Ouagadougou: The National Agency for Environmental Assessments (ANEVE) introduced a series of reforms aimed at enhancing collaboration with the private sector, presented at a meeting in Ouagadougou on Tuesday. These reforms notably include reducing the processing time for environmental assessment files to 26 days from the previous duration of over three months.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the meeting was organized in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Burkina Faso (CCI-BF) to help economic operators better understand the new provisions governing environmental assessment procedures. Mr. Seri highlighted the intention to improve service quality and strengthen ties between ANEVE and private sector stakeholders.

"This meeting provides an opportunity to present to economic operators the important reforms undertaken by the Agency in order to improve the quality of services offered to users," Seri stated. He emphasized the significant reduction in processing time for environmental assessment files, contingent on stakeholders adhering to the procedure's stages.

The Secretary General noted that these reforms align with directives from the Minister of State, Minister in charge of the Environment, Commander Isma«l Sombi©, aiming to expedite file processing within the agency. Discussions during the meeting covered procedures for obtaining environmental feasibility and compliance opinions, file processing times, service pricing, and national environmental inspections.

Mr. Seri pointed out that a key outcome is enabling economic operators to master new procedures for timely acquisition of feasibility and environmental compliance opinions. "Explaining the rationale for environmental inspection in the field, both for the environment and for the entire population, is also one of the expected outcomes of this workshop," he added.