Guiriko: The Autonomous Pension Fund for Civil Servants (CARFO) inaugurated the second edition of its public conference on retirement preparation for state employees this Monday in Bobo-Dioulasso. For two days, 425 participants from the Guiriko region will engage in discussions on the theme: 'Digital Transformation in the Service of Retirement Preparation: What Challenges and Opportunities for Public Servants in Burkina Faso?'
According to Burkina Information Agency, the conference is under the patronage of the Minister of Public Service, Mathias Traor©, with sponsorship from the Minister of Digital Transition, Posts and Electronic Communications, Dr. Aminata Zerbo/Saban©. The Minister of National Development, Mikalou Sidib©, was also in attendance. The aim is to better equip workers for retirement in administrative, psychological, social, and digital terms.
Minister Mathias Traor©, who presided over the opening ceremony, praised the dedication of the armed forces and public servants during their careers. He emphasized that retirement should be viewed as a new phase to contribute to the nation's social and economic growth, rather than an end to one's career.
He highlighted the conference as an essential platform for information and awareness, allowing future retirees to anticipate common post-retirement challenges. During the event, he announced the forthcoming launch of two digital platforms, PRISCA and SADINA, aimed at simplifying administrative procedures, securing data, and accelerating pension application processing.
Hyacinthe Tamalgo, Director General of CARFO, noted that the institution has been conducting awareness campaigns for several years to address retirement and occupational risk issues, benefiting various public structures.
"In 2024, we realized that many of those who were going into retirement were suffering. The idea came to us to propose holding this conference," he explained.
He clarified that CARFO's coverage extends beyond state officials to include military personnel, state public institutions, and local authorities.
The Director General emphasized the importance of retirement planning for public employees to avoid the administrative, financial, or health challenges often faced post-retirement.
The conference includes several presentations and panels, focusing on topics such as retirement administrative procedures, digital services, elder health, and financing personal projects after working life.
Karim Ky, a retiree, expressed that this initiative offers a tangible solution to workers' concerns. "It's truly a great opportunity to allow people to avoid hardship before retirement and to receive their pensions quickly. It's a good conference that should be replicated in other regions," he said.
Through this conference, CARFO aims to bolster the culture of retirement preparation and promote digital tools to make services more accessible and efficient for Burkinabe public servants.