Preliminary Draft of 2025 State Budget Adopted by Burkina Faso’s Council of Ministers.

Ouagadougou: The President of Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traore, presided over the weekly Council of Ministers meeting, where the preliminary draft of the State budget for the 2025 financial year was adopted. The adoption of this budget is part of the government's efforts to ensure the smooth functioning of the country, as detailed by Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo, Minister of State and Government Spokesperson.According to Burkina Information Agency, the Council, under the Ministry of Economy and Finance, approved a budget set at 3,193 billion FCFA in revenue and 3,593 billion FCFA in expenditure. Minister Aboubakar Nacanabo explained that the process involved significant arbitration by President Traore, who consulted with each minister to align budget forecasts with current priorities. This strategic approach aimed to minimize operating costs in favor of essential investments in sectors like education, health, and food self-sufficiency, thereby reducing the deficit from 3.7% to a near-standard 3.2% as per UE MOA guidelines.Minister Nacanabo emphasized that resources were reallocated towards social initiatives, particularly the Presidential Initiatives for Education and Health, ensuring their adequate funding. The draft budget, once adopted by the Transitional Legislative Assembly, is expected to enhance governance, infrastructure, and social sectors by 2025. He also highlighted the four pillars of the Action Plan for Stabilization and Development, which focus on combating terrorism, addressing the humanitarian crisis, rebuilding the state, and fostering national reconciliation and social cohesion.In addition, the Council adopted a report concerning targeted financial sanctions aimed at strengthening the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing in Burkina Faso. Minister Nacanabo noted ongoing efforts to remove Burkina Faso from the FATF grey list, with the newly adopted report aiding in fortifying the legal framework and defining appropriate sanctions for non-compliance.