Burkina Faso and France face rising energy and consumer costs

In Burkina Faso, the government has increased the price of diesel from 675 FCFA to 750 FCFA per liter. Officials, including Minister of Commerce Serge Gnaniodem Poda and Prime Minister's Secretary General Abdou-Salam Gampené, attributed the hike to international geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the rising value of the dollar. Furthermore, the government highlighted significant losses due to fuel smuggling into neighboring countries, estimating a potential budget impact of 70 billion FCFA. To combat rising costs of consumer goods and market speculation, the government is implementing stricter controls, including price caps on essential items like oil, rice, and cement, and threatening non-compliant traders with community service.

In France, the Commission de régulation de l’énergie (CRE) announced that the reference price for natural gas will rise by 5.6% starting September 1, 2026. This increase, which brings the average price to 172.05 euros TTC per megawatt-hour, is driven by rising wholesale market costs linked to Middle East conflicts and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Approximately six million households with indexed contracts are expected to be affected, though those on fixed-price contracts will not see an immediate change.