Senegal Prime Minister Sonko details fuel subsidy balance and vows crackdown on former‑regime embezzlers

Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko addressed parliament on May 22, 2026, presenting data on Senegal’s fuel subsidy programme. He showed that in 2022 and 2023 subsidies (750 bn FCFA and a still‑negative gap in 2023) exceeded tax revenues from hydrocarbons, while other years produced surpluses. Projections for 2025 anticipate 380 bn FCFA in subsidies against 665 bn FCFA in tax receipts. Sonko said the government is studying options to avoid a sharp price rise that would double‑penalise consumers, while noting external pressures such as the Ukraine war and Middle‑East tensions that raise import costs.

He also reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to share the hardships of Senegalese citizens and announced a determination to imprison “all the détourneurs of the former regime” linked to past financial mismanagement. The prime minister emphasized the need for a fiscal mechanism that safeguards the budget and protects household purchasing power.