Whereas the world levels are on their higher level, of the countries like Senegal and Togo, rich in phosphate, do not draw from it any benefit because of the crisis which their development companies live.

The flight of the prices of the raw materials on the international market constitutes a chance that many producer countries could seize to counterbalance the rise in the prices of the food products of first need. An option that, unfortunately, Senegal could not take because of the deep crisis in which are enlise the chemical Industries of Senegal (Ics). A loss of earnings all the more important as the phosphoric acid reaches on the world market the highest levels of price, ever reached during these last years. Nevertheless, it, today, is allowed to find the hope, with the new developments on the crisis of Ics. While waiting, they are countries of the North of Africa, Tunisia and Morocco, which profit the most clearing of the courses, to the point, announces the magazine Jeune Africa published this week, that close Algeria, equipped also well, wants to place in the same crenel. As regards Senegal, jeune Africa explains why the situation of Ics could improve very appreciably in the next months, with the 44,5 billion franks CFA injected by the new majority shareholder, the company Indian Farmers Fertilizer Co (Iffco). This fresh money in the cases of the company will make it possible the box "to start again the investments in order to start again the production", explains the Director of Ics, Alassane Diallo, quoted in the article. Blocked by a colossal debt of almost 200 billion dollars, Ics had a yelling need for liquidizer to find a normal productivity. And it is thing made with the intervention of Iffco, even if the length of the negotiations between the State of Senegal and the transferees cost the country an important loss of financial resources. Indeed, Ics, which accounted for 3% of Gross domestic product (GDP) from Senegal and 10% of its exports, were regarded as the floret of the national economy. And the difficult phase that has just crossed the company is reflected on the whole of the economy Senegalese. It should, nevertheless, be announced that national sources estimate the contribution of Ics with the GDP with 1%. Since the bursting of the crisis of Ics in 2006, the factory functions with half of its annual capacities of 660 000 tons. Also, the objective posted by the transferee is, underlines the magazine published in Paris, "to double forwarding’s during the year 2008 and to return to the normal in 2009". Just like Senegal, Togo is confronted with the same problem of productivity. The nationalization of this branch of industry came to be added to the difficulties of the Togolese State of finding a transferee solvent, able to start again the production equipment. Even if the Islamic Bank of development (Bid) and the Bank of investment and development of the ECOWAS (Bidc) brought, jointly, nearly 40 million dollars, the fate of the new Company of phosphates of Togo (Snpt) remains suspended with the studies on evaluation of the World Bank and the International Monetary Funds International Monetary (the fmi)
Le Quotidien source, Wednesday May 7 2008

billion the Indians waits the city Bank Come to accompany the minister of State, Minister for the mines, industry and of SME, Karim Maissa Wade, garnered important political dividends of this round centered on the imminent starting of the activities of the ICS for an amount already available of 45 billion Frs.

The visit of the chemical site of Daarou Khoudoss was drowned in a political flood in favour without similar. With the 1st stage, the populations led by their PCR Ndiaga Matar Ndiaye, had interest only for the leader of the generation of the concrete one. Dashes of sympathy and promises of adhesion to its movement to him were meant when it announced important measurements taken to improve the living conditions of the populations which will profit from now on from a special programme of 100 million Frs., which will be doubled the 2nd year. This support will allow, their has it says, to acquire some basic infrastructures in the fields of health and education. With the instars of the Minister for the mines, it also announced the freezing of all the debts contracted by the workers, with possibility of cancelling them in the future. In the chapter of the good news, reduction in the price of manure, gesture perceived like a supplement with the starting of plan GOANA. At the time of the visit of the various services, main Ousmane Ngom thanked the Indian partners, thanks to whom the takeoff of the factory is imminent. Of an amount of 45 billion francs, the fund is already available to City Bank. According to Dr. Awashi, president of the group IFFCO, strategic partner in the recapitalization of the ICS, "the efforts will be still made to accompany until his term takeoff". With the exit of the visit, Ousmane Diop, secretary-general of the trade union of the ICS, known as that the hope is back to the ICS. In an euphoric answer, it thanked all those which for 3 years, have been invested to save the factory. "Thanks to this 45 billion, a true puff of oxygen, the ICS will not die and we are already ready to take up the challenge to reach our cruising speed as soon as the means are released for the purchase of spare parts. The visit ended on a note of optimism. Karim wade, in closing the debates, known as to accommodate with much interest the complaint expressed by the workers, who want from now on to have actions in limps. "It will be the best means of guaranteeing perenniality and the development of the company", it recognized. This visit of work at the political forts relents, made it possible to the president of the ANOCI to take language with the populations of Mboro, Darou Khoudos, Tobéne and even Tivaouane, which accommodated it and acclaimed like the saver of the ICS.     
Lobservateur Source: Friday May 2, 2008

[Goana] Financing of the food safety of Senegal: The financial backers lay down their conditions they ensure of their goodwill to discuss the proposals for a financing of the government, for the Great offensive which President Wade wants to launch. However, the financial backers consider that the latter fits well within the framework of the Law of agro-sylvo-pastoral orientation, which always awaits its decree of application. And they would like, also, to see more clearly with regard to measurements taken to deaden the shock of the rise in the prices of the food products.

The backers express their availability to exchange with the government on the financing of the plan of President Wade called the Great offensive for agriculture, food and abundance (Goana). But before all that, the partners with the development would wish that the assessment of the short-term measurements installation by the state to face the economic situation is established. In the same way, they would like to have an idea of what became the Law of agro-sylvo-pastoral orientation (Loasp) which, although she has been voted for more than two years, sleeps in the drawers, while waiting for the decrees of application. "We think that this law proposes the broad outline of the Goana program which is to be discussed. It would be good to vacuum-clean it, to make of it a small grooming for its update, followed rather quickly of a decree of application. It is important to know what one did of this law, on which there was a total consensus ", Wednesday declared last, the director of the operations of the World Bank, Madani Tall, at a meeting organized by the Senegalese government to exchange on the mobilization of resources having to finance food self-sufficiency. Compared to the measures in the short run intended to attenuate the blaze of the prices of the food products of first need, Madani Tall hammers: "It is true, it is good to reflect on a program in the medium and long term, but, it is as well to see which immediate measurements it would be necessary to set up in the 90 next days, six months to come, to attenuate the shock. It would be well to exchange to the measures already installation, in order to see whether they will be reinforced or if they will be replaced by others." The financial backers would at least like to know the intentions of the government compared to the immediate situation, before engaging in a program in the medium and long term. Nevertheless, specifies Mr. Tall, "us attentive and are laid out to exchange with you on the technical diagnosis of Goana, for its financing". The other backers, in particular, the chief of Delegation of the European Commission, Gilles Hervio, representative-reside it of the International Monetary International Monetary Fund’s (the fmi), Alex Segura, inter alia, also emitted on the same tempo. Pleading for the implication of the professionals, the federations of peasants in the reflexions, Gilles Hervio estimates, as, as the questions of land and the credit deserve to be tackled. In addition to, recommends the representative of the European Commission, "The reflexion does not have to only limit itself to the food products. Cotton, the groundnut, the tomato must be taken into account in the analyses and the actions which must be taken in the future ". Because, it explains, "the groundnut remains, for Senegal, something of fundamental. And the results obtained into 2007 remain alarming ". Alex Segura, drew the attention of the government to him to the concept of self-sufficiency. "The concept of self-sufficiency must be accompanied by the concept of competitiveness. If Senegal is not able to produce certain food products at cost comparable with the same place as of other countries of the under-area, or elsewhere, in the long run, the strategy could fail ", it explained. For him, "Senegal would gain to combine the concept of self-sufficiency with that of competitiveness, of effectiveness". Representative-reside of the IMF also expressed its concern compared to the cost and the effectiveness of the measurements installation by the state. It explained why, only for the price maintenance by the suspension of the rights and taxes, Senegal lost 28 billion franks CFA in 2007. And for 2008, the losses of receipts are estimated at 56 billion franks CFA Thus, Alex Segura recommended the installation of social measures, in particular, the subsidy of the public transport and the extension of the school canteens inter alia. GOVERNMENTAL INSURANCES "If we asked the territorial authorities, after the declaration of the president of the Republic, to set up of the ad hoc committees sylvo-pastoral, it was simply for correctionnaliser the Law of agro-sylvo-pastoral orientation. The Law will be in the center of our decisions and of our programs in the medium and long term ", ensures the Prime Minister, cheikh Hadjibou Soumaré. Only, it, "it specify was necessary to make decisions to accompany the most underprivileged layers, but also to plan a program in the medium and long term to support not only our growth, but also, to ensure food self-sufficiency". To corroborate the remarks of the chief of the government, the Minister for agriculture, Hamath Sall, indicates: "Since June 2007, we stripped the Law of agro-sylvo-pastoral orientation to try to identify the whole of measurements of accompaniment. That they are texts of application or others to take for opérationnaliser this Law but we thought that Goana is a great opportunity for opérationnaliser and to put place this Law of agro-sylvo-pastoral orientation." On the question of the emergency measures, the government was committed carrying out a reflexion within the joint committee which it intends to set up with the backers. "It is necessary to consider the measures to be taken immediately, because, vis-a-vis with the current situation, one cannot wait", cheikh Hadjibou Soumaré said. Before adding that "the government continues to work to short-term measures to accompany the Goana plan by the Head of the State. This is why, it declares, I am very sensitive to proposed of the IMF consisting in seeing how to subsidize the public transport, and how to make so that the subsidies of the gas butane can go to the most underprivileged layers. On This question, we agree ".

Ferloo.com, Wednesday april 25 2008