Business

Burundi’s inflation rate soared to 36.9 percent in September 2025, the highest in years, driven by steep increases in food and service prices, according to new data released by the Burundi National Statistics (INSBU). The official report, published during the 2025 “month of statistics,” highlights a challenging economic landscape marked by surging consumer prices...

The World Bank is urging governments and investors to put job creation at the center of their development agendas as Africa braces for one of the fastest population booms in modern history. Speaking Friday at the World Bank–IMF Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C., World Bank President Ajay Banga said the world is entering an...

Burundi’s 2023 Mining Code introduced sweeping reforms to attract investment, improve transparency, and ensure communities benefit from mineral wealth — but gender disparities and weak enforcement continue to shadow the sector, according to a new regional report. The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), through its Committee on Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources (ATNR), noted...

ARUSHA, Tanzania — The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) has sounded alarm over persistent governance failures, mineral smuggling, and inconsistent mining laws that are draining billions in potential revenue from the region’s mineral wealth. In a report adopted Tuesday by EALA’s Committee on Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources (ATNR), lawmakers said the mining sector...

NAIROBI, Kenya — October 5, 2025 — The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Secretariat and the Government of Kenya have launched an electronic Certificate of Origin (eCO), a move expected to modernize trade facilitation and strengthen digital integration across the region. The system, unveiled on October 2, marks a milestone in...

BURURI, Burundi— President Évariste Ndayishimiye on Thursday toured an amethyst extraction site on Migera Hill in Bururi Province, praising a youth-led mining venture as a model of how innovation and hard work can power Burundi’s development. The site, operated by about 400 young entrepreneurs with support from the government’s Programme d’Autonomisation Économique et d’Emploi...

Digital payments in Burundi rose steadily in the second quarter of 2025, but cash withdrawals and deposits still account for nearly half of all transactions, underlining the country’s slow transition to a cash-light economy, according to new data from the central bank. Burundi's Central Bank (BRB) reported nearly 97.5 million mobile money and digital...

Burundi is among 17 African countries that committed Wednesday to concrete reforms aimed at boosting electricity access under Mission 300, a global initiative led by the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank Group that seeks to connect 300 million Africans to power by 2030. The announcement was made in New York during...

CAIRO, Egypt — The East African Business Council (EABC) has called for the urgent implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), emphasizing its critical role in driving economic growth and integration across the continent. The call was made during the 17th meeting of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers and the High-Level Private Sector...

BUJUMBURA, Burundi — The cost of building new homes in Bujumbura jumped 40.4% in June compared with the same month last year, according to the National Institute of Statistics of Burundi (INSBU). The surge was driven by sharp increases in the prices of materials, labor, and equipment rentals. The June INSBU report shows that...