Individual Corruption

The US Department of State 2011 identifies healthcare workers in Burkina Faso among the most corrupt public officials. Similarly, according to REN-LAC 2006 (in French), citizens identify the health services as being highly corrupt. In 2009, REN-LAC conducted a sting operation to catch corrupt city workers in the capital city of Ouagadougou who were demanding bribes to expedite birth certificates and residency documents. The mayor's office's own investigation confirmed the report turned in by the REN-LAC, and one person was arrested according to Freedom House 2011.

Business Corruption

Companies should note that sometimes they are expected to give gifts in order to obtain licences, permits and services, as reported by the World Bank & IFC Enterprise Surveys 2009. However, as the World Bank & IFC Doing Business 2011 indicates, Burkina Faso has introduced a new one-stop shop in Ouagadougou for construction permits, which reduces approval fees and combines five separate payments into a single one. In addition, random inspections during construction have been eliminated which may reduce the chance of being solicited for bribes. Moreover, Doing Business 2012 informs that dealing with licences and permits to build a warehouse has become less costly and less time consuming over the course of 2011.

Political Corruption

According to a 2007 news article by Lefaso, widespread corruption has adverse effects on the quality of the country's infrastructure and on social and educational services, which are financed by the state budget. Indeed, many schools have begun to fall apart barely one year after being constructed. Furthermore, a number of infrastructure projects and roads exist only on paper.

Frequency

The World Bank & IFC: Doing Business 2012:
- Dealing with a construction permit in Burkina Faso requires a company to go through 12 procedures, taking 98 days at a cost of 345% of the income per capita.

World Economic Forum: The Global Competitiveness Report 2011-2012:
- Business leaders give government administrative requirements (permits, regulations, reporting) a score of 3.3 on a 7-point scale (1 being 'burdensome' and 7 being 'not burdensome').

The World Bank & IFC: Enterprise Surveys 2009:
- 16.1% of the companies surveyed expect to give gifts to get an electrical connection.

- 14.7% of the companies surveyed expect to give gifts to get a construction permit.

- 4% of the companies surveyed expect to give gifts in order to get an operating licence.

- Nearly 6% of the companies surveyed expect to give gifts to get a phone and water connection respectively.

Afrobarometer: Summary of Results Burkina Faso 2008:
- 2% of the respondents in this household survey report to have often paid a bribe for water and sanitation services in 2007.