Burkina Faso: the price of diesel increases for the first time in four years

The litre of diesel is now sold for 750 CFA francs in Burkina Faso, up from 675 CFA francs previously. The announcement was made on Sunday evening on public television RTB by Abdoul Salam Gampéné, chairman of the inter-ministerial committee for setting hydrocarbon prices.

According to the authorities, this decision is particularly explained by the increased purchases made by foreign transporters. The prices in Burkina Faso are reportedly lower than those in several neighboring countries, which encourages vehicles from the sub-region to fill up there.

“Almost all the countries in the sub-region have prices higher than 675 CFA francs,” said Abdoul Salam Gampéné. He believes that this difference has led to increased diesel consumption. According to him, more than 365 million litres had already been sold by June, and this volume could reach 730 million litres by the end of the year if no measures are taken.

Nearly 60 billion CFA francs in subsidies since January

The adjustment also comes in a context of increased pressure on public finances. To mitigate the effects of rising international oil prices on consumers, the Burkinabe state has already allocated nearly 60 billion CFA francs for subsidies since the beginning of the year, which is just over 90 million euros, according to the inter-ministerial committee.

Authorities also fear a strain on fuel stocks. Patrice Forogo, the general director of the national Burkinabe hydrocarbons company, warned that the absence of measures could increase pressure on reserves and jeopardize the supply of the domestic market.

However, the government assures that this increase should not lead to an automatic rise in the prices of goods and transportation. Abdoul Salam Gampéné has called on economic operators not to unilaterally raise their prices, reminding them that practices deemed abusive could be subject to controls under current regulations.

The specific control measures and the impact of the measure on consumer prices have not been detailed. The last adjustment of the diesel price in Burkina Faso dates back four years.