Senegal cuts official travel as high oil prices put new pressure on budget

Speaking at a youth event in the coastal city of Mbour, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko pointed to the escalating prices of oil to justify the measure.

Sonko said he had canceled his own planned trips to Niger, Spain and France, Reuters reported, in an effort to cut costs.

Oil prices have edged close to $115 a barrel from about $80 before the war on Iran.

The west African country is facing a financial squueze since the termination of a lending program by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over debt misreporting.

The country faces a budget deficit of nearly 14 percent of GDP and public sector debt estimated at 132 percent of national output at the end of 2024.

The current government accuses the administration of ex-president Macky Sall, who ruled from 2012 until 2024, of having concealed the true extent of the budgetary situation.

An International Monetary Fund team that visited Senegal a year ago confirmed that officials had made false statements regarding budget deficits and public debt for the 2019–2023 period.

The IMF has suspended a $1.8-billion aid programme it had agreed in 2023, pending further information and commitments from Senegal’s new authorities.