The labeling of Burkina Faso’s woven traditional fabric known locally as “Faso Dan Fani” will be completed next month, the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Handicrafts, Harouna Kaboré disclosed on Tuesday.
In a statement seen by APA, Mr Kaboré denies rumours of protecting the “Faso Dan Fani” brand by an Asian firm, stating that the African Intellectual Property Organization (AIPO) has received no title from such a firm.
“At our request, the research carried out by the AIPO technical services in their IPAS and Gestitres databases indicates that no Dan Fano Faso mark was deposited with the organisation on April 15, 2019 “, the minister said in the statement.
The statement specifies that a pilot project for the labeling of four Burkinabè products was initiated in 2018 and is currently being implemented.
“For the specific case of Faso Dan Fani, the labeling process will be completed by the end of May 2019 with the unveiling of the Faso Dan Fani label (April 30, 2019)”, the minister added.
The ministerial statement comes a few days after the broadcast of a radio program as part of the second edition of the AIPO Mark Awards.
During the broadcast on an international channel, journalists touched on issues related to the export by an Asian firm of the Faso Dan Fani brand.
Relayed on social media, the information sparked heated debate among users, leading some to accuse the Burkinabè government of being lax on the protection of national products such as the Faso Dan Fani brand.
Since January 2018, the woven fabric has become the official loincloth of major events in Burkina Faso, including International Women’s Day which is marked on March 8 every year.
ALK /te/pn/as/APA