Mali's National Transition Council adopts 2021-2022 Government Action Plan
Bamako, Mali (PANA) - The members of the National Transition Council (CNT), which plays the role of Parliament in Mali, on Monday approved by 100 votes, with four against and three abstentions, the Government Action Plan (GAP) that Prime Minister Moctar Ouane presented on Friday to advisers, official sources told PANA.
The advisors described the document as ambitious, clear, coherent and concise, though some expressed reservations about the possibility of its implementation within the 18-month transition period, more than four months of which have already passed.
Many advisors wanted to know, among other things, what financial and human resources the government has available, apart from promises of partners for the implementation of the actions set out in this plan, and whether the priorities identified were implementable over time.
Members of the CNT also asked the Head of Government for assurance concerning the correct application of this action plan and asked him questions related in particular to school, access to the Nina card, the airport zone, the place of culture, the press, the territorial redistribution, figures, the chronogram for the implementation of the said action plan.
Among other measures, the Prime Minister announced those aimed at reducing the lifestyle of the State, focusing first on the rationalisation of expenses related to fuel, food products, mission expenses, rejoicing at the fact that the operating budget, excluding salaries, for 2021 has decreased by 25 billion CFA francs.
Regarding the financing of the government's Action Plan, the 2021 Finance Act will take into account the Transition roadmap from which the 2020-2022 Plan was derived, revealed Moctar Ouane.
To calm the social climate, marked by incessant strikes, the Prime Minister announced the organisation of a social conference in the coming weeks.
In addition, he strongly condemned last Friday's ransacking of the Mali Consulate in Paris by some disgruntled Malians in France who did not have access to the administrative documents related to obtaining the NINA card, while promising to carry out investigations to this effect.
On the issue of NINA (National Identification Number) cards, Moctar Ouane assured his compatriots of the availability of a stock of about 500,000 personalised cards, adding that there are plans to produce 2.5 million more and the possibility of using the biometric card of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
It is also planned to enrol Malians living abroad in areas with a high concentration of nationals.
On the duration of the Transition, Moctar Ouane said that it has been set at 18 months, starting September 2020, and that the President of the Transition, Bah N'Daw, has promised to respect this deadline.
The Action Plan presented by the Prime Minister covers the period 2020-2022.
"We are going to work twice as hard to ensure that this happens according to the rules," promised Moctar Ouane.
-0- PANA GT/JSG/BBA/AR 23Feb2021
