Burkina Faso: Mandatory establishment of foreign companies’ headquarters, a strategic lever to boost revenue, employment, and economic stability
The Burkinabe government has just taken a decisive step in consolidating its economic sovereignty. An implementing decree for Law No. 022-2025/ALT, adopted in the Council of Ministers, now requires large companies with an annual turnover of at least five billion CFA francs to build or acquire their headquarters on national soil. Behind this seemingly administrative measure lies a lever for profound transformation of the country’s economy.
The most immediate advantage for the Burkinabe State lies in the broadening of its tax base.
Companies that operate and profit from the national market without being physically anchored there represent a considerable loss of revenue for public finances.
The permanent establishment of their headquarters on the territory allows for better traceability of activities, increased transparency in declarations, and ultimately, more substantial tax revenues to fund essential public policies.
But the benefit extends far beyond simple tax optimization. This obligation acts as a powerful accelerator for the country’s urban and real estate development.
The construction projects for these inherently imposing headquarters will generate sustained activity in the building and public works sector.
Thousands of direct and indirect jobs will be created, from architects to laborers, including local material suppliers. An entire economic ecosystem is thereby stimulated.
The territorial anchoring of large companies also carries a major strategic dimension. A headquarters permanently established in Burkina Faso guarantees that decisions concerning investments, recruitment, and strategic directions are made locally, in coherence with national priorities.
This marks the end of distant decision-making centers, disconnected from local realities, that treated the country as a simple profit extraction zone.
Finally, this measure contributes to the modernization of the business environment.
The construction of proper headquarters improves the image of the national private sector, attracts international investors seeking structured partners, and strengthens the credibility of Burkina Faso as a serious economic hub.
In the long term, the conditions for fair competition among established companies are thereby consolidated.
By requiring large companies to build their headquarters on its soil, the Burkinabe State is not merely legislating.
It is laying the foundations for a win-win partnership, where private sector growth fuels that of the entire nation.
Cédric KABORE
