National Development Plan (NDP) 2017–2021.

This 2017-2021 National Development Plan (PND) is the third generation of the National Poverty Reduction Strategy (ENRP) of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe (RDSTP). Its elaboration takes place in a favorable context, for making significant progress in the fight against poverty. The government action in the fisheries sector will aim to optimize the exploitation of opportunities offered by the sector, in terms of growth and job creation, while consolidating its contribution to food security, growth of tourism, taking into account the rationalization of resource exploitation.
The diversification of the economy of São Tomé and Príncipe and the expansion of its productivity will be achieved, through: the implementation of a set of measures and investment projects, namely: the increase in productivity of the traditional sectors of the Sao Tome economy, such such as agriculture, fisheries and tourism and the promotion of small and medium-sized fisheries and agricultural products, with a view to improving food security and reducing imports, but also to support the development of tourism and the export of some products with high added value. The support for the integration of women in the gardening, agriculture, poultry, processing of agricultural and fishery products, tourism, marketing and their integration in the new employment opportunities that have emerged from the socio-economic infrastructures that will be developed during the PND implementation period 2017-2025 (deep water transhipment port, international airport, development of free zones and ICT infrastructure).
The main objectives of the PND 2017-2021 are: Improve the exploitation of the country's development potentialities, accelerate economic growth and strengthen integration in the regional and global economy; Accelerate and deepen reforms to significantly improve the human development of Sao Tome and make substantial progress towards achieving the SDGs; Improve the capacity for strategic management of the national development, strengthening good governance and democracy. Develop economic and social infrastructures - energy, transport, water and sanitation, telecommunications and ICT infrastructure; Preserve the environment and improve land management. These objectives will be achieved through (i) the realization of a public/private partnership, of two structural projects for the construction of the deep water transhipping port and the large capacity international airport; and (ii) the implementation of a set of programmes, projects and reform measures that are part of the public investment programme to be carried out during the 2017-2021 period.
For the water and sanitation sector, the specific objectives of the PND 2017-2021 are to generalize access to water and increase the rate of connection of households to the public drinking water network, primarily in areas of poverty and those where the access rate drinking water is low, promoting access to sanitation in order to increase their access to families. Sao Tomean authorities recognize that the sustainable use and conservation of their biodiversity are closely related to the country's development. The general objective of the PND 2017-2021 in this domain is to promote a healthy environment, rational use of natural resources and protect the country from the risks of climate change. To this end, the programmes and measures to be implemented include the updating of the National Disaster and Natural Disaster Response Strategy, the periodic updating of the National Emergency Plan and strengthening of the institutional arrangements for disaster risk management, as well as the improvement of the involvement of the population through raising awareness and establishing local risk management committees and training their members.