Ibrahim Traoré Did Not Make Burkina Faso Tax-Free, Says Fact-Check

According to a widely shared Facebook video, President Ibrahim Traoré has reportedly made a groundbreaking declaration, naming Burkina Faso the first tax-exempt country in Africa—an act said to have rattled the West.

There’s a video going around on Facebook that claims Burkina Faso’s President, Ibrahim Traoré, just made a huge move—declaring the country tax-free. The video says he’s scrapping all taxes on businesses, salaries, and foreign investments to boost what he calls “financial freedom.” It also says Traoré sees taxes as a leftover tool of colonialism and wants to fund public services with Burkina Faso’s natural wealth—things like gold and uranium.

According to the clip, Western leaders aren’t happy about it and have supposedly called the country a “financial black hole.”

Traoré became Burkina Faso’s transitional leader in 2022 after a coup ousted Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Damiba. He blamed Damiba for failing to stop jihadist violence. Since then, he’s kicked out French troops, cut ties with France, and teamed up with other Sahel countries in a military alliance. His strong anti-colonial stance and pan-African ideas have earned him a lot of fans, especially among young Africans.

But while it sounds radical, experts warn that taxes are what pay for essential stuff—schools, hospitals, roads, salaries for workers, and more. Even in Burkina Faso, the government offers free or discounted healthcare for women and kids. And although taxes have their critics, most governments still rely on them to function.