Burkina Faso: Protest by PMUB Club Managers in Ouagadougou Against Tax Deductions Sparks Tension

On February 28, 2024, the managers of PMUB clubs in the city of Ouagadougou staged a protest in front of the headquarters of the Burkinabe National Lottery (LONAB) against a 5% deduction from their commissions for taxes.

The PMUB club managers claim to have experienced a 5% deduction from their commissions for taxes without being adequately informed of the reasons beforehand.

According to them, a week ago, discussions were initiated between the association of female PMUB club managers and the top officials on the matter. Since then, no specific information has been provided until the decision was implemented.

Elisabeth Coulibaly, the representative of the PMUB club managers, stated that this deduction adds to the 0.2% tax that was already subtracted from their earnings before, thereby increasing their financial burden.

«Regarding the tax, we have said that since we have been working, for 34 years, the tax has been cut to 0.2%, and we cannot understand why they want to cut it now», she explained.

After meeting with the top officials of LONAB on February 28, 2024, the managers claim to have been informed that this deduction should have been applied for the past 24 years but was previously covered by LONAB.

According to the angry managers, the director-general of LONAB claims not to know the reasons for this deduction.

«The women said they cannot do it because the expenses are too high. We have three to four sales assistants, and the accommodation costs are high», emphasized the representative of the PMUB club managers, Elisabeth Coulibaly.

«If LONAB does not reconsider these decisions, we will suspend the PMU for 48 hours», warned the representative of the female PMUB club managers, while expressing a desire for a dialogue that will likely prevent such a suspension.

Cedric KABORE