Business

The annual inflation rate for the month of September 2020 increased to 81.9% up from 23.4% recorded in the same month last year. This means that prices of goods and services in the participating Member States went up. According to the latest Harmonized Consumer Price Index (HCPI) which measures inflation rate in the COMESA...

The Burundi senate passed 3.9 trillion Burundian francs as the country’s annual budget for the financial year 2024-2025 an increase of 18 percent from financial year ending this July.

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...

Paris, June 26, 2025 — The World Bank Group and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) formalized a new partnership on Thursday aimed at promoting the safe, secure, and responsible use of nuclear energy in developing countries. The agreement, signed by World Bank Group President Ajay Banga and IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, represents the World...

ARUSHA, Tanzania (June 7, 2025) – The East African Community (EAC) is leveraging the Karibu-Kilifair 2025 tourism expo to promote the region as a single destination under its unified tourism brand, Visit East Africa – Feel the Vibe. Held at the Magereza Grounds in Arusha, the three-day expo has attracted more than 500 exhibitors...

GATUMBA, Burundi — Non-tariff barriers and costly travel documents are making cross-border trade difficult for women traders in the East African Community (EAC), despite regional commitments to ease movement of goods and people. Members of the East African Legislative Assembly Women’s Caucus (EALA WC) on Thursday visited the Gatumba border between Burundi and the...

The Ministry of Finance, Budget and Economic Development has launched the second phase of its electronic invoicing project, aimed at strengthening tax revenue management through digitalization. Finance Minister Nestor Ntahontuye announced the initiative on March 18 at the headquarters of the Burundi Revenue Authority (OBR). As part of the expansion, the government has acquired...

BUJUMBURA, Burundi ( The Burundian government has set the official price for maize at 1,700 Burundian francs (Fbu) per kilogram for the current production cycle, Minister of Environment, Agriculture, and Livestock Prosper Dodiko announced Tuesday during a press briefing. The move aims to stabilize market conditions and encourage farmers to continue their agricultural activities.

Lusaka, Zambia — Eight member states of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) are expected to record sharp declines in trade volumes this year following new reciprocal tariffs imposed by the United States, the regional bloc said Friday. The countries most affected include the Democratic Republic of Congo (11% decline), Libya...

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (July 8, 2025) — Leaders from East Africa have raised alarm over fragmented and incompatible digital payment systems that continue to stall the region’s economic potential, calling for urgent legal and regulatory reforms to enable seamless cross-border transactions. At a five-day workshop co-hosted by the East African Community (EAC) and the...