BUJUMBURA, April 2nd (ABP) – The President of the Republic of Burundi, Evariste Ndayishimiye, met economic operators working at national level in Bujumbura on Friday 28 March 2025 to discuss the country’s development through that sector.
Speaking at the meeting, Burundi’s No. 1 pointed out that before 2005, the government was only involved in day-to-day business, and investors had no follow-up, which meant that they had to manage their own affairs. He therefore pointed out that when investors manage themselves, they always tend to bribe certain public authorities to obtain services.
President Ndayishimiye also deplored that in the economic sector, there are ill-intentioned operators who want to destroy the country by creating inflation, and that they have engaged in a war against the country’s economy. He also revealed that in 2016, after an abortive coup d’état, having already noted the failure in the war of arms, Burundi’s enemies tried to destroy the country economically by corrupting certain members of the ruling system. According to the President of the Republic, those people thought that by 2020, Burundi’s currency would have lost its value, but that has not been the case.
He also indicated that that was also the case for the lack of fuel and foreign currency, adding that even some public authorities were complicit. He declared that he was committed to fighting them until everything was in order.
“There are people who have a plan to ensure that no currency enters the national reserve”, he deplored, adding that if it is the Burundians themselves who are destroying the country, it is difficult to achieve its development.
The President of the Republic also pointed out that some economic operators were thinking of their own interests rather than the interests of the country, and reminded them that if Burundi’s economy collapsed, there would be no security, no justice, no police or army to protect their property. According to the President of the Republic, the law of the strongest will reign, because there will no longer be any public services.
He also reminded them that a State without an economy is a State without a State, and that it is placed directly under the supervision of the United Nations.
According to the President of the Republic, if Burundians choose to be honest, in 5 years’ time there will be no more poverty in Burundi.
President Ndayishimiye advised those benefiting from the exemptions not to expect to receive them forever, but to think about becoming stable after being exempted and to produce to develop the country by paying taxes, so that the State recovers the money it has left them.
During the meeting, the President of the Republic also reminded economic operators that development begins with the primary sector, in terms of the production of raw materials, followed by the secondary sector of industry, and finally the tertiary sector of services.
According to him, the cause of the lack of development in Burundi is due to the fact that everyone wanted to start with the tertiary sector. If Burundi is in the process of developing, it is because we went back to the primary sector,” he emphasised.
He asked those operators to contribute to the stability of the country’s economy, and above all to achieve the vision of Burundi as an emerging country by 2040, and a developed country by 2060.