Burkina Faso’s transitional legislative assembly has approved a 2026 state budget that prioritises security spending and public investment as the Sahel country battles a protracted insurgency while seeking to sustain economic growth.
Lawmakers adopted the budget on Saturday, projecting total revenue of 3,431.5 billion CFA francs, or about US$6.15 billion, according to the economy and finance ministry.
Ordinary revenue is forecast at 3,216.5 billion CFA francs (US$5.77 billion), up 3.4 percent from the previous year, while exceptional revenue is expected to reach 215 billion CFA francs (US$386 million).
Finance Minister Aboubakar Nacanabo said the projected increase reflects reforms aimed at strengthening domestic and customs revenue collection, a key priority for the cash-strapped government as it faces rising security and social costs.
“These results are linked to reforms underway to improve the mobilisation of internal resources,” Nacanabo told lawmakers during the budget debate.
Among the measures cited are the rollout of a certified electronic invoicing system to tighten monitoring of value-added tax, as well as the launch of the “Smart Douane” project, designed to modernise customs procedures and reduce revenue leakages at borders.
Total expenditure for 2026 is estimated at 3,918.3 billion CFA francs, equivalent to US$7.05 billion, leaving a budget gap that authorities say will be managed through a mix of domestic financing and external support.
Ordinary spending is set at 2,546.8 billion CFA francs (US$4.57 billion), an increase of 3.6 percent year on year. Public investment spending is projected at 1,371.4 billion CFA francs, or about US$2.46 billion, underlining the government’s focus on infrastructure and productive sectors.
Nacanabo said the budget was structured to respond to Burkina Faso’s “security, economic and social challenges,” with priority allocations for defence and security, education, health and rural development.
Security spending remains a dominant concern for the military-led authorities, who have been fighting jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State for nearly a decade. Large swathes of the country, particularly in the north and east, remain affected by violence that has killed thousands and displaced more than two million people.
Beyond defence, the government is seeking to protect social spending amid the crisis. Education and health have been earmarked as priority sectors, alongside rural development programmes aimed at supporting agriculture and food security in a country where livelihoods have been severely disrupted by conflict.
Burkina Faso’s economy has shown resilience despite the insecurity, according to the International Monetary Fund. In its latest assessment, the IMF said growth remained solid, driven mainly by strong gold production following the reopening of previously closed mines and the gradual formalisation of artisanal and semi-mechanised mining.
Gold is Burkina Faso’s main export and a critical source of foreign exchange and public revenue. The authorities have in recent years tightened oversight of the mining sector, seeking to capture more value from production while curbing smuggling.
The IMF also pointed to increased investment across several sectors, including agriculture, which has helped lift national output and support economic activity despite difficult conditions.
The Fund forecasts economic growth of about 5 percent in 2025, with momentum expected to carry into 2026, assuming security conditions do not deteriorate further and reforms continue.
Burkina Faso has undergone major political upheaval since a military coup in 2022 brought Captain Ibrahim Traoré to power. The transitional government has since pledged to restore security, assert greater control over natural resources and reduce dependence on external financing.
At the same time, the country faces mounting humanitarian needs, strained public finances and limited access to international capital markets, challenges that make revenue mobilisation and spending efficiency critical.
With the adoption of the 2026 budget, authorities are betting that tighter tax collection, sustained investment and continued growth in the mining sector can provide the fiscal space needed to confront insecurity while maintaining basic public services.
Whether those ambitions can be realised will depend largely on developments on the security front, which remain the single biggest risk to Burkina Faso’s economic outlook.
