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人人书 > 杂志 > Highway to Success

Highway to Success

时间:2024-10-26 07:20:27

Senegal鈥檚roadnetworkgetsamajorboostthatwillbenefitdomesticandregionaltrade

$860million

worthofagriculturalproductsproducedinSenegaleachyear

RoadinfrastructuredevelopmentisvitalforimprovingtradeinruralAfricaISTOCKPhllipeAdamaisaseasonedfruitfarmerinSenegal.Hepracticesmixedfarmingofdifferentcropsinhisexpansive4-hectarefarm,andcurrentlyexportshisproducemostlytoEurope,withasmallpercentagegoingtoChina.

PoorroadnetworkshavehinderedfarmerssuchasAdamafromachievingtheirfullpotentialinthepast.However,thisisabouttochange.Partofanewroadnetworkof70kmwasrecentlycompleted,linkinghisruralhometownofPambaltothecountry鈥檚capitalDakar.

Withtheadventofnewtransportopportunitiesbroughtbytheroadnetwork,Adamaisincreasinghisproduction.

鈥淎lotofmyproducewouldspoilbecausewhenitrains,thepreviousdirtroadwouldbecomemuddy.MytransportvehicleswouldbestuckfordayswaitingtotransferproducetoDakar.Nowtheroadnetworkiscompleteandthingsaremucheasier,鈥漵aidAdama.

鈥淚cangetmorethandoubletherevenuefromhorticultureasIdidoneandahalfyearsago.Forexample,onagoodharvestday,Iproduceabout$2,300comparedto$800asaresultofperishedgoodsfromdelaysonthepreviousdirtroads,鈥漵aidAdama.

Oncetheroadnetworksarefullycompleted,agriculturalproductionisexpectedtoincreaseacrosstheentireregion.AccordingtotheFoodandAgricultureOrganization(FAO),aUnitedNationsagency,Senegalcurrentlyproduces$860millionworthofagriculturalproduceeachyear.

InthePambalareaoftheThiesregioninwestSenegal,AdamaisamongseveralfarmersgrowingvegetablesandfruitwhosellinDakarforoverseasexport.Watermelons,courgettes,tomatoes,pumpkinsandmangoesareallgrowninthearea.

Adama鈥檚neighborSekouSambouhasa202-hectarefarmandisalsoupbeataboutthenewroads.

鈥淭ransportinggoodsismucheasier[now].Butitwilltakeawhilebeforethetotalroadnetworkiscompleted,鈥漢esaid.

Sambousaidtheinitialimprovementshavedefinitelyhelpedhimgethisproducetomarketfaster.Ajourneyof3.5hoursnowtakesjustunderanhourandwastagefrompoorweatherdelayshavebeeneliminated,hesaid.

Vastroadnetwork

AccordingtoSenegalesePrimeMinisterMahammadBounAbdallahDionne,Chinaplanstoaddanextensive30,000-kmofroads,mostlyhighways,withinafour-tofive-yeartimeframeintheregion.

鈥淭hismightsoundoverambitiousbutIcanguaranteeyoumostofthehighwaysarecurrentlyunderconstruction.Forinstance,theDakar-CairoHighwayconstructionhasbeenlaunched.Itwillcover8,636kmlinkingDakartoagriculturaltownsandbeyondborders,鈥滵ionnesaid.

DionnesaidthishighwaywilllinkSenegaltoMauritania,Morocco,Tunisia,Chad,andeventuallyEgypt.Whilesecurityconcernsalongthisrouterequireurgentattention,Dionnesaidheiscollaboratingwithallthegovernmentsconcernedtofindasolution.

HenotedthatthehighwayslinkingDakartotheThiesregion,covering113kmwillbecompletedbytheendof2019,whileanother194kmroadlinkfromDakartoToubaisplannedtobefunctionalattheendofSeptemberthisyear.

DionneconfirmedthatChinawillinvestabout$8billionontheroadnetworkinitiativeoverafive-yearperiod,emphasizingthattheinfrastructurewouldbenefittradeintheregionasawholeandnotjustSenegal.

Over$239millionworthoftradeisgeneratedbySenegalannuallyand30percentofthetradeisbetweenregionalcountriesaccordingtotheWorldBank.Itisranked143rdworldwideintermsoftradevolumebytheBrettonWoodsinstitution.

Currently,Senegalhasmorethan14,785kmofroadsaccordingtotheWorldBankindicatorsofdevelopmentof2016.

AbdourahmaneSarr,oneofSenegal鈥檚leadingeconomistssaysthatSenegalhasabrightfuture.

鈥淪enegalhasoneofthefastestgrowingeconomiesintheworld,butwiththeongoingconstructionofmajorhighways,moregrowthwillbefelt,withgoodresultsby2021,鈥漢esaid.

Infrastructureboost

Senegal鈥檚infrastructureisseeingmuchexpansionin2018.Apartfromtheroadnetworkunderway,a1,282-kmrailwaylineextendingtoMaliandcosting$2.73billionwaslaunchedbySenegalesePresidentMackySallinFebruary.ThiswasafterMaliandSenegalsignedanagreementfortheprojecttobeundertakenbyChinaRailwayConstructionCorp.Ltd.

ChinaandSenegalrelationshavebeenimprovingovertheyears.SenegalisoneofChina鈥檚closestalliesaccordingtoProfessorDavidKikaya,formerKenyanAmbassadortotheUnitedNationsHumanSettlementsProgram.

鈥淩elationsbetweenthetwocountrieshavebeenimprovingsincethe1990s.ThepositionofSenegalasaneconomicpowerhouseinWestAfricaisanadvantagetomanydevelopmentpartners,鈥漢esaid.

AccordingtotheUnitedNationsConferenceonTradeandDevelopment,Senegalexportsabout106,200tonsoffruitsandvegetablesannually.

ButaccordingtoitscurrentDirectorGeneralMukyisaKituyi,exportswilltripleoncethecurrentwaveofinfrastructureisinplace.

鈥淥bviouslygrowthwillnotbefeltovernight.Giveitaboutthreetofouryears.[Inadditiontothecomprehensiveroadnetworkplanned]theDakarPortisinperfectshape,theairportinToubaisingoodshapeandthegovernmentisinearlytalkswithChinatobuildnewairports,鈥漵aidKituyiwhoonceservedasKenya鈥檚TradeMinister.

InJuly,ChinesePresidentXiJinpingpaidastatevisittoSenegal,thefirststopofhistourtotheAfricancontinent.SenegalisthefirstWestAfricancountrytopartnerwithChinaaspartofitsBeltandRoadInitiative.

Senegalhasoneofthefastestgrowingeconomiesintheworld,butwiththeongoingconstructionofmajorhighways,moregrowthwillbefelt,withgoodresultsby2021.

AbdourahmaneSarrSenegaleseeconomist

8,636km

lengthoftheDakarCairoHighwaythatisunderconstruction

30,000km

lengthoftheroadsChinaplanstoaddwithinafourto-five-yeartimeframeinSenegal

$8bln

TheamountofChina鈥檚investmentintheroadnetworkinitiativeoverafive-yearperiod

ReportingfromSenegalCommentsto
   

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