Tokyo has granted Dakar a subsidy of more than one billion CFA francs which will enable the purchase of rice to cope with the deficit in agricultural production.
By Abdourahmane Diallo
In total, Japan has granted 250 million yen, or more than one billion two hundred and fifty million CFA francs, to Senegal.
The grant is intended to help strengthen the national food security stock.
The signing of the so-called Exchange of Notes relating to this food assistance for the year 2021 took place on Thursday between the Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation, Amadou Hott, and the Ambassador of Japan in Dakar, Tatsuo Arai.
“This grant that you have given us will allow the purchase of rice, which will be added to agricultural production and, therefore, will help strengthen our national food security stock. The proceeds from the sale of this additional stock of rice will go into the counterpart fund for financing socio-economic development projects in our country,” Mr. Hott said.
He was also pleased that “this important support is in line with the government’s priorities set out in the Adjusted and Accelerated Priority Action Plan (PAP2A)” of the Emerging Senegal Plan (ESP).
In addition to covering food needs, Mr. Arai said, Japan’s aid will be used to set up a counterpart fund to finance other projects in other sectors of economic and social development.
“It is from this fund that the Government of Japan has mobilized one billion CFA francs as its contribution to the Covid Force-19 Fund since the beginning of the pandemic. The same applies to Japan’s annual contribution to the Dakar Forum on Peace and Security in Africa, which has increased significantly this year,” the diplomat explained.
This agreement is part of the implementation of initiatives launched by Japan towards Africa during the 7th edition of the Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD 7) in Yokohama to support its development.
It relates directly to its Health Initiative, the promotion of Universal Health Coverage (UHC), and Peace and Stability, under the banner of a “New Approach to Peace and Stability in Africa (NAPSA).”
ARD/te/fss/as/APA