Serigne Guèye Diop, Minister of Trade and Industry, reacted for the first time to the Softcare affair. While confirming the opening of a joint investigation with the Ministry of Health, he called for the protection of Senegal's industrial sector, criticizing the emotional handling of the case.

The Softcare affair, which has been shaking the industrial sector for the past few days, has just taken a more nuanced turn at the highest levels of government. While public opinion is concerned about the alleged presence of expired raw materials at the factory, the Minister of Industry and Trade, Serigne Guèye Diop, appearing on TFM television, sought to clarify his department's position.

A commission of inquiry is already on the ground

While acknowledging that the matter was brought to his attention late, the minister assures that the state is now fully mobilized. "Initially, the Ministry of Industry was not involved. But we received a letter from the Ministry of Health a few weeks ago," he explained. Currently, a joint commission composed of economic control commissioners and health experts is conducting investigations to shed light on the implicated stockpiles.

"Industry is sacred."

Drawing on his past experience as a factory manager, Serigne Guèye Diop provided technical insight into the presence of expired products in a production unit. According to him, the existence of "disposed materials" is not, in itself, proof of fraud, provided they are isolated and reported.

“No one has the right to use expired material. But in a factory, you can find discarded materials. That cannot be a sufficient reason to close the factory,” he insisted.

For the minister, the priority is to preserve the national industrial fabric: "We cannot want to attract industrialists and then, at the slightest incident, seek to close a factory. Industry is sacred."

"The governance of the state must not be guided by emotion."

Refusing to yield to media pressure, the minister insisted that "the state is not about emotion." While promising firm sanctions if serious misconduct is proven, he called for calm while investigators finalize their findings.

The challenge now is to find the delicate balance between consumer protection and safeguarding industrial investment, a mission that the minister considers central to current government action.

In reality, no one can deny the contribution of foreign investment and industry to the well-being of the Senegalese population. Granting Softcare, a major player in the local manufacturing industry, a fair and equitable judgment ultimately serves the interests of all Senegalese society.