Social Protection and Energy Subsidy Reform in Burkina Faso

This BBL will discuss fossil fuel subsidies in the broader context of social protection in Burkina Faso. Rebekka Grun (Senior Economist, Social Protection and Labor), Frieda Vandeninden (Social Protection Specialist, Social Protection and Labor), and Amina Semlali (Consultant, Social Protection and Labor) worked with the government of Burkina Faso to determine whether resources allocated for social protection and social safety nets are cost-effective in reducing poverty and vulnerability. As part of this assessment, the team conducted a review of existing energy subsidies. A general recognition that Energy Subsidies are benefitting the rich more than the poor has provided the impetus for their reduction, yet in 2015 they still compromised 1% of GDP.