Workers from the company Filature du Sahel (FILSAH) organized a thank you march to the Burkinabe government, Thursday October 24, 2024, in Bobo-Dioulasso. This march is a recognition of the recent government measure banning the importation of weaving thread and loincloth.
The Burkinabè government took a measure on September 24 to ban the importation of weaving threads and woven loincloths. This measure aimed at strengthening the value chain of the country’s cotton-textile-clothing sector, and promoting endogenous development, was well received by spinning stakeholders in Bobo-Dioulasso.
To show their satisfaction, the workers of the Filature du Sahel (FILSAH), accompanied by the women of the Union of Weavers of Hauts-Bassins organized a march of thanks to the government, Thursday October 24, 2024 in the city of Sya. From Tiéfo-Amoro Square, the marchers reached the governorate of Bobo-Dioulasso where they delivered their words of thanks.
The Deputy Director General (DGA), Salif Konaté, who read the message of the demonstrators, expressed FILSAH’s gratitude for all the actions that have been undertaken by the national authorities to breathe new life into society. FILSAH, he recalled, recently worked to increase its production capacity of unbleached yarn from 5,000 to 10,000 tonnes per year through the acquisition of “ultra-modern, high-efficiency” equipment and by strengthening its workforce is 560 workers.
A measure, according to him, taken to ensure the availability of the thread on the national market. This is to respond indirectly and efficiently to the government’s call to promote local production, processing and consumption.
Save jobs
Salif Konaté stressed that unfortunately just after the announcement of the government’s decisions to promote the wearing of Faso Danfani and its institution as school attire, the national market was flooded with imported weaving yarns and woven loincloths. “This situation has led to a considerable drop in our sales, job losses and has weakened the local economy,” said Mr. Konaté.
The government’s recent decision, to hear it, comes at the right time. “This decision will allow our company to safeguard the 445 existing jobs which were threatened and to hope to gradually recall the 115 contract workers whose
the contracts which had expired had not been renewed”, welcomed the DGA of FILSAH. The walkers were received by the technical advisor to the governor of Hauts-Bassins in charge of youth and employment issues, Boubié Ido.
He thanked FILSAH and its workers for their gratitude to the government. “It is a recognition that is deserved because this decision was taken to make our economy better,” he declared. The government measure, in the eyes of Boubié Ido, sounds like a challenge and an invitation to those involved in the spinning industry to do more work even if it grants them some advantages. “They must be able to supply the national market in quantity and quality,” said the governor’s technical advisor. Alongside the delivery of their declaration, FILSAH workers presented a check for 3,764,530 CFA francs for the Patriotic Support Fund, a batch of woven loincloths and other FILSAH products.
Alpha Sékou BARRY
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Words DAO
(Intern)