The opposition Sawab party has criticised the government's talk of Mauritania's future by 2060, saying that putting forward long-term visions while living conditions and services are deteriorating amounts to ignoring the pressing priorities of citizens, who need urgent solutions to poverty, unemployment and weak essential services.
In a statement, the party said large sections of the population still suffer from a shortage of schools, health facilities and drinking water, as well as rising prices of essential goods and declining purchasing power, adding that the marginal neighbourhoods of Nouakchott and inland towns need tangible interventions rather than mere announcements and future programmes.
The party said the economic indicators presented by the government do not reflect the reality of citizens' daily lives, criticising what it described as a decline in education, health, water and electricity services, and called for priority to be given to improving living conditions and addressing existing shortcomings before asking people to engage with projects stretching over the coming decades.
