Burkina Faso: The presentation of the government’s ambitious program for economic and social development to partners

An extraordinary session of the members of the Public Private Partnership Commission was held in Burkina Faso on Monday 19 June 2023, chaired by the Prime Minister, Mr. Apollinaire Joachim Kyélem de Tambèla. At this extraordinary session, the Transitional Government’s projects of interest were presented to the partners.

 Indeed, “Public-private partnerships in Burkina Faso are becoming an increasingly essential and indispensable alternative for carrying out structuring projects and reducing the infrastructure gap needed to boost growth and meet the growing needs of the population”, Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kyélem de Tambèla made clear at the opening of the extraordinary session.

For this reason, the transitional government led by the Head of State, His Excellency Captain Ibrahim Traoré, has decided to call on the expertise and know-how of the private sector through a win-win partnership. The presentation of the government’s ambitious program for economic and social development to partners

In this regard, the extraordinary session examined the list of projects to be included in the Integrated Bank of PPP Envisaged Projects (BIP-PPP), based on their alignment with the priorities of the transitional government, the needs of the population, their level of maturity, and their feasibility for execution through public-private partnerships.

According to the Minister of Economy, Finance, and Prospective, Mr. Aboubakar Nacanabo, following the session, the discussions showed interest in the selected projects in the field of infrastructure, hydroelectric dams, power plants, buildings, and more.

«We believe that this range of projects will push for the realization of quality infrastructure so that in a few years, we can have high-quality infrastructure», he emphasized.

Mr. Aboubakar Nacanabo also mentioned that the government needs private partners who have resources and a desire to contribute to these projects. He highlighted that the objective of this session is also to determine how to engage these private partners in priority projects so that the government can achieve its development goals.

Furthermore, he believes that the experience gained by Burkina Faso in the context of public-private partnerships has been appreciated, although further exploration is needed to ensure the realization of sustainable, high-quality infrastructure without indebting the state.

In summary, the next step will be to consider the launch of the selection process for private partners. This final step is essential to effectively initiate the implementation of transitional projects under the revolutionary leadership of President Ibrahim Traoré.

Neil Camara