The Prime Minister, Dr Apollinaire Joachimson Kyelem of Tambèla, granted an audience to Horizon industries, the first electronic assembly plant in the sub-region, on Tuesday July 11, 2023. He encouraged this company for its vision which is in line with the government policy focused on endogenous production.
Inaugurated on April 29, 2022, Horizon Industries SA is the first assembly and production plant for electronic devices in Burkina Faso and the sub-region.
According to Serge Eloi Ouédraogo, Director of Horizon Industries SA, this company, located in the industrial zone of the Kossodo district of Ouagadougou, eastern part of the city, markets several products including mobile phones and computers.
“To date, we have two models of small phones and two models of Android phones on the market. We have three computer models for the One Student, One Computer program. We are satisfied with the various feedbacks we have of our products. We hope that, little by little, we will manage to occupy a much more important place on the Burkinabè market, but also in the sub-region”, he explained, at the end of the hearing.
According to him, Horizon Industries SA is a Burkinabè company, which emphasizes local expertise.
“All the products we assemble, whether phones or computers, are made by young Burkinabè. Our technicians are young Burkinabè who have been trained in vocational training centers and schools in Burkina Faso. The average age of our technicians is 24, 25, with just over 65% young girls,” he added.
Furthermore, he indicated that this company pays particular attention to the quality of its products, which are all certified by the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI), the Label made in Burkina and the Authority of Regulation of Electronic Communications and Posts (ARCEP).
As prospects, the Director of Horizon Industries SA revealed that the company intends to market tablets for pupils and students.
Amazed by this local know-how, the Prime Minister, Dr Apollinaire Joachimson Kyelem de Tambèla, congratulated the first managers of this company for this initiative.
While encouraging them, he indicated that the opening of this factory is in line with the government policy focused on endogenous production.
“We cannot emerge by following the path traced by others, according to their own interests. We encourage you to go for quality, because if the quality is there, despite the competition, you will be able to emerge”, underlined the Head of Government.
Moreover, he said that the Government's desire to limit the import of foreign products is hampered by the regulations of certain organizations such as the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), in particular the free movement of persons and goods.
“We are in the process of re-reading our texts to promote national industry, but we cannot go against the WAEMU texts. We want to encourage national production, but we are limited by our regional commitments. Nevertheless, we are going to continue the reflection, with subtlety, to find solutions, ”said the Prime Minister.
Source: Burkina Information Agency