Senegal’s National Assembly rejects 2026 supplementary budget
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Le Soleil and Senego
Senegal’s National Assembly rejected the 2026 supplementary budget and the government’s two amendments on 3 November, after adopting a preliminary objection. Le Soleil lists seven points of disagreement, including a projected deficit of 7.6% of GDP, while Senego reports a vote of 109 to 20, with three abstentions, and a possible threat to a 2.2 billion dollar IMF loan, according to RFI Afrique.
The vote took place after MPs adopted a preliminary objection proposed by Pastef MP Amadou Ba, without examining the bill on its substance, Senego reports. The vote secured 109 in favour, 20 against and three abstentions. The Minister of the Economy and Finance, Cheikh Diba, called the position defended by Pastef a “pretext”, according to the same outlet.
MPs challenged several parameters of the bill, including a projected deficit of 1,735.2 billion CFA francs and a reduction of about 555 billion CFA francs in public investment allocations. They also requested explanations about revenue from the Economic and Social Recovery Plan, reduced from 762.6 billion to 311 billion CFA francs, of which 174 billion had been mobilised by the end of September, according to Le Soleil.
The parliamentary report also mentions 790.3 billion CFA francs earmarked for subsidies to the energy sector, compared with the 250 billion initially entered in the Energy Sector Support Fund, as well as 1,956.3 billion CFA francs in payment arrears to be addressed. The government says it needs the revised budget to settle debts owed to private companies and electricity suppliers and ensure fuel supplies to power stations, Senego reports.
The rejection could jeopardise the International Monetary Fund’s final approval of a 2.2 billion dollar loan, according to RFI Afrique, cited by Senego. The bill had already been rejected several times by the Finance Committee before returning to plenary on 3 November, according to Le Soleil.
