Parliament: UCID says public investments of the last 10 years have not transformed the lives of Cape Verdeans.

The Union of Independent and Democratic Cape Verdeans (UCID) advocated for a new generation of investment policies that are fairer, more balanced, and more people-oriented.

The position was expressed during a speech in parliament by MP Dora Pires, who questioned whether the investments made over the last decade had a real and equitable impact on the country's development.

According to the parliamentarian, although the country has registered some relevant interventions, namely in ports, roads, urban redevelopment, housing, sanitation and public facilities, as well as in projects related to the digital economy, blue economy and tourism, these investments have not been sufficient to guarantee harmonious development.

The UCID MP made these remarks during a debate with the Minister of Infrastructure, a topic scheduled at the request of the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV, opposition).

Dora Pires also acknowledged that several municipalities have benefited from rehabilitation works and accessibility improvements, but argued that investing means creating lasting conditions for economic growth and improving the living conditions of the population.

In this regard, he pointed to areas considered essential, such as internal mobility, access to water, housing, sanitation, energy and job creation, stressing that these dimensions should be at the heart of public policies.

The MP also criticized what she described as a "fragmented, dispersed and excessively dependent on the political calendar" investment policy, arguing that, in several cases, national priorities were replaced by options of political convenience.

According to the parliamentarian, public investment should be at the service of the human person, the family, the communities, and balanced development among the islands.

In this context, he argued that the country urgently needs a new generation of public investment based on five fundamental principles: economic and social priority, territorial equity, transparency and evaluation, partnership with the private sector and municipalities, as well as maintenance and sustainability of infrastructure.

"UCID will continue to defend a fairer, more efficient, more decentralized and more humane public investment policy, because development is not measured only by the number of projects launched, but above all by the concrete improvement in the lives of Cape Verdeans," he concluded.

Inforpress