The Council of Ministers met on Thursday, March 2, 2023, in the usual deliberation room, under the chairmanship of HE. Mr. Mohamed Bazoum, President of the Republic, President of the Council of Ministers. After reviewing the items on its agenda, the Board took the following decisions:
I. IN THE TITLE OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND COOPERATION.
The Council of Ministers adopted the draft texts below:
I.1. Draft Ordinance authorizing the ratification of Loan Agreement No. 5900150003503 for a maximum amount equivalent to thirty-three million three hundred and thirty thousand Units of Account (UA 33,330,000) and Grant No. 5900155017756 for an amount not exceeding the equivalent of eight hundred and ten thousand Units of Account (UA 810,000), signed on December 14, 2022 in Niamey, between the Republic of Niger on the one hand, and the African Development Bank and the African Development (acting as administrators of the TRANSITION SUPPORT FACILITY) on the other hand, for the financing of the Project for the development of solar power plants and improvement of access to electricity (RANA);
I.2. Draft Ordinance authorizing the ratification of Loan Agreement No. 2100150043399, for a maximum amount equivalent to thirty-five million two hundred and ten thousand Units of Account (UA 35,210,000) and Grant No. 2100155042172, for an amount not exceeding the equivalent of twenty-nine million eight hundred and ten thousand Units of Account (UA 29,810,000), signed on December 14, 2022 in Niamey, between the Republic of Niger and the African Development Fund (ADF), for the financing of the Project for the Development of Solar Power Plants and Improvement of Access to Electricity (RANA);
The overall objective of these two (02) Agreements which are the subject of these draft orders is to increase the production of electricity from renewable sources and to improve the sustainable access of the populations of Niger to modern energy. The projects will be implemented through the following three (03) components:
– the electrical infrastructure to be built;
– institutional support for the energy sector;
– project management.
These two (02) draft ordinances are taken in accordance with Law No. 2022-70 of December 26, 2022, empowering the Government to issue ordinances during the intersession, after consulting the Constitutional Court.
II. IN THE TITLE OF THE MINISTRY OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH.
The Council of Ministers adopted the draft texts below:
II.1. Draft decree amending and supplementing the decree
n° 2022-878/PRN/MES/R of November 10, 2022, creating a Public Establishment of an administrative nature called “National Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education and Research”, abbreviated: ANAQ-Sup .
The purpose of this draft decree is to rearrange the composition of the Board of Directors of the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education and Research (ANAQ-Sup), created by decree No. 2022-878/PRN /MES/R of November 10, 2022, to take into account certain entities with regard to their involvement in the Quality approach.
II.2. Draft decree approving the Statutes of the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education and Research (ANAQ-Sup).
The National Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education and Research (ANAQ-Sup), was created by decree n° 2022-878/PRN/MES/R of November 10, 2022. Its main mission is to contribute ensure the quality of the higher education and research system. The purpose of this draft decree is to set the rules for the organization and operation of ANAQ-Sup in accordance with Decree No. 2021-924/PRN/MF of 1is November 2021, setting the supervision, organization, control and operating methods of public establishments.
III. IN RESPECT OF THE MINISTRY OF POST AND NEW INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES.
The Council of Ministers adopted the draft texts below:
III.1. Draft decree creating a public institution of a scientific, cultural and technical nature called “Higher School of Electronic Communications and Post”, abbreviated: ESCEP-NIGER
III.2. Draft decree approving the Statutes of the Higher School of Electronic Communications and Post, (ESCEP-NIGER).
The Ecole Supérieure des Communications Electroniques et de la Poste (ESCEP-NIGER) has as its mission the training, research and development of pupils, students and agents of the public and private sectors in the fields of electronic communications, digital economy and the post. Thus, ESCEP-NIGER will provide diploma training in the field of electronic communications and the post office. As such, it is responsible in particular for:
– conduct, in conjunction with universities, colleges, or other research centers or companies, scientific and technical research actions in the fields of electronic communications and the post;
– ensure the training of trainers;
– provide training for special advanced courses;
– develop relations between the teaching provided and the professional environment of the sectors, in particular through the organization of practical internships for students in companies and support for the incubation of innovative projects;
– conduct study, expertise, consultancy and audit missions in the fields of electronic communications, the digital economy and the post office.
The purpose of these two draft decrees is to bring the texts establishing, organizing and operating the Ecole Supérieure des Communications Electroniques et de la Poste into conformity with the provisions of Law No. 2020-020 bis of June 03, 2020, setting the rules for the creation of categories of public establishments and the decree issued for its application.
IV. IN THE TITLE OF THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE
The Council of Ministers adopted the draft decree on the adoption of the Operationalization Plan for the implementation of the recommendations of international and regional human rights mechanisms.
During its transition to the third cycle of the Universal Periodic Review in 2021, Niger recorded 254 recommendations, of which it accepted 248. The acceptance of this large number of recommendations demonstrates Niger’s desire to work more for the protection and the promotion of human rights with a view to ensuring the well-being, peace, tranquility and development of its population.
The implementation of accepted recommendations necessarily involves the development of an operational plan. This Plan fits perfectly with the PDES 2022-2026 and the National Justice and Human Rights Policy and its Action Plan 2016-2025. The adoption of this Plan will make it possible to improve the situation of human rights in our country by favoring in particular the promotion of democratic governance, transparency and the fight against impunity, corruption, terrorism, irregular migration, poverty. , hunger, climate and environmental challenges.
V. IN THE TITLE OF THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE.
The Council of Ministers adopted the draft texts below:
V.1. Draft decree establishing a public establishment of a professional nature called the “National Office of the ECOWAS Brown Card”, in short: BNCB.
V.2. Draft decree approving the statutes of the National Bureau of the ECOWAS Brown Card, BNCB.
The main mission of the ECOWAS Brown Card National Office is to mediate between insurance companies and victims of cross-border accidents with a view to facilitating prompt and fair compensation. As such, it is responsible for:
– issue secure brown cards and make them available to insurers approved in Niger to cover automobile civil liability risks;
– to pre-finance, with the express agreement of the insurance companies that are members of the National Bureau, the settlement of claims caused abroad by Nigerien vehicles holding brown cards;
– to facilitate the settlement of claims caused in Niger by motorists holding secure brown cards issued by the National Offices of other signatory States to the ECOWAS Brown Card Protocol.
The purpose of these two draft decrees is to bring the texts establishing, organizing and operating the National Bureau of the ECOWAS Brown Card into compliance with the provisions of Law No. 2020-020 bis of June 03, 2020, setting the rules for the creation of categories of public establishments and the decree issued for its application.
VI. PERSONAL MEASUREMENTS.
The Council of Ministers has adopted the following individual measures:
Under THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC HEALTH, POPULATION AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS
• Doctor Alhousseini Daouda, pharmacist-biologist, is appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Reference Center for Sickle Cell Disease.
• Doctor Ibrahim Cissé Boubacar, specialist in safety and health at work, is appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Public Health of Niamey.
Under THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE
• Mr. Soumaïla Abdou, macro-economist, Mle 136694/P, has been appointed Director of Public Debt, at the General Directorate of the Treasury and Public Accounting.
• Doctor Moussa Tambari Abdoul-Karim, macro-economist expert, Mle 263/INS, has been appointed director of monitoring cooperation and financial reforms, in the general directorate of financial operations and reforms.
• Mr. Mohamed Algabit Sidalher, central treasury inspector, Mle 115128/N, has been appointed director of water, electricity and telecommunications expenditure management, in the general budget department.
Under THE MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY AND YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP
• Mr. Ali Boukari, general engineer of public works, Mle 64256/R, is appointed secretary general of the Ministry of Industry and Youth Entrepreneurship.
• Mr. Abdoul Niandou, retired youth and sports inspector, has been appointed technical adviser to the Minister of Industry and Youth Entrepreneurship.
Under THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATION
• Mr. Tinao Moustapha, journalist, is appointed Secretary General of the Ministry of Communication.
VII. COMMUNICATIONS.
The Council of Ministers heard two (02) communications:
• one (01) communication from the Minister of Higher Education and Research relating to the award of a contract for the recruitment of a consulting firm and controls of the construction works of the amphitheatres and classrooms in Abdou Moumouni University of Niamey.
This communication is made for information purposes, in accordance with the provisions of Order No. 018 / PM / ARCOP of January 18, 2023, setting the thresholds in the context of the award of public contracts which provides in its article 13 that: ” Any public purchase whose amount is equal to or greater than three hundred million (300,000,000) CFA francs excluding value added tax must be the subject of prior communication to the Council of Ministers by the Minister in charge of sector concerned”.
• one (01) communication from the Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reform relating to the draft law amending and supplementing Law No. 2007-26 of July 23, 2007, on the General Statute of the State Public Service.
This communication follows the memorandum of understanding signed between the Government and the Democratic Confederation of Workers of Niger (CDTN) after the adoption and transmission of the bill to the National Assembly. The Government will use its right of amendment on the texts transmitted to the National Assembly to make the necessary modifications during its examination by the Parliament and this, in order to respect its commitments.
The agenda being exhausted, His Excellency the President of the Republic closed the meeting.