Government Spokesperson: All public contracts were conducted according to legal procedures

The Minister of Culture, Arts, Communication, and Relations with Parliament, the Government Spokesperson, Mr. Houssein Ould Medou, clarified that all public contracts were concluded in accordance with the applicable legal procedures, affirming the government’s commitment to monitor and implement ongoing projects.

He explained, in response to a question regarding the emergency program for the development of Nouakchott, during his comments on the results of the Council of Ministers meeting, Wednesday, at the press hall of the Mauritanian News Agency in Nouakchott, alongside the Minister in charge of the General Secretariat of the Government, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Development, and the Minister of Energy and Oil, that the program’s scope had been precisely defined and that the overall progress of the works had reached approximately 77%.
He pointed out that the program covered vital sectors, including roads, water, health, and electricity.

Regarding the visit of the Prime Minister to the sister Republic of Senegal, the Government Spokesperson clarified that it falls within the framework of strengthening bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries, noting that the size of the official delegation accompanying the Prime Minister reflects the leaders’ commitment to elevating these relations to broader and deeper levels.

For his part, the Minister in charge of the Secretary-General of the Government, Mr. Mokhtar El-Housseinou Lam, clarified in his remarks on the statement regarding the development of the major contracts portfolio during the period from November 1 to December 31, 2025, that this statement aims to inform the government about the level of progress achieved in the implementation of major development projects and programs.

For his part, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Development, Mr. Abdallahi Ould Soulaiman Ould Cheikh Sidiya, stated that the draft decree aims to introduce a reform to the mechanism for setting liquid fuel prices.

He explained that the current mechanism is based on pre-determining the pump price, whereby the state either bears or benefits from the difference compared to the cost price. This has led the state, as a result of rising energy prices in recent years, to bear significant amounts in order to maintain current pump prices, set at 500 old ouguiya per liter for diesel and 566 old ouguiya per liter for gasoline.

He added that, according to forecasts, energy prices in 2026 are expected to decrease significantly, and instead of the state being in a position to benefit from the price difference in favor of the public treasury, the government, under direct instructions from His Excellency the President of the Republic, Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, decided to introduce a new reform in the mechanism for determining fuel prices, allowing Mauritanian citizens and consumers to benefit from this anticipated decrease.

Regarding the draft decree on the establishment of the national compensation mechanism, the Minister clarified that this mechanism has been prepared on a permanent basis and aims to allocate financial support targeted at vulnerable households that may be affected by fuel price fluctuations, emphasizing that it will not increase in the coming years except in the event of shocks or unexpected developments.

In turn, the Minister of Energy and Oil, Mr. Mohamed Ould Khaled, confirmed in response to a question regarding the electricity situation in Nouakchott that the government is working on replacing some old solar power plants with conventional plants as part of a comprehensive plan to reform the electricity system.

He pointed out that the state supported fuel prices in 2025 with more than five billion ouguiyas, but the new system will allow the price difference to benefit the citizen rather than the treasury, thereby enhancing purchasing power, given that energy is included in all costs.

Regarding household gas, the Minister confirmed that there is no crisis in this area, explaining that Nouakchott’s stock amounts to 4,361 tons, and that previous disruptions were due to temporary issues at the port.