Oreintations toward the formulation of the second round of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) : contribution of the republic of Benin

Abstract

The hopes placed in the three Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) and the Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) in the experience of Benin and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during the 1990s faded steadily in the wake of successive difficulties linked to their weak social impact. True, these programmes and strategies have brought about an improvement in the economic and financial situation of the country in terms of macroeconomic recovery. However, they have not been accompanied by a reduction in poverty levels, and more so in the rural areas. A number of projects in the socio-economic sphere turned out to be either not viable or not very useful, because rural communities in particular were not adequately involved if at all.

Consequently, in a bid to reduce social disparities and inequalities in the level of development attained in different parts of the country, the Government of Benin has opted to formulate and implement a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) covering the period 2003-2005, which it released in September 2002. The PRSP was approved by the Governing Boards of the World Bank and the IMF in March 2003, and its implementation is nearing completion. Arrangements are also under way for a second PRSP for Benin.