The Finance and Budgetary Control Committee of Senegal's National Assembly rejected for a second time, on 30 October, the amending finance bill for 2026. The Ministry of Economy, Finance and Plan announced this the following day, warning that budget uncertainty risked increasing pressure on the state's cash position.
The disagreement comes ahead of a new discussion announced in plenary. The ministry cites reduced fiscal room, difficulties accessing financial markets and ongoing negotiations with the International Monetary Fund. Its warning concerns the mobilisation of the financing needed for priority spending.
Lower revenue and higher spending
The parliamentary report on the sittings of 20 and 23 October sheds light on the proposed adjustments. Revenue would fall from 6,188.8 to 5,848.7 billion CFA francs, while spending would rise from 7,433.9 to 7,583.9 billion. The deficit would thus reach 7.6% of GDP, compared with 5.4% initially.
This deterioration would persist despite a reduction in public investment of 555 billion CFA francs. According to the minister, some projects depended on revenue from the Economic and Social Recovery Plan, revised from 762.9 to 311.5 billion. Their launch was conditional on these resources in order to avoid new arrears. Freezing them would not mean abandoning them.
At the same time, energy subsidies would rise from 250 to 790.3 billion CFA francs, and family security grants from 35 to 70 billion. The minister presents these trade-offs as protection for households against the energy shock.
Parliamentary demands and a ministerial response
These allocations had prompted requests for clarification during earlier parliamentary work. Committee members in particular asked for energy aid to be broken down between current charges, tariff compensation and arrears. They also asked for details on the resources and payments of family grants.
The dispute also has a political dimension. In a dispatch dated 26 October, the APS reported that Ousmane Sonko, President of the National Assembly, linked the opposition of the majority group Pastef to the government's refusal of a proposal on special funds. The parliamentary institution then affirmed its readiness for dialogue and requested additional documents. These positions preceded the second rejection.
The ministry says it sent a detailed response on 30 October on subsidies, grants and priority spending. It maintains that the committee had made no amendments or counter-proposals. It says exchanges will continue at a forthcoming plenary session devoted to the bill, without setting a date.