Ouagadougou: Faso Yaar signed two partnership agreements this Thursday with state-owned companies Nouvelle Societe sucriere de la Comoe (SN SOSUCO) and Societe nouvelle Huilerie et Savonnerie (SN Citec). The agreements aim to make consumer goods, including sugar, cooking oil, and soap, available throughout Burkina Faso and regulate prices for the benefit of the population.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts, Alassane Ouedraogo, stated that these agreements are part of a dynamic effort to regulate the market for consumer goods. The agreements specifically focus on sugar for SN SOSUCO and cooking oil and soap for SN Citec.
He indicated that the agreements are part of the gradual operationalization of Faso Yaar, which plans to open its first pilot stores before the start of the Muslim month of Ramadan and the Christian month of Lent. To date, 30 localities have been identified, with approximately 57 distribution points across the country, and some regions have already started receiving supplies.
For the Director General of Faso Yaar, Commander Moussa Bako, these agreements define the terms of the partnership in terms of supply, distribution, delivery, invoicing, and payment. SN SOSUCO and SN Citec will make the products available to Faso Yaar, which will handle distribution to the population.
Commander Bako emphasized that prices depend on several variables and cannot be announced in isolation. However, he assured that Faso Yaar's mission is to sell products at fair prices, contributing to market regulation and consumer satisfaction.
The Director General of SN SOSUCO, Hema Ouattara Diakaridja, reassured the public about efforts to guarantee sugar availability during fasting and Lenten periods. He appealed to wholesalers to avoid hoarding sugar, ensuring access everywhere and at all times, and clarified that the agreement does not disrupt usual distribution channels.
The Director General of SN Citec, Nomande Prosper Kola, reassured that the nationalization of the company and institutional support from the State enabled the mobilization of at least 50,000 tons of cottonseed, producing nearly eight million liters of cooking oil, covering Faso Yaar's needs. He emphasized that prices at Faso Yaar match factory prices for retailers, aiming to regulate prices rather than compete. In case of market speculation, Faso Yaar could set fair prices to mitigate effects.
Through these agreements, Faso Yaar, SN SOSUCO, and SN Citec aim to improve the availability of essential consumer goods and protect the purchasing power of the population.