SUTELEC Dénonce Contrat AKILEE Senelec: Union Cites Public Fund Risks

• SUTELEC expressed strong disapproval on November 2, 2026, regarding a new protocol between Senelec and AKILEE, citing a lack of worker consultation.
• Senelec's President of the Board of Directors reportedly received legal advice against the deal but proceeded to authorize its signing.
• The Autorité de régulation des marchés publics (ARMP) previously deemed the 187 billion FCFA AKILEE contract unbalanced and detrimental to public funds.
• An OFNAC report identified eight criminal offenses, including embezzlement and tax fraud, linked to the initial AKILEE contract.
• SUTELEC also protested the non-payment of the 2025 Prime sur le revenu annuel bénéficiaire (PRAB), despite Senelec recording a 36 billion FCFA profit.

The union highlighted that the Autorité de régulation des marchés publics (ARMP) had previously characterized the ten-year, 187 billion FCFA agreement between Senelec and AKILEE as unbalanced, asserting it failed to safeguard public funds or vital state interests.

The Syndicat unique des travailleurs de l’électricité (SUTELEC) voiced its "profound indignation" on November 2, 2026, from Dakar, concerning a newly proposed conventional protocol between Senelec and AKILEE. This issue, alongside the non-payment of the Prime sur le revenu annuel bénéficiaire (PRAB), has reportedly led to widespread frustration among Senelec's workforce. The union's executive secretariat specifically criticized what it termed a "passage en force" regarding the AKILEE agreement.

The President of Senelec's Board of Directors (PCA) reportedly met with the four general secretaries of the Convergence syndicale des travailleurs de Senelec (CSTS) in an attempt to justify the authorization for this new protocol, though he failed to persuade them. The PCA himself acknowledged receiving a letter from Senelec's legal counsel advising against proceeding with the agreement. Despite this, the Board of Directors, during its October 7, 2026, meeting, established a committee to review the protocol. However, due to a "lack of deliverable" by October 23, the Board ultimately authorized the Director General to sign the agreement.

SUTELEC highlighted a significant lack of consultation, noting that while the PCA claimed to have requested a meeting with union organizations on October 8, this discussion "never took place" before the signing authorization. The union questioned the rationale behind committing Senelec's future for a decade without thorough engagement with employee representatives, particularly given the substantial implications of the contrat Senelec AKILEE Sénégal.

The union highlighted that the Autorité de régulation des marchés publics (ARMP) had previously characterized the ten-year, 187 billion FCFA agreement between Senelec and AKILEE as unbalanced, asserting it failed to safeguard public funds or vital state interests. This earlier assessment underscores long-standing concerns about the financial prudence of the original contract.

Further compounding these issues, the Office national de lutte contre la fraude et la corruption (OFNAC) report n° 02/2023 identified eight distinct criminal offenses directly linked to the initial AKILEE contract. These serious allegations included the détournement de deniers publics Senelec, fraud against public funds, tax fraud, and a clear failure to adhere to the Code des marchés publics. With judicial proceedings for this matter still pending, the union emphasized that any new contractual commitment warrants the utmost caution, especially given the gravity of the OFNAC rapport contrat AKILEE findings.

SUTELEC's critique extends to the strategic decision-making behind the AKILEE contract. A technical workshop organized by the CSTS in September 2026, involving internal experts from various Senelec departments including commercial, IT, distribution, legal, and human resources, concluded that Senelec possesses the in-house capabilities to design and implement an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) solution within six months, provided the necessary resources are allocated by management.

This finding prompted several "unanswered questions" from the union: why externalize an activity for ten years that Senelec can manage internally? Why grant AKILEE an exclusive right to supply meters when Senelec holds a 49% stake in a factory capable of meeting its own needs? What economic comparisons were conducted against internal solutions and alternatives like AMCO-HEXING? And what guarantees are in place to protect the company's data, employment, skills, and technological sovereignty? The CSTS affirmed its support for technological modernization but firmly rejected any arrangement that would lead to a decade of dependency or compromise Senelec's core interests.

Beyond the contentious AKILEE protocol, the Syndicat unique des travailleurs de l’électricité also raised the issue of the non-payment of the Prime sur le revenu annuel bénéficiaire (PRAB). This bonus, which was consistently disbursed from 2021 to 2025, is contingent solely upon Senelec achieving a profit.

For the 2025 fiscal year, Senelec recorded a profit of 36 billion FCFA, a figure independently certified by the company's auditors. SUTELEC therefore asserts that all conditions for the PRAB payment have been met. The union conveyed the workers' clear demand: they are no longer seeking promises but expect what is rightfully owed to them.

Lawyers advising on public procurement in Senegal, particularly those with clients engaging with Senelec, should note the significant legal and compliance risks highlighted by ARMP and OFNAC regarding the AKILEE contract. The allegations of public procurement violations, embezzlement, and tax fraud suggest a need for heightened due diligence and strict adherence to the Code des marchés publics to mitigate potential legal challenges and reputational damage, especially as judicial proceedings are anticipated.

Source: Original reporting via SenePlus