Sénégal: Programme d'appui à la Compétitivité de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (PACAO)

    Overview

    Summary

    The West Africa Competitiveness Support Program (WACOMP) in Senegal is implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC), in partnership with the Ministry of Trade and Small and Medium Enterprises of Senegal. WACOMP Senegal aims to support and strengthen the competitiveness of MSMEs in regional and international markets.

    As the second largest economy in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) after Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal's main challenges include stabilising its trade balance, which remains in deficit, diversifying its exports, and reducing its dependence on food imports. To meet these challenges and strengthen the country’s competitiveness, the programme will focus on three strategic sectors to create sustainable employment in Senegal. These are mango, onion and information and communication technologies (ICT). Particular emphasis will be placed on the emergence of cooperative societies governed by the OHADA Uniform Act in order to contribute to the structuration of agriculture value chains and to facilitate access to financing for operators. As such, WACOMP Senegal contributes to the creation of sustainable jobs and income-generating activities. The program began in August 2020 and will run until April 2023.

     

    Recipients

    Partners

    Sustainable Development Goals

    This project contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals, as defined by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

    Context

    Strengthening the mango, onion and ICT sectors

    ITC through WACOMP Senegal aims to strengthen three strategic sectors by: 

    Information and Communication Technologies sector 

    • Facilitating access to information on companies, professions, training and opportunities.  
    • Supporting and accompanying intermediary organizations and project leaders in the ICT sector,  
    • Contributing to the development of Senegalese companies in the ICT sector. 

    Mango and onion sector 

    • Supporting production planning for the benefit of local industries and consumers.  

    • Promoting technology transformation to improve local skills.  

    • Increasing export capacity. 

    Strengthening cooperative societies

    three people working on their computer
    three people working on their computer
    Shutterstock

    WACOMP Senegal supports the formalization of commercial cooperative societies, based on the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA) Uniform Act, in support of the overall development of rural areas in Senegal. 

    Cooperative societies help producers access finance and improve their own savings, productivity and competitiveness by strengthening their governance and improving their services to members. 

    ITC will provide support to the Senegalese Ministry of Agriculture to set up a registration system for cooperatives, a prerequisite to attaining bank credit. Emphasis will be placed on the digitalization of systems and procedures to ensure greater transparency, reliability and traceability.  

    Brochure

    ITC contact

    Thomas
    Bechmann
    Email
    bechmann [at] intracen.org