"Whether in Mali, Burkina Faso or Nigeria, the consumer remains a human being in an integrated regional area that must be protected against counterfeits, defects"

An active member of the Consumers' League of Burkina Faso, a citizen organization of watch, questioning and also a force of proposals to help further to better consume, Mr. DA Hien Daniel was alongside his colleagues in the region to participate in the validation of the ECOWAS Community regulatory framework on the consumers protection of the space. Through this interview, he discusses the issues of consumption in general and in Burkina Faso in particular, before insisting on the need to educate the consumer on his rights and obligations.

WAQSP: What are the important points adopted by you, as consumer representative of Burkina Faso?

Mr. DA Hien Daniel: I think that the most important elements that I could consider as the conclusions of this meeting are for me the pooling of efforts, the synergy of consumer associations and the accompaniment of ECOWAS for the setting up of the Regional Consumer Council. I believe that it is a very important body that will harmonize the struggle of the consumer associations of the ECOWAS region and which will enable them, through a platform of exchanges, to share experiences and also to put in place the warning mechanisms so that the circulation of products in the ECOWAS region is fluid and well followed in a citizen way by the consumer associations.

WAQSP: Can you go back to the already existing legal framework for consumer protection in Burkina Faso? then the interest of the adoption of the ECOWAS regulatory framework for the defense of the Burkinabe consumer?

Mr. DA Hien Daniel: Burkina Faso has many disparate texts that protect consumers in all areas of life, both economic and social. However, there are shortcomings because we do not have a specific law that protects consumers. What makes today, people do not know their rights, nor their duties. All the time, one relies on the fatality: "it happened to me because it is God who planned it". No, it's the hand of man. I honestly believe that this regional text for the benefit of consumers will harmonize the approaches of different ECOWAS countries to truly take into account the central element of consumer protection throughout the space. Whether in Mali, Burkina Faso or Nigeria, the consumer remains a human being in an integrated regional area that must be protected against counterfeits and defects. That is why, for the first time, consumers will integrate the bodies of the ECOWAS Quality Infrastructure (IRQ). We will now have consumer associations in the six (06) very important bodies of the IRQ, for a mandate of 3 years: the Community Committees for Accreditation, of Conformity assessment, of Technical regulation, of Metrology and even at the heart of the scheme, through the Community Quality Council and the ECOWAS Quality Agency. I think we are on the right track. It took time to get started and ECOWAS tackled the subject. Consumer protection associations are very happy. One of the strong resolutions they have taken is to accompany ECOWAS on the ground in protecting consumers in the region. We have designated consumer focal points to be able to accompany and represent us in a meaningful way.

WAQSP: Can you tell us a word about the difficulties faced by Burkinabe consumers?

Mr. DA Hien Daniel: The difficulties faced by Burkinabe consumers are no different from those of other consumers in the region. It is true that each country has its specificities. We here have the chance to be well listened to. The League of Consumers is a citizen organization of watch, questioning, and also a force of proposals to better consume. What makes us today a partner of the Government through the various specialized councils, the specialized commissions, the boards of directors. The Consumer League represents consumers in more than 160 institutions because the issue of consumption in Burkina is an open question, it is a citizen one. We do not always have operators who are convinced. They do not even think that the ultimate consumer, better than a customer, is a king. He will consume only what he wants and the producer will only produce what the consumer wants. I think the difficulty is there. We have an illiterate population with producers who are not very aware of the rights of consumption; they are concerned only by their direct interests, profit. But beware, nothing but profit does not do the trick. I think today, that we must put the human in the center. In Burkina, we have problems, with private institutions like operators, sometimes even to be understood. Bearing, when we take positions, it is after studies, after many reflections. No position in the Consumer League is guided by a political aim, nor to bring down anyone. This is to improve consumption in Burkina Faso. We meet a lot of operators who take actions they regret later, often because they were not aware of the effects of their actions or products they put on the market. Sometimes we came across beer producers who unfortunately lost a parent who was the first to consume the product they had put on the market. That is to say that consumer education needs to be strengthened and that, I think, is a real problem. Everywhere, we say that it is the responsibility of the Consumer League, but we accept. But consumer education is the domain of the Burkinabe State, which must set up consumer education programs for areas such as the consumption of products and the consumption of services.