BURKINA FASO: THE NINTH ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE POVERTY

UNCLAS OUAGADOUGOU 000471 AF/W FOR ACOOK E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SOCI EAID AMED PGOV UV SUBJECT: BURKINA FASO: THE NINTH ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY PAPER (PRSP) REF: A) 08 OUAGADOUGOU 1024 B) 08 OUAGADOUGOU 202 C) 08 OUAGADOUGOU 420 D) OUAGADOUGOU 047 ¶1. Summary. In April 2009, the Government of Burkina Faso (GOBF), led by Prime Minister Tertius Zongo, met with the private sector, civil society organizations and international donors to conduct the ninth annual review of the country's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). According to the report, a reduced real GDP growth rate of three percent and an unprecedented inflation of 10.7 percent are indicators of an economic slowdown. The PRSP also reported that despite numerous poverty reduction efforts, poverty gained ground in Burkina Faso with the proportion of people living under the poverty line increasing from 42.6 percent in 2007 to 42.8 percent in 2008. This is the second consecutive year that the poverty rate has risen in Burkina Faso. End Summary. ¶2. PRSPs are prepared by International Monetary Fund (IMF) member countries and are updated every three years with annual progress reports, describing the macroeconomic, structural and social policies and programs that promote broad-based growth and reduce poverty. The PRSP is a country-driven, results-oriented document, involving the coordinated participation of development partners. The annual review is a participatory process, offering an opportunity for stakeholders to assess the progress made in the implementation of the action plan. -------------- Exogenous Shocks Led to Increased Poverty -------------- ¶3. According to the PRSP, the Burkinabe economy experienced two major shocks during 2008; declining world cotton prices and soaring inflation rates. Although Burkina Faso's economy is not heavily dependent upon international markets, the world financial crisis has adversely impacted the cotton sector, which accounts for more than 60 percent of exports. In 2008, inflation caused by increased food, transportation, and fuel costs, climbed to 10.7 percent from an annual average of -0.3 percent in 2007. Burkina Faso had not experienced such high inflation since 1994 when the national currency, the CFA franc, was devaluated. This rampant inflation led to several violent demonstrations throughout the country (REF B) during the first half of 2008. By early 2009, economic indicators began to show that these shocks were taking their toll on the local economy. In April 2009, the IMF concluded that "with Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth projected to decrease to about 3.5 percent in 2009, from 5.3 percent in 2008 there are signs that economic activity may be slowing." ¶4. Skyrocketing inflation diminished consumer purchasing power and pushed some Burkinabe below the poverty line. The PRSP reported that poverty reduction efforts lost ground in 2008 with 42.8 percent of the country population now living under the poverty line versus 42.6 percent in 2007 (REF C). Studies conducted by the National Institute of Statistics from the Ministry of Economy and Finance concluded that the situation was worse in rural areas (where 48.9 percent of the population is below the poverty line) than in urban areas (where 20.3 percent live below the poverty line). This is the second consecutive year that poverty levels increased in Burkina Faso. The PRSP concluded that "the additional burden of the international financial crisis leaves little hope that these trends can be reversed in the near future." -------------- Key indicators -------------- ¶5. Education: The PRSP reported that gross primary school enrollment rates rose to 72.5 percent in 2008 from 66.5 percent in ¶2007. This improvement is linked to the ten-year plan implemented by the government in 2007, which mandated free public school education for children aged 6-16. The data also highlighted a trend towards more gender-balanced attendance with 45.6 percent of girls attending primary school in 2008, up from 44.8 percent in 2007. Unfortunately, the gains experienced in primary schools did not extend to secondary and higher education. In 2008, the gross secondary school enrollment rate increased only three percentage points to 20.7 percent from 17.7 percent in 2007. Although overall school attendance rates have improved considerably to 72.5 percent in 2008 from 39.2 percent in 1996, the adult (ages 15 and older) literacy rate is only 28.7 percent. This low literacy rate is a major contributor to Burkina Faso's low ranking of 176th out 177 countries on the United Nations Development Program's (UNDP) Human Development Index (HDI). (REF D) ¶6. Health: With the exception of insufficient clinic staffing, the PRSP described overall GOBF performance in the health sector as "satisfactory." According to the GOBF, only 76.26 percent of health centers met minimum staffing requirements versus a target of 78 percent because construction of health centers in 2008 outpaced the government's capacity to recruit qualified medical staff. In 2008, GOBF-reported immunization rates were 108.56 for tuberculosis; 106.92 percent for diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis; 100.75 percent for measles; and 100.76 percent for yellow fewer. Partners welcomed the recent progress made in the health sector, particularly in immunization coverage, but questioned how 100 percent immunization rates could coexist with a nationwide measles epidemic. ¶7. Water and Electricity: The PRSP also noted an imbalance between rural and urban areas in terms of access to clean water and electricity. Access to potable water still remains a big obstacle for many living in Burkina Faso. PRSP indicators show that while 78.8 percent of people living in urban centers have access to clean water this number falls to 56.6 percent in rural areas. The report also found that nationwide access to electricity in Burkina Faso is less than 20 percent. However, according to a recent study conducted by the West African Development Bank, Burkina Faso is slightly above the 17 percent national average for West Africa Monetary and Economic Union countries. Although the PRSP report indicates that 19.9 percent of Burkinabe have access to electricity, donors commented that this data does not reflect the huge gap between urban and rural areas, where access to electricity is estimated at only 3.62 percent. -------------- Donor Remarks -------------- ¶8. During the meeting, donors praised the GOBF for assuming ownership of the PRSP review process, which now actively involves civil society organizations. Donors also welcomed the innovative organization of the PRSP review, which offers an improved framework for productive debate. They also praised the PRSP's implemented activities in 2008 and thanked the government for its effective implementation of reforms in the public finance and business sectors. These economic reforms earned Burkina Faso a place among the World Bank's top ten reformers for 2009. However, a forecasted economic slowdown for 2009 and an increased incidence of poverty, led donors to urge the GOBF to be more creative with safety nets and other social policies that target the neediest population segments. Furthermore, they urged the GOBF to make water and sanitation a high priority and allocate more financial resources to the sector. ¶9. Secondly, donors voiced concern that the government had not undertaken an integrated impact analysis on the effectiveness of measures to address the 2008 food crisis. They commented that lessons learned from this incident would be useful in future crises. Donors also suggested that the GOBF elaborate a global strategy for agricultural development that pays special attention to the cotton sector. Furthermore, Burkina Faso should conduct research that would help determine how best to diversify the nation's exports. Decreasing its reliance on a single crop would help the country to maintain macroeconomic stability during exogenous shocks. ¶10. Thirdly, donors stated that corruption remained a key issue in poverty alleviation, particularly in view of the aspirations of the people of Burkina Faso. They conceded that the GOBF has made progress in controlling corruption at regulatory and institutional levels. Donors pointed out that although the 2008 Transparency International report praised the country's progress, the GOBF should continue to forge ahead with measures such as the renewal of a regulatory framework for public procurements. Donors also stressed the usefulness of the recently published 2006 and 2007 Court of Accounts' reports, which review public revenues and ensure the audit and management of state corporations and companies in which the Government has a share capital. However, donors maintained their stance that, "the political will to combat corruption can only be measured by tangible results." ¶11. Finally, donors thanked the GOBF for designing a triennial plan 2008-10 to support the decentralization process in Burkina Faso. They mentioned that numerous challenges remain in the transfer of resources from the central government to local authorities, and reminded the government of its fundamental role in strengthening local stakeholder capacity. Donors criticized the 2009-12 PRSP plan because "it appeared that targets for certain indicators were below 2008 achievement levels." They suggested that in order to be effective, "the GOBF should find a better balance between caution and ambition when determining relevant PRSP indicator targets." Donors reminded the GOBF that a forecasted GDP rate of 3.5 percent coupled with an annual population-growth rate of 3.1 percent will make poverty-reduction efforts even more difficult in the future. -------------- Civil Society Organization (CSO) Remarks -------------- ¶12. Pierre Ouedraogo, CSO spokesperson, said that CSOs were well-integrated into the 2008 PRSP review process. During the meeting, CSOs questioned the benefit of monitoring indicators that focus on quantitative aggregated data but fail to include qualitative data, which is also important for assessing poverty. CSOs cited the example of gross enrollment rates, which demonstrate the number of children attending primary school, but do not examine the quality of education the children are receiving. CSOs also pointed out several missing indicators including the youth unemployment rate and malnutrition rates by gender and region. ¶13. CSOs also questioned the GOBF's lack of a coherent assistance policy during its response to the 2008 food crisis. They voiced concern that prior to the crisis; the GOBF had practically phased out the agricultural sector by failing to provide substantial support to the Ministry of Agriculture's extension services. Then in 2008, dramatic price increases essentially forced the government to intervene in the agricultural sector by subsidizing seeds and fertilizers. According to CSOs, this assistance only addressed the immediate crisis and lacked a mid or long-term strategy. CSOs also claim that government assistance failed to reach the poorest farmers because it was distributed according to political patronage instead of need. (Comment: This criticism is a 180 degree change from the Structural Adjustment Programs (SAP) of the 1990s when international agencies like the World Bank and the IMF recommended reduced government interference in the agricultural sector.) ¶14. Conclusion. The current international economic crisis, a forecasted GDP rate of 3.5 percent, and an annual population growth rate of 3.1 percent means that Burkina Faso will face many challenges in its struggle to alleviate poverty and meet its Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Donors and civil society organizations seem convinced that despite negative exogenous factors, the GOBF is committed to the implementation of its PRSP. In order to reverse poverty trends, the GOBF will need to implement innovative measures, continue to progress in the areas of healthcare and education, and make a concentrated effort to diversify its agricultural production. LAEUCHLI