Prime Minister Presents Report on Government Activities in 2020, Outlook for 2021
The Prime Minister, Mr. Mohamed Ould Bilal, presented, Wednesday morning during a plenary session of the National Assembly held under the chairmanship of MP. Cheikh Ould Baya, the annual report on the activities of the government in 2020 and the outlook for 2021.
MPs will have the opportunity to discuss this report in a plenary session to be held next Friday.
The presentation of the report took place in the presence of members of the government, officials, and advisers to the prime minister’s office.
At the beginning of his report, the Prime Minister conveyed his best wishes to the MPs for the new year, expressing, at the same time, his warm thanks for the precious support they kindly give to the measures taken by the Government, by fulfilling the strategic orientations of His Excellency the President of the Republic, Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El-Ghazouani.
He added that the Government, with the support of MPs, remained active and vigilant on two fronts: the health and social emergency, on the one hand, and the economic recovery, on the other.
Mr. Mohamed Ould Bilal explained that despite the persistence of the global economic crisis that has already raged for several years, and the seriousness of the health crisis and its urgency, the Government has worked tirelessly to implement, in a more orderly and better coordinated manner, the political program on the basis of which His Excellency the President of the Republic was elected.
He recalled that it is an ambitious economic, social and societal project which aims at the following major objectives:
1. A very modern State at the service of the citizen;
2. A resilient economy committed to the path of emergence;
3. A valued human capital for development;
4. A society proud of its diversity and reconciled with itself.
According to him, this report presents the results of the flagship actions carried out in each of these axes and outlines measures and projects that will be launched, continued, or completed in 2021.
The Prime Minister reassured that an important place will be devoted to informing the citizens on the actions carried out within the framework of the special programs developed under the supervision of the President of the Republic, either to face the pandemic or to mitigate its consequences, especially on vulnerable populations, the informal sector, and small and medium-sized enterprises; and to inform them of the prospects for post-COVID economic recovery.
In terms of the protection of rights, he stressed that the Government’s action to ensure respect for human rights has had concrete results in several areas, indicating that the systematic approach of openness and constructive dialogue, both with the international community and with national civil society, has shown great progress.
In the diplomatic field, Mr. Mohamed Ould Bilal indicated that under the leadership of the President of the Republic, and in respect of the constant principles of Mauritania’s foreign policy, based on mutual respect and non-interference in the internal affairs of States, the Government has undertaken a series of actions, at the national, regional, continental, and international levels.
“First and foremost, within the framework of the Mauritanian presidency of the G5 Sahel, marked by the organization of several summits, with an effective international presence during the COVID-19 period, we were able to institute objective reflections by taking the initiative to advocate for the cancellation of the African countries’ debt during this very particular period of pandemic and economic crisis, in particular that of the G-5 Sahel countries”.
Regarding the entrenchment of our tolerant Islam, the Prime Minister clarified that the Government had expressed its desire to preserve the bases of our national Islamic identity, through the defense of the fundamental principles advocated by our holy religion, in particular tolerance and brotherhood, away from all forms of extremism and deviation.
In the economic field, Mr. Mohamed Ould Bilal indicated that the Government’s efforts in 2020 focused on mitigating the impact of the crisis associated with COVID-19 on our populations, on the one hand, and on the economic take-off, on the other hand.
“From the onset of the pandemic in our country, a Multisectoral National Response Plan intended to mitigate the effects of the crisis on the most affected households and economic operators was implemented. It was followed by an ambitious economic recovery plan called the President’s Extended Priority Program (ProPEP), as part of a consolidated approach to economic recovery aimed at promoting strong, sustainable, and inclusive growth, accelerating the achievement of food self-sufficiency, and supporting the development of the national private sector”.
In the field of fisheries and maritime economy, he explained that the Government’s action has made it possible to achieve important results, in terms of governance of fishing policy, the preservation of our fishery resources, the integration of the sector into the national economy, and the revision of fishing agreements with a view to improving the socio-economic benefits.
Drawing the lessons from the crises born of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Prime Minister indicated that his Government has decided to give priority to the development of the rural world to accelerate the achievement of food self-sufficiency.
The Prime Minister added that understanding the paramount importance of social justice in the preservation of national unity, the strengthening of social cohesion and the entrenchment of the feeling of citizenship, the action of the Government has focused on protecting the most vulnerable social groups, supporting the purchasing power of poor households and strengthening the resilience of communities in the face of the economic consequences of the health crisis and the structural consequences of climate change.
To promote the empowerment of women, the Prime Minister said that his government has provided technical and financial assistance to more than 9,450 women, including those organized in cooperatives, female-headed households, and women with disabilities. To this is added the distribution of monetary assistance for 250 girls from poor families in the three wilayas (regions) of Nouakchott, as well as the organization of skills training for 530 girls in several areas. A strategy for female entrepreneurship was adopted and financial support granted to promoters of micro-projects, particularly in the field of preschool education.
Mr. Mohamed Ould Bilal affirmed that his government is resolutely committed to resuming economic growth, as the implementation of ProPEP progresses, through a dynamic of sustainable economic development based on social justice and driven by an efficient administration close to citizens.