Prime Minister Al Aminou Lo clarified that the Grand Water Transfer (GTE) project is still in the study phase and that the budget allocations for it in the 2026 rectifying law (LFR 2026) cannot yet be executed. During a press conference on the planned reductions of investment credits in the LFR 2026, Lo explained that the studies for the GTE are not finished. “If you insist on convincing the public that you have 50 billion for the Grand Transfer, you must also say that the studies are not yet complete,” he said. Lo said that cutting the payment credits in the LFR 2026 does not mean abandoning the project. Instead, the government will earmark the necessary funds in the 2027 initial law of finances (LFI 2027). He added that the studies and related cost estimates are still pending, which prevents the government from committing payments under the LFR 2026. Maintaining payment credits in the LFR 2026, Lo warned, would block financing for other projects that could be carried out in the current fiscal year. The GTE will be implemented under a public‑private partnership (PPP). In the LFI 2027, credits will be allocated to allow the Special Investment Fund (FONSIS) to finance its participation, cover the costs, and explore already identified funding sources. Lo also noted that authorisations for engagement remain in place, enabling contracts to be signed before the end of 2026, with execution beginning in 2027. The 20 billion FCFA originally earmarked in the LFR 2026 for compensating people affected by the project was removed from the current budget because the preliminary census and compensation assessment had not yet started. In the LFI 2027, a 138 billion FCFA envelope is planned for this compensation component, with the possibility of adjustment as operations progress.