Consumer protection in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso has an established general legal basis for consumer protection, but enforcement and redress remain fragmented between sectors. Loi n°016-2017/AN applies to production, distribution and services, including public providers. Prices are generally free; authorities may regulate them during monopolies, supply shortages or crises for periods of up to six months. Sellers and service providers should disclose prices, liability limits and special-sale conditions. Producers should provide composition or technical information together with manufacturing, expiry or best-before dates. Misleading advertising, deception, counterfeit goods, unjustified refusal to sell and tying a product or service to another purchase are prohibited. A seller must provide an invoice or receipt when the consumer requests one. Industrial and equipment goods can have a minimum warranty under special rules, and abusive contract terms are treated as unwritten; the professional must show that a disputed term is not abusive. No general statutory cooling-off or withdrawal right has been verified, so consumers should not assume that a purchase can be cancelled simply because they changed their mind. The Commission nationale de la concurrence et de la consommation (CNCC) is an independent administrative authority covering economic activities, including regulated sectors. Consumers and recognised consumer associations may submit complaints, and the CNCC can also act on its own initiative, investigate and impose sanctions. A CNCC decision can be appealed to the Cour d’appel within ten days. The Ministry responsible for commerce, referred to in the research as MICA, handles market supervision and may prepare reports or suspend activity for up to six months where the legal conditions apply. The Ligue des Consommateurs du Burkina (LCB) is a civil-society consumer association that provides information, warnings and complaint assistance but does not issue state decisions. For a general dispute, first contact the supplier in writing and keep the contract, invoice or receipt, photographs and communications. Depending on the subject, the next channel may be the CNCC, MICA, LCB, a sector regulator, a court or the Procureur du Faso. The e-plainte.gov.bf service is for complaints about state administrative services, not a general channel for private disputes. Fees and deadlines vary by sector, and no unified nationwide consumer alternative-dispute system has been verified. Formal channels are established, but practical access outside Ouagadougou and the likely outcome depend on the evidence and the responsible sector. Financial complaints follow additional rules. Banks, financial institutions, insurers and electronic-money issuers should provide a documented internal complaint mechanism with written acknowledgement, investigation and a reasoned response. The Observatoire de la qualité des services financiers du Burkina Faso (OQSF-BF) offers free information and mediation for retail financial products, with a response target of 72 hours and mediation lasting no more than 90 days. Access is available online, by telephone or at its office in Ouagadougou. Depending on the institution, further escalation may involve BCEAO, the Commission Bancaire or a court; OQSF mediation does not guarantee reimbursement. For electronic communications and services, contact the operator or provider first. The Autorité de régulation des communications électroniques et des postes (ARCEP) accepts written complaints through its online form or by email at jalerte@arcep.bf, and recognised consumer associations can also assist. ARCEP complaint handling is free. RESOMETRE can help compare telecommunications quality of service. No general e-commerce alternative-dispute process or standard return right has been verified. For electricity matters, SONABEL provides an E-Guichet for connections, subscriptions, faults, meter readings and fraud reports, as well as hotline 80 00 11 30. If the provider does not resolve the complaint, a French-language written request to ARSE requires supporting documents and a registration fee; conciliation may follow. The filing deadline is 15 working days after rejection or after 30 days without an answer, while the fee amount has not been verified. For medicines and other health products, ANRP handles complaints about pharmaceutical products, while ANSSEAT covers quality and safety matters involving medicines, food, water, cosmetics, pesticides and tobacco. Food or product risks can be reported to the health inspection service or LNSP. Anyone who suspects illness should contact a doctor or the nearest health authority. Illegal or counterfeit food and medicines present a documented risk, but recall and compensation procedures are not uniform. Burkina Faso has no verified specialised national travel-consumer ombudsman or alternative-dispute system; travel complaints generally proceed through the provider, LCB, CNCC or a court. Travel and security advice from state authorities is a separate matter. For suspected fraud, preserve messages, payment records, account details and other evidence, notify the provider or payment service immediately, then contact the police or the Brigade centrale de lutte contre la cybercriminalité (BCLCC). The police accept complaints seven days a week, anonymous reporting is possible, and emergency number 17 is available. The BCLCC portal covers cyberfraud, phishing, identity theft and hacking. A complaint does not guarantee recovery of money; the appropriate financial regulator or CNCC may also be relevant depending on the transaction.