On Thursday, May 21, 2026, in plenary session, members of parliament adopted two bills concerning leasing and factoring. The government presented these bills as instruments designed to modernize business financing and strengthen Senegal's economic attractiveness within the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). With this unanimous adoption, Senegal continues to harmonize its business law with WAEMU standards, with the stated objective of strengthening business competitiveness and supporting the country's economic transformation. Of the 165 registered members of parliament, 139 participated in the vote, including 24 by proxy.

Both bills were adopted unanimously by the voters, with no votes against or abstentions.

Presenting the bills to parliamentarians, the Minister of Finance and Budget, Cheikh Diba, defended reforms he considers essential for improving access to financing for businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). According to the Minister, leasing will allow companies easier access to equipment and investments without immediately bearing the high acquisition costs, while factoring will provide greater liquidity to businesses with accounts receivable.

The debates were marked by several interventions from members of parliament, including that of Aïssata Tall Sall, who welcomed significant progress while calling for greater flexibility and ambition in legal harmonization within the West African Economic and Monetary Union. The texts notably introduce innovations related to Islamic finance, strengthen the mechanisms for publication in the commercial register, and improve the legal framework for commercial disputes through arbitration agreements and arbitration clauses. The government is also counting on the involvement of microfinance institutions to broaden access to these mechanisms for economic actors in the regions and in the informal sector.