Burkina Faso: When the government decides to reduce the number of official vehicles for ministers and institutional presidents.

The president of the transition, Head of state, Captain Ibrahim Traore has presided over on this Wednesday the council of Ministers. This council examined many files on its agenda. It made also important decisions regarding the management of the transition, according to the government’s spokesperson Jean- Emmanuel Ouédraogo.

Under the Ministry of Economy, Finance, and Prospective, the Council has adopted a draft decree regulating the general use of state vehicles and other public organizations. According to the Minister of Finance, Aboubakar NACANABO, the Transitional Government is committed to reducing the state’s cost of living and opting for a rational management of the state’s vehicle fleet.

The major innovations, according to him, mainly involve reducing the number of vehicles for ministers and institutional presidents. «From now on, each minister and institutional president will be assigned only one vehicle, and the other vehicles will be placed in the central pool and used as needed», said Minister NACANABO.

Besides this law, the government has developed a software system for managing the state’s vehicle fleet, which allows for tracking the status of each state vehicle and the department in which the vehicle is located.

The minister also mentioned the implementation of a vehicle tracking system for better management of the vehicle fleet.

Under the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, the Council has adopted a draft text lifting the restrictive measures taken in the fight against COVID-19.

The Minister of Health, Jean-Claude KARGOUGOU, explained that considering the drastic decrease in the number of cases and deaths, and the fact that COVID-19 is no longer an international public health emergency, it was opportune for the government to lift these measures to ease entry and exit conditions in the country.

Under the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation, the Council has adopted a text organizing the positions of research professors, teaching hospital professors, researchers, and regulating the functions of full-time teachers and research engineers.

According to the Minister of Higher Education, Pr Adjima THIOMBIANO, this is a modified decree mainly related to the functions of full-time teachers and research engineers. This text aims to correct certain grievances in order to restore the social climate in the university and research sector.

Furthermore, an oral presentation was made to the Council by the Ministry of Higher Education regarding the new academic gown that will now be used in public institutions of higher education and research in Burkina Faso during official ceremonies and defenses.

This gown, which has been presented and approved by the Council of Ministers, is made of Faso Danfani fabric and tailored by Burkinabe stylists. The adoption of this gown reflects the government’s political will to emphasize Burkinabe identity in the academic and research environment.

Under the Ministry of Communication, Culture, Arts, and Tourism, the Council has adopted five draft decrees implementing the tourism policy law.

These projects contribute to the regulation of tourist accommodation and leisure establishments, the issuance of licenses for host and hostess agencies, the issuance of licenses for travel and tourism operators, and the operation and classification of tourist restaurants.

Hadja Kourouma