Visit of the Executive Director Harold Tavares to Bamako, Mali

Highlights of the Executive Director's Visit to Mali:

• Audience with the Minister of Economy and Finance of Mali
• Field Visits to the Bamako Water Supply and Mali Land Restoration Projects
• Meeting with the local World Bank Staff

From January 26 to 27, 2026, the Executive Director, Mr. Harold TAVARES visited Bamako with the aim of strengthening collaboration between the Government of Mali and the World Bank Group (WBG). During his mission, Mr. TAVARES met with key government counterparts, including the Minister of Economy and Finance, development partners, local World Bank Staff and project teams to review the performance of the Bank's portfolio in the country. The visit provided an opportunity to discuss ongoing operations, assess progress on strategic priorities, and examine the challenges affecting project implementation, particularly in the current economic and security context. It also served to reaffirm the World Bank's commitment to supporting Mali's development agenda and strengthening collaboration with national institutions to deliver tangible results for the population.

Mali's Minister of Economy and Finance, Alousséni SANOU, highlighted the national priorities of human capital, industrialization, infrastructure, agricultural value chains and renewable energy, including solar power. He referenced reforms in taxation, customs, and digitalization to boost revenue and cut costs, underscored the importance of sustainable access to basic social services, and called for faster World Bank project implementation.

Mr. TAVARES emphasized that the upcoming Country Partnership Framework between the World Bank Group and Mali, covering 2026 to 2031, is designed to meet these expectations, supporting resilience, job creation, and sustainable development, all in line with Mali's National Strategy for Emergence and Sustainable Development. He reiterated his commitment to ensuring that the World Bank Group builds on the results of this mission to strengthen its support for Mali.

Mr. TAVARES visited the site of the Bamako Water Supply Project for Mali, one of the World Bank's most significant achievements in expanding access to drinking water for communities on the right bank of Bamako. The project provides over 1.3 million people with access to safe drinking water and improved water services for more than 2 million others. He also visited the site of the Mali Land Restoration Project, which aims at rehabilitating more than 400,000 hectares of degraded land and creating green jobs, while improving access to income opportunities through the enhancement and promotion of non-timber forest products and the development of sustainable practices along the fishery value chain. The project benefits nearly 2.3 million people, particularly rural communities and vulnerable populations.

Overall, the visit reinforced the strong partnership between Mali and the WBG, laying the groundwork for continued collaboration to support Mali's sustainable development goals.