BUJUMBURA, December 2nd (ABP) – The Cabinet met on Wednesday November 27, 2024 in Bujumbura, under the chairmanship of the Head of State, Evariste Ndayishimiye. In a press release signed by State Secretary Jérôme Niyonzima on November 28, 2024, it was stated that 11 items were on the agenda.
Those were the sectoral policy and strategy document of the Ministry of Commerce, Transport, Industry and Tourism. In her presentation, the Minister of Commerce, Transport, Industry and Tourism indicated that the elaboration of the Sectoral Policy and Strategy 2023-2027 took as reference the national orientation documents, notably the Vision “Burundi, an emerging country in 2040 and a developed country in 2060” as well as the revised National Development Plan.
The Ministry’s vision is: “By 2027, Burundi will have a competitive industrial and commercial fabric, fluid and secure transport, crafts that make the most of local resources, attractive tourism and food technology accessible to the entire Burundian population”, she pointed out.
She also pointed out that the overall objective of the Ministry’s long-term Sectoral Policy can be summed up as follows: “Contribute to economic growth through the development of trade, transport, industry, tourism, crafts, standardization and quality control”.
At the end of the analysis, the Cabinet meeting noted that there were substantive aspects to be integrated into that policy, and returned it to the Ministry for reworking. The finalized document will be submitted to the Council of Ministers for adoption.
Another item analysed concerned the draft law ratifying the framework cooperation agreement between the Government of the Republic of Chad and the Government of the Republic of Burundi. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation presented that the framework cooperation agreement between the Government of the Republic of Chad and the Government of the Republic of Burundi will give a new impetus to relations between the two countries through the realization of partnerships in diversified fields of common interest, in particular economic fields. After analysis, the project was adopted, according to the Secretary General of the State.
The document entitled Expenditure commitment ceilings for the second quarter of 2024-2025, presented by “the Minister of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning” was also analysed. The Minister in charge of Finance indicated that the budget commitment ceilings are subject to the law establishing the general budget of the Republic of Burundi for the 2024/2025 financial year, which introduces the elaboration of quarterly expenditure commitment ceilings on the basis of the PTBAs.
Commitment limits are an essential tool for regulating expenditure. In accordance with the Finance Act 2024/2025, all credit managers must commit expenditure up to the limit of the voted and granted credit. The Minister of Finance is authorized to take any necessary measures to avoid overspending.
After discussion and debate, the draft was adopted, with recommendations to reinforce rigor in budget management by avoiding non-priority spending, to study strategies to increase revenues, and to proceed immediately to a budget review to adjust spending to available resources.