. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/LIC/N/3/BFA/2 
16 November 2009 
 
 (09-5684) 
Committee on Import Licensing Original:   French 
  
 
 
REPLIES TO QUESTIONNAIRE ON IMPORT LICENSING PROCEDURES 
 
Notification under Article 7.3 of the Agreement on
 
Import Licensing Procedures  
 
BURKINA FASO 
   The following communication, dated 10 November 2009, is being circulated at the request of 
the delegation of Burkina Faso. 
 
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Outline of systems
 
 
 In Burkina Faso, import formalities are limited to the issuance of a prior import declaration (DPI) in the framework of import su rveillance, monitoring and inspection programmes 
and for statistical control needs, for all imports of goods of an f.o.b. value of 500,000 CFAF or more.  
This DPI is issued immediately and free of charge by the Single Trade Window of the General 
Directorate for Private Sector Promotion on the basis of a proforma invoice. 
  For certain products, a DPI can only be issued against an import licence.  The product requiring import licences are refrigerators, air co nditioners and appliances  operating on Freon-12, 
explosives, arms, ammunition and military articles, and sugar. 
 Purposes and coverage of licensing;  documentational and other requirements
 
 
 Licensing procedures are described below for each product:  Refrigerators, Air Conditioners and Appliances Operating on Freon-12
 
 
 Automatic licence issued in the form of a Sp ecial Import Authorization (ASI) subject to a 
technical opinion from the Ozone Office of the Ministry of the Environment.   This import licence, which is the subject of  Notice to Importers No. 97-005/MCPEA/DGC of 
11 May 1997, was introduced pursuant to an inte rnational commitment by the Government with 
regard to the protection of the ozone layer.   Information on eligibility is available from th e Ministry of Trade, Business Promotion, and 
Handicrafts and the Ministry of the Environment.  G/LIC/N/3/BFA/2 
Page 2  
 
   Applications containing the technical opinion  of the Ozone Office are examined by the 
Director-General of Private Sector Promotion of th e Ministry of Trade, who issues the licence within 
a maximum of 24 hours.   This licence is applicable on a permanent b asis, in order to protect the ozone layer. 
 
Explosives, Arms, Ammunition and Military Articles
 
  Non-automatic licence issued in the form of a Special Import Authorization (ASI) subject to 
authorization by the Ministry of Security for Arms, Ammunition and Military Articles, and the 
Ministry of Mining for Explosives. 
  This licence was introduced to enable the author ities to control imports of civil arms in view 
of their extreme sensitivity.  
 The focal points for communication of information on eligibility are the Ministry of Trade, 
the Ministry of Security and the Ministry of Mining.   Applications containing all of the required authorizations go to the Director-General for Private Sector Promotion of the Ministry of Trade, Business Promotion and Handicrafts, who issues the licence within a maximum of 24 hours. 
 
 The need to control arms imports requires that the application of this procedure should be of 
unlimited duration.  Sugar
 
 
 Non-automatic licence issued in the form of an ASI by the Ministry of Trade. 
  This licence was introduced by an announcement of 31 September 2004 with a view to improving the country's sugar supply.  
 Any information on eligibility is available from the Ministry of Trade. 
  Applications accompanied by proforma invoices are submitted and processed by the General Directorate for Private Sector Promotion on behalf of the Minister, who issues the licence within a maximum of 48 hours. 
 
 It is not possible to establish how long this licensing procedure will apply, since it could be 
maintained as long as the authorities consider  the country's supply to be inadequate. 
 
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