In Burkina Faso, the Council of Ministers this week adopted a new bill on taxes to finance the Patriotic Support Fund.
The Patriotic Support Fund was set up in January by the authorities. It must finance part of the effort of war against terrorism, in particular the equipment and the pay of the Volunteers for the defense of the fatherland. These taxes apply to drinks, cigarettes and cosmetics. Consumer associations deplore an additional price increase, while inflation is already very high in Burkina Faso.
The Minister of Economy, Aboubacar Nacanabo, however, wants to reassure: the authorities are not creating new taxes. They had in fact already been applied since the creation of the Patriotic Support Fund. This bill, he explains when leaving the Council of Ministers, aims “to strengthen the legal framework” for levying these taxes.
Colossal price hike
But Burkinabè consumer associations are worried. Since the introduction of these taxes, the increase in prices has been colossal. “ Cosmetics prices are estimated to have increased by 25-80% “, explains Adama Bayala, president of the National Consumer Network of Faso. ” You have to spend twice as much to get the same amount “, he concludes.
Consumer associations are particularly concerned about the risk of seeing counterfeit products flooding into the Burkinabè market. ” Whether it is alcohol, cigarettes or cosmetics, there would be health consequences “, specifies the framework of a consumer organization.
The Patriotic Support Fund aims to raise 100,000 billion CFA francs. For now, only 10 billion have been collected.
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