The Burkinabè State, which was to bear 80% of the total cost of construction of Donsin airport, was going to get away with it with only 10% of the shares in the joint management company, leaving 60% to the French group Meridiam… This is one of the six reasons that weighed in on the termination of the concession agreement for the construction of the commercial part of Donsin airport and its operation, learned the AIB Sunday from reliable sources.
In January 2023 before the Forces vives des Hauts-Bassins in Bobo-Dioulasso, the President of the Transition, Captain Ibrahim Traoré announced his intention to suspend the agreement governing the construction of Donsin airport and to reread the texts.
On August 9, 2023, it was the Council of Ministers that outright terminated the agreement signed on October 12, 2021 between the company AERO and the Burkinabè State, represented at the time by the Minister of Transport Vincent T. Dabilgou and his colleague from the Finances Lassané Kaboré.
It should be noted that AERO is the company under Burkinabè law set up by the MERIDIAM/AEROPORT DE MARSEILLE concessionaire to carry out the work, in accordance with the rules of the agreement.
According to the sources contacted by the AIB, several reasons motivated the government’s decision to terminate this agreement.
It is up to us that the State of Burkina Faso, which must bear 80% of the total cost of the project (nearly 500 billion FCFA), will only benefit from 10% of the shares in the future mixed economy company for the management of the airport against 60% for Meridiam, 20% for local private individuals and 5% for ASECNA.
According to our sources, the State also came out the loser in terms of royalty collection because the concessionaire kept 80% of the security royalty. The Airport Infrastructure Development Fee, which should allow the State to repay its loans, went entirely to the partner.
Another incongruity, the State loses through the agreement, the most profitable part of the operation of the airport, that is to say the ground handling services which go to the concessionaire, contrary to what done in the sub-region.
For the Burkinabè government, the duration of the concession, which is 30 years, is totally disproportionate to the financial contribution of the partner.
Also, the executive rejected the agreement because it did not guarantee the preservation of all jobs in ground handling services.
Finally, for the Burkinabè authorities, the agreement had to be terminated because it does not take into account Bobo-Dioulasso airport and the other secondary airports, the operation of which is largely supported by airport revenues. from Ouagadougou.
As a reminder, on August 17, 2023, the collective of aeronautics unions welcomed the courageous decision of the government to terminate this agreement.
Furthermore, the collective would like the people who took part in the pre-signature negotiations to be heard.
Source: Burkina Information Agency