Meeting in hybrid format for its 134th ordinary session, in Bissau on March 28, 2023, the Board of Directors of the West African Development Bank (BOAD), under the chairmanship of Serge Ekue, President of the Institution, examined ten new operations. They concern the partial financing of projects in several countries, members of BOAD.
Prominent among these is the debt clearance program for strategic suppliers of the Société Energie du Mali (EDM). The operation will contribute to ensuring the continuity of the supply of electricity to the Malian populations and to supporting the economic and social development of Mali. The cost of the operation is estimated at 45 billion French francs. This is a real feat recorded by the Minister of Economy and Finance, Alousseini Sanou. He achieved this feat with the support and good collaboration of BOAD, whose vice-president in charge of financing and investment is none other than our compatriot, Moustapha Ben Barka. The latter sits in Benin, on behalf of Mali. It is therefore normal that he works in intelligence with the authorities of Bamako to defend the interests of the country. He is in his role, and must do more.
With the country’s difficult economic situation, Minister Sanou is fighting like hell to multiply bond issues and try to make the most of the existing partnership between Mali and regional financial institutions.
This is how the many actions of the same minister towards BOAD made it possible, thanks to the support and efficiency of the Malian representative, to obtain 8 billion FCFA for the development of the rice-growing plains of Timbuktu. This loan was even ratified by the Council of Ministers in January 2023, under the chairmanship of Colonel Assimi Goïta. Other projects are underway at BOAD to seek financing, in particular that relating to food security estimated at 25 billion of our francs. The money of the whites is scarce in Mali, it will be necessary to implement all the levers of financing of the projects and programs where the country is eligible at the sub-regional and regional level such as the UEMOA, the ADB, the BOAD… in order to run the country’s economy, for the benefit of the people.
Finally, we dare to hope that the 45 billion FCFA obtained from BOAD for the benefit of EDM will be judiciously used to enable this company to improve the supply of electricity to the populations. To be continued
Wa-Salam!
El Hadj Chahana Takiou
Source: September 22
