Mauritania - The current economic situation and prospects of Mauritania (Vol. 1 of 4) : Main report

REp Oa * R T R.port No. AW-2Z7a r~~~~7 . nn' LILi ~LIL4L ~\L.VIL )A This report Is for official use only by die Bank Group and specificafy authorized orgnizations Ior penos. l; ruy not 'w piuu-1ish, quoted or c.wIu withuft B;rJ 5ft- a . Bank Group does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the report. UNiTfRUNAMLNIAL BANK FOR RECONSTRU N AND DJEVILOOPM0u1 'iNTjERN'A-1~ONAL 1 i:.V ML. PrINUMNI A8aSOCIATION IA .. .b L .. .LA AL Ll jji.~ i. .i'' TIHE CURRENT ECONOMIC SITUATION AND PROSPECTS OF MAURITANIA (in four volumes) VOLUME I THE MAIN REPORT August 5, 1971 Western Africa Deparl:ment  rTTPPVENry POTITVAT.FNTS Cur rency Uni tel- CFA Frenc (CFAF) Before August 11, 1969% US $ loOO CFAF 246085 CFAF 19000 TTS $ I nOt Afere Aug.ust 119 19690: TS T 1of nnAF 277071 CFAF 1000- US $ 3 6o WEIGHTS AND MEASURES 1 Me*t-ric Ton (t) _ 2 2 On l bs 1 Kilogram (kg) 2.2 lbs i Kilo.meter (k'l"' U.U r.ie 1 Meter (m) 3.28 feet  COMPOSITION OF MISSION - L~~'--J'-.-R - -4 -- + -44 A This report is based on the iinduilg- of a - so whi viaited Mauritania in March-April 1970. The mission comprised the following members: Heinz B. Bachmann Chief of Mission Carlos Merayo General EcoromiLs'st Mohamed Moghazi Agricultural Economist Dr. M. Tacrouts (consultant) Livestock xApert Dr. R. Moal (consultant) Fisheries Expert Remi van Waeyenberghe (consultant-UNESCO) Education Expert   M A U R I T A N I A Table of Contents Page No. BASIC DATA ABBREVIATIONS USE:D SU MARY AND CONCLUSIONS . . .................... ..... . i I. INTRODUCTION.. 1 A. The Country and the People ...... 1 B. Political Situation and Recent Developments .... 3 II. STRUCTURE AND RECENT DEVELOPMENT OF THE ECONOMY ..... 5 A. Overall Economic Situation and Past Growth (National Accounts)..... 5 1. Structure of the economy. . . . 5 2. Past growth of production. 6 3. Consumption, investments, and savings 7 B. Foreign, Economic Relations....... 9 1. Foreign trade ...... . ....... 9 2. Ba,lance of payments ........... .... 11 C. Money aLnd Credit .13 D. Prices, Wages, and Employment .15 E. Budget and Public Sector........... 16 1. Structure of public sector. 16 2. Ce!ntral government's current budget 17 3. Public investments and foreign aid 21 4. Public enterprises ....... 24 5. Overall situation, tresor, and public debt.- 25 III. PAST DEVELOP'MENT AND PROSPECTS FOR THE PRINCIPAL SECTORS. . . ........ 28 A. Rural Sector ... .28 1. Aigriculture . . .. 28 2. LIivestock. . . 30 3. Forestry... .. 32 4. F:Lshing ............. 32  Table of Contents (Conc'd) rage No. B. industries and Services ............... ......... 33 1. Mining ......... 33 2. Manufacturing .......... . ... ................. 35 3. Transport and trade ........... .. ........... 36 4. Public utilities ............ ........ ........ 38 C. Education .................... ................... 40 IV. PROSPECTS AND CREDITWORTHINESS .......... .. ........... 42 A. Overall Economic Developments .... ............... 42 1. Growth of production ..... .................. 42 2. Growth of expenditures and savings ......... 45 3. Balance of payments ........... .. ........... 46 B. Planning and Public Investments ....... .. ........ 47 C. Terms of Foreign Financing and Creditwortlhiness 52 STATISTICAL APPENDIX  BASIC DATA Area: 400,000 square m:Lles (1,037,730 km2) Population: (1969 estimate) Total 1, 146,000 Density 3 per square mile (1 per km") Rate of' growth 2.0% per year School attendance 15% of school-age population Political statue: Independent since November 1960 Gross domestic product (market prices): 1959 1964 1967 1968 1969 prelim. GDP at current market prinps (billion CFA francs) 16.7 33.6 43.0 45.6 47.0 Rate of growth t er. annum) 15.0% /l 7.0% 10.9% p.a. GDP per capita (CFA francs) 18Q),0n 320200 38;800 40;500 41,0140 Rate of growth (% per a1rLuIt /I 12*3%// 5. 0% A / ~~~~~8.,