CONGRESS BUILDING: DELEGATES SEATED: OPENING BY MR. DEME OPENS CONFERENCE: SPEECH ON BEHALF OF PRESIDENT: GENERAL REPORT READ TO CONFERENCE.




Initials RJ/V/MR/BJ



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Background: THE ECONOMIC FUTURE OF SENEGAL WAS OUTLINED AT A MEETING IN DAKAR THURSDAY (JANUARY 29) BY THE COUNTRY'S PRESIDENT LEOPOLD SENGHOR. IN A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT READ TO A GATHERING OF ECONOMIC GROUPS, MR. SENGHOR SAID THE COUNTRY SHOULD START INTENSIVE TRAINING OF MANAGERS AND EXECUTIVES TO PAVE THE WAY FOR EVENTUAL NATIONALISATION IN SOME SPHERES.

PRESIDENT SENGHOR STRESSED THAT THE COUNTRY, ALTHOUGH IT SHOULD MOVE TOWARDS NATIONALISATION OF SOME INDUSTRIES, SHOULDN'T MOVE TOO QUICKLY IN CASE THE MOVE DISCOURAGED FOREIGN INVESTMENT.

THE ONE DAY CONFERENCE OF SENEGAL'S ECONOMIC GROUPS WAS HELD IN THE YOUTH AND CULTURE HOUSE IN DAKAR. MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED MEN REPRESENTING SEVEN GROUPS ATTENDED THE DISCUSSIONS. THE PROCEEDINGS WERE OPENED BY THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE DAKAR REGION CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, MR. AMADOU DEME. THEN THE DELEGATES HEARD A GENERAL REPORT FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE ASSEMBLY, MR. OUSMANE DIAGNE. THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE WAS PRESENTED BY THE FINANCE MINISTER MR. JEAN COLLIN.