s general policy for the remainder of the year:

– Accelerate the implementation of major projects currently underway;

– Remove obstacles preventing or slowing down the launch of other projects for which resources have been mobilised;

– Design and launch priority programmes to improve people’s living conditions;

– Launching certain studies necessary for the implementation of strategic reforms of the Government’s general policy;

– Take charge of defence capacity-building needs.

– Adopt the architecture of the State budget in line with the new organisational structure of the recently formed Government, in order to ensure optimal and efficient allocation of public resources. The aim of this revision is to ensure that each ministry and government entity has the resources it needs to carry out its missions in line with the new priorities set, while promoting rigorous and transparent management of public funds.

– Update the budget forecasts to take account of changes in the economic context and the new measures adopted.

– Maintain the commitments contained in the 2023-2026 economic and financial programme, supported by the Extended Credit Facility.

(FEC) and the Mécanis.

This Amending Finance Bill (PLFR) for 2024 balances revenue and expenditure at one hundred and seven billion seven hundred and fifteen million five hundred and forty-three thousand two hundred and fifty-five (107. 715,543,255) Ouguiyas MRU against one hundred and eight billion one hundred and twenty-nine million eight hundred and fifty-one thousand seven hundred and thirty-three (108,129,851,733) Ouguiyas MRU in the Finance Act for 2024, a decrease of -0.38%.

– Bill to repeal and replace Act 2017-006, as amended, on public-private partnerships.

 

This bill amending Act 2017-006, as amended, on public-private partnership is part of the embodiment of the vision of His Excellency the President of the Republic, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El-Ghazouani, to accelerate the pace of economic and social development in our country by diversifying the sources of funding for structuring projects so as to ensure that their burden on public finances is lightened and by guaranteeing the quality of their implementation within the appropriate timeframes.

This bill adds a further guarantee to the issue of control and transparency by requiring the submission of negotiated award projects to the Council of Ministers for prior approval as a condition for their conclusion.

The Council also examined and adopted the following two draft decrees:

– Draft decree appointing the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Aleg Hospital Centre.

– Draft decree appointing the members of the Board of Directors of the MAADEN Mauritania National Agency.

The Minister for Youth Empowerment, Employment, Sport and Civic Service, the Minister for Vocational Training, Crafts and Trades and the Minister for Agriculture and Food Sovereignty presented a joint communication on the implementation of a pilot project to create 200 jobs in the agricultural sector.

This communication concerns the creation of job opportunities for young people through the implementation of a pilot project, which will give priority to the individual integration of young graduates, by allocating them plots of 7 hectares, which will guarantee a significant profitability and create permanent and sustainable jobs.

This project will help to increase rice self-sufficiency and empower young people through :

– The exploitation of 650 ha for rice production between R’kiz and Mbakhdjek;

– The creation of more than 200 permanent direct jobs, including (a) 87 unemployed graduates divided between R’kiz (75) and Mbakhdjek (12) at a rate of 7 ha for each graduate in R’kiz and 10 ha in M’baghdjek; and (b) 174 workers recruited locally at a rate of 2 workers per hectare;

– The integration of a new generation of young producers into the agricultural sector and providing them with appropriate training;

– The development of value chains around the production, marketing and processing of agricultural products.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Mauritanians Abroad presented a statement on the international situation.

The Minister of the Interior, Promotion of Decentralisation and Local Development presented a communication on the domestic situation.

The Minister for Education and the Reform of the Education System, the Minister for Islamic Affairs and Original Teaching and the Minister for Social Action, Childhood and the Family presented a joint communication on the start of the 2024-2025 school year.

This communication outlined the main results of the 2023-2024 school year, the major achievements of the departments concerned, the needs identified and the short-term prospects that will ensure optimum performance and better results in the next school year, 2024-2025.