Brussels, 24/07/2015 (Agence Europe) -The European Union has decided to award €20 million in funding to a highly labour-intensive work project to maintain the road network in Mali, the European Commission announced on Thursday 23 July.
This decision comes a month after the signature by all parties of the peace agreement in Mali (see EUROPE 11363).
The project, to be financed out of the European Development Fund (EDF) over four years, is expected to create a total of 6,680 highly labour-intensive jobs (HIMO), at a rate of 1,670 jobs per year. These jobs will go mainly to the most vulnerable populations, who are expected to benefit from nearly 1.2 million days of income over the entire duration of the project, the Commission stresses.
“The maintenance of the road network will support the sustainability of quality infrastructure, thereby helping to improve the country's external and internal connections and boost the economic development of isolated regions. This will undoubtedly help to improve living conditions for the population”, commented Neven Mimica, European commissioner for international cooperation and development, in a press release.
Three years after the political, institutional and security crisis in Mali, this highly labour-intensive work will offer opportunities to the young people of Mali, boost the economy by injecting cash at the lowest level and directly contribute to the implementation of the peace agreement, the European Commission states. The European Development Fund finances cooperation between the EU and the group of ACP (Africa/Caribbean/Pacific) states. (Aminata Niang)