Public finances: AITS calls for increased resources and prerogatives

The Treasury administration is at the heart of major public service modernization projects in Senegal. According to a dispatch from the Senegalese Press Agency (APS), the Association of Treasury Inspectors of Senegal (AITS), through its president Mamadou Diop, strongly advocated this Saturday in Dakar for a strengthening of the prerogatives and resources of their administration. This material and legal reinforcement aims to enable it to effectively support decentralization, the modernization of government operations, and structural reforms of public finances. For the organization's president, this budgetary upgrade addresses a matter of sovereignty and internal governance. He thus maintained that "Strengthening the prerogatives and resources of such a vital administration in managing our public finances is simply a matter of the State ensuring itself a comprehensive financial framework across all levels of governance and the implementation of its public policies."

This statement was made during the AITS's day of reflection, centered on the theme "The Public Treasury, a pillar of public finance: the trajectory of a multi-purpose administration serving the State and other public entities." The event brought together inspectors from across the country, along with representatives from the National Assembly, civil society, local authorities, and institutional partners. According to information reported by APS, the meeting aimed to stimulate reflection on the evolving missions of the Treasury and to formulate concrete proposals for policymakers. Mr. Diop reiterated that "The Association of Treasury Inspectors is a proactive force. Our mission is to stimulate debate on public policies and to provide guidance to the authorities on matters pertaining to the Treasury administration and, more broadly, the Ministry of Economy, Finance, and Budget."

A multi-purpose administration facing the changes of decentralization

The president of the AITS (Association of Senegalese Treasury Professionals) emphasized the need to rethink the positioning of this entity, particularly in light of the "profound institutional changes recorded over the last three decades, notably with the deepening of decentralization and the development of the semi-public sector." Present at all levels of the state apparatus, the Treasury fulfills a mission of financial continuity deemed "essential to the functioning of public institutions." To illustrate the weight of this institution, Mamadou Diop noted that "This administration currently has some fifteen accounting and administrative directorates. It is established in nearly forty departments of the country and also carries out its missions through 58 Senegalese diplomatic and consular missions." He also commended the performance of the Directorate General of Public Accounting and the Treasury, which he described as "the only Senegalese public administration to hold nine quality certifications compliant with the ISO standard."

When questioned by APS about current fiscal challenges, the leader of the AITS emphasized the importance of ensuring the financial viability of local authorities. He believes that “the institutional and fiscal reforms undertaken by the State must be supported by the expertise of public finance specialists in order to build the best institutional structures and financial mechanisms capable of guaranteeing the continuity of the State's missions.” This continuity must be seamlessly expressed both at the central level and within local authorities, “where the most immediate needs of the population are addressed.” All the recommendations stemming from this work will thus aim to guide the authorities and sustainably strengthen the role of the Public Treasury.