The Senegalese Water and Sanitation Ministry and SUEZ have signed an affermage contract for the management of the public service for drinking water production and distribution in urban and suburban areas. This 15-year contract will supply an initial population of 7 million inhabitants with drinking water.
Through this contract, the Senegalese government is seeking to harness the expertise of the SUEZ Group to meet the drinking water needs of the country’s quickly growing population. Sufficient access to high-quality water is a key issue in Senegal and a priority in the Emerging Senegal Plan launched by President Macky Sall.
The contract, which will be managed by a company under Senegalese law with a majority of Senegalese shareholders (55%), provides for the integration by SUEZ of the 1,200 Senegalese professionals currently in practice. A career management support service will be created to continue developing up-and-coming talent, with special attention paid to young people and women.
Starting on January 1, 2020, an action plan aimed at providing water access for all, guaranteeing an excellent level of service, and ensuring sustainable performance will be implemented.
A significant part of the plan will be dedicated to fostering innovation. A Research and Innovation Centre, set to open in Dakar in partnership with Senegalese universities, will subsequently play a role throughout the region.
“We are honoured by the confidence granted by the Senegalese authorities to help them foster the country’s emergence and growing influence. The urbanisation and population growth, combined with economic development, have raised new expectations regarding the quality of public services. The Group will deploy innovative solutions to pilot all infrastructure facilities in real time and improve network performance. Our extensive international expertise in the production and distribution of drinking water, combined with the know-how of Senegalese professionals, will enable us to deliver the quality of services Senegalese families, entrepreneurs, and manufacturers have come to expect.” Said Bertrand Camus ,Chief Executive Officer of SUEZ.
