BUJUMBURA, December 11th (ABP) – The President of the Republic of Burundi, Evariste Ndayishimiye, officially launched, on Thursday December 5, 2024, in Bujumbura, the work of the two-day round table organized by Burundi for development partners and private investors, with a view to presenting to them the government’s ambition defined through the vision of Burundi, an emerging country in 2040 and a developed country in 2060, and involving them in its implementation through mutually advantageous partnerships.
In addition to the presence of the country’s various authorities, representatives of international and regional organizations as well as local and foreign investors, several delegations of private investors from all over the world marked their presence at that event.
Among the countries represented were Belgium, China, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Sweden, Great Britain, Somalia, the United Arab Emirates, Uganda, Zambia, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Togo, Canada, United States of America, Latvia, France, Tanzania, Morocco, Burkina Faso, South Africa, Europe, South Korea, Japan, Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), India, Portugal and Cameroon.
After welcoming them warmly and cordially to the land of milk and honey, a thousand and one hills and a thousand and one potentialities, President Ndayishimiye pointed out that Burundi aims to be a developed country in the near future.
According to him, Burundi is on a non-return path towards Africa’s Eldorado, with natural resources, modernization, transformation and diversification of agro-pastoral production, increased and improved energy supply, and development of the tertiary sector through the provision of services as catalysts.
“Choosing Burundi today as an investment destination means guaranteeing the prosperity of your companies,” reassured President Ndayishimiye. He pointed out that the first guarantee for investment is the political will and determination to place the private sector at the forefront of development.
That political will is accompanied by a number of reforms that reinforce good governance and guarantee a business environment conducive to inclusive economic growth, driven by the private sector and rich in job creation, which, according to him, translates in particular into the introduction of the investment code and the establishment of structures to support the private sector.
The Head of State went on to point out that Burundi has a wealth of natural assets in the agro-pastoral, mining, tourism and cultural sectors. The agro-pastoral sector, although not modernized, employs over 80% of the working population and contributes 95% of the food supply, pointing out that Burundi does not import foodstuffs, only luxury goods.
“If today we have that great performance in the agricultural sector with means that are still lacking, what will we have if we invest in the modernization, processing and conservation of agricultural products?” asked President Ndayishimiye, believing that Burundi could quite simply be the granary of Africa.
He added that, given Burundi’s strategic geographical position at the junction of the East-West and North-South axes, modernizing its agro-pastoral sector would offer business opportunities in terms of exports and the exploitation of value chains.
With regard to the mining sector, Burundi’s number one revealed that the country’s subsoil abounds in immeasurable, little-known mining reserves. Those include gold, nickel, cassiterite, coltan, lithium, iron, copper, rare earths, titanium and more.
“The current reforms aim to revitalize that sector and optimize its contribution to the country’s growth and socio-economic development, by promoting processing and exports. In that respect, the government has revised the mining code and has the implementing texts in place, with the aim of putting in place a legal framework that enables the country to benefit from that sector through win-win contracts,” he pointed out.
The Head of State also mentioned the potential of human resources. He pointed out that Burundi’s population is very young and very resilient to work. “Youth alone make up over 60% of the population. They are supported through a Youth Economic Empowerment Program that backs their entrepreneurial projects, with the support of the Youth Bank and the Investment and Guarantee Fund,” he continued.
In the same vein, President Ndayishimiye was quick to point out that women are actively involved in development, and that a Women’s Bank has also been set up for them. “You will understand that in a country where almost the entire population is on the battlefield against poverty, investing in the value chain and in local financial institutions is a great opportunity, as is the development of industry,” he explained.
The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Audace Niyonzima, presented a number of projects that require financing to be implemented. Those include the construction of infrastructure, the digitization of services, the increase in electricity and the treatment and distribution of drinking water. “Any investor wishing to invest in Burundi is welcome”, said Albert Shingiro, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation.
The former President of the Republic of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, congratulated the President of the Republic on the organization of that round table, which attracted the attention of investors from all continents of the world. He also emphasized that development cannot be achieved without putting the private sector at the forefront. According to him, personal security, food security and education are important for the development of every country.
Note that the round table was enhanced by debate and question-and-answer sessions focusing on various presentations on the implementation of vision 2040 and 2060, which were made by Alain Ndikumana of the Presidency of the Republic, the ministers in charge of trade, development cooperation and finance, as well as the president of the Federal Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Burundi.