Description:
Infrastructure contributed 1 percentage
point to Senegal's improved per capita growth
performance between 2000 and 2005, placing it in the middle
of the distribution among West African countries. Raising
the country's infrastructure endowment to that of the
region's middle-income countries (MICs) could boost
annual growth by about 2.7 percentage points. Senegal has
made significant progress in some areas of its
infrastructure, including the transport, electricity, water,
and information-and-communication-technology (ICT) sectors.
But looking ahead, the country faces important
infrastructure challenges, including improving road
conditions, boosting air and rail traffic, updating
electricity infrastructure, and boosting the pace of
expansion of the water-and-sanitation network. Senegal
currently spends around $911 million per year on
infrastructure, with $312 million lost annually to
inefficiencies. Comparing spending needs with existing
spending and potential efficiency gains leaves an annual
funding gap of $578 million per year. Senegal has the
potential close this gap by bringing in more private-sector investment.