Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has pledged to restore financial accountability after inheriting billions in hidden debt from his predecessor — yet a new transparency bill will not require him to declare his own assets beyond the start of his term. The government has tabled an amendment to Senegal’s 2014 asset declaration law that would force more public officials including prosecutors, judges, local authorities, auditors, and directors of state-owned companies to disclose their wealth when taking and leaving office. The reform also lowers the declaration threshold for public budget managers from 1 billion CFA francs to 500 million CFA francs.
If approved by the National Assembly on August 18, 2025, the measure will significantly broaden anti-corruption safeguards. But opposition leaders are alarmed that President Faye himself remains outside its scope. “It’s the first condition of transparency that the president be subject to these requirements,” said Doudou Wade of the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS).
The ruling coalition argues the Constitution already requires presidents to declare assets once at the start of their mandate, and that this constitutional clause takes precedence over other laws. “This is a special law of exception,” said ruling party MP Amadou Ba. The debate comes after a February 2024 audit revealed that former president Macky Sall’s government had concealed deficits, inflating the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio to around 100% from the previously reported 74%. The finding led the IMF to freeze loan disbursements and credit agencies to downgrade Senegal’s rating to B-. Since taking office, Faye has launched a sweeping anti-corruption drive, arresting five ex-ministers, including Sall’s brother-in-law, Amadou Mansour Faye, accused of embezzling over $4.6 million in public funds.
