Government Spokesperson: The Motorcycles that were stopped by the Authorities do not have any Licenses.

The Minister of Culture, Arts, Communication, and Parliamentary Relations, the government spokesman, Mr. El Houssein Ould Medou, stated that the motorcycles stopped by the authorities must be subjected to legal procedures, as these motorcycles do not meet any of the required conditions (such as a driving license and a registration card). He confirmed in response to a question on the subject during his comments on the results of the Cabinet meeting this Wednesday evening in Nouakchott, alongside the Minister of Economy and Finance and the Minister of Health, that the stoppage of the motorcycles was intended for their owners to reconcile with the legal requirements that the security administration had previously issued for licensing them.

Regarding the press card, the Minister clarified, in response to a question on the subject, that the authorities responsible for issuing the card will ask media institutions to send the files of their employees next week, after the process of the card law requirements is completed, as the committee in charge will hold its third and final meeting this week.

In turn,the Minister of Economy and Finance, Mr. Sid’ Ahmed Ould Bouh, confirmed that the draft decree amending certain provisions of the decree issued in 2021, which establishes a public institution with an administrative nature called “The Investment Promotion Agency in Mauritania” and defines the rules for its organization and operation, aims to achieve a series of reforms that will provide it with a more effective mechanism for promoting investment and fulfilling its economic role in creating job opportunities and attracting investment.

He stated that among the reforms proposed by the draft for the institution after evaluating its work in the years since its establishment is to expand its representation to include new sectors such as employment, environment, and energy, and to transfer the oversight of the institution to the Prime Ministry instead of the Ministry of Economy, as is the case with similar agencies in the region.

He added that among the reforms is also expanding its intervention to include the promotion of small and medium enterprises, enabling them to play their role as the secretariat of the Higher Investment Council, which meets annually and is chaired by His Excellency the President of the Republic. It includes both foreign investors and local businessmen, and allows the agency to organize specialized investment exhibitions, which were previously assigned to the General Commission for Exhibitions.For his part, His Excellency the Minister of Health, Mr. Abdoullah Ould Wedih, stated that the draft decree regarding the establishment of a performance-based financing approach will achieve several objectives such as establishing transparency in health institutions, efficiency, and integrity. This approach aims to link effectiveness and efficiency to optimize resources and improve the quality of services.

He added that the performance-based funding program is not new to the Ministry of Health, as the first phase trial began between 2019 and 2023 in some states through the ‘Care’ program. The second phase began in 2023 to include six other states, and the sector was determined to expand the program to include the city of Nouakchott before the project was approved today.

The Minister of Health confirmed that the areas where the approach was tested saw a noticeable improvement in service quality and health indicators, especially concerning maternal and child health, as well as securing health workers in their workplaces. It also reinforced the independence of health institutions, adding that the state will now fund the program instead of relying on external sources.