Business

India’s High Commissioner to Uganda has warned Indian employers operating in East Africa against confiscating workers’ passports and altering employment contracts, calling the practices illegal and exploitative, with reported cases affecting workers in the region, including Burundi. Speaking during India’s Republic Day celebrations in Kampala, High Commissioner Upender Singh Rawat said the Government of...

Burundi’s Ministry of Finance has introduced stricter eligibility criteria governing the operation of bars, restaurants and hotels, tightening standards for alcohol sales and hospitality services in a move authorities say is aimed at improving public health, security and service quality nationwide. The new rules set out minimum requirements for establishments seeking authorization to operate,...

U.S. Embassy Bujumbura Chargé d’Affaires Ambassador Melanie Higgins met this week with Chris Showalter, chief executive officer of Lifezone Metals, to discuss proposed plans for a joint U.S.–Burundi initiative to develop the Musongati nickel deposit, according to a post from the embassy on X formerly known as Twitter. The discussions focused on ways to...

The African Development Bank on June 26 officially handed over educational and technical equipment worth $3 million to the RUSI Public Polytechnic and Vocational Retraining Center during a ceremony in Karuzi province attended by President Évariste Ndayishimiye, senior government officials and development partners. The equipment, described by officials as modern and customized, was provided...

Burundi’s revenue authority on Monday launched the implementation phase of a new integrated digital platform designed to allow online declaration and payment of taxes and duties, a move officials say will modernize revenue collection and align the country with regional trends in public finance management. The Burundian Revenue Office, known by its French acronym...

So-called “frontier market” economies, long viewed as the next wave of global growth engines, have largely failed to realize their economic potential over the past decade, according to a new World Bank study that points to slowing investment, rising debt burdens and weak financial market development. The report finds that average investment growth per...

The global economy is proving more resilient than expected despite persistent trade tensions and policy uncertainty, with growth projected to remain broadly steady through 2027, according to the World Bank’s latest Global Economic Prospects report released Tuesday. The World Bank forecasts global growth of 2.6% in 2026, before edging up to 2.7% in 2027,...

Burundian officials on Tuesday formally launched a five‑year Tourism Marketing Plan designed to boost international arrivals, strengthen tourism products and raise the East African nation’s profile as a safe and welcoming destination.  The plan, covering 2025‑2029, was unveiled by Christine Niragira, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Mining Resources, Energy, Industry, Trade and Tourism.

Africa’s youth population is expanding rapidly, with nearly 500 million people expected to reach working age by 2035, intensifying the need for large-scale job creation across the continent. Employment will be central to determining whether this demographic shift becomes a catalyst for growth or a source of instability. For millions of young Africans, access...

Mobile money and electronic banking services have expanded across Burundi in recent years, but most Burundians continue to rely on cash, deterred by high transaction fees, limited digital access and lingering mistrust of electronic payment systems, economists and financial analysts say. Despite growing mobile phone ownership and efforts by banks and telecom operators to...