Business

Industrial and commercial establishments in Burundi could face fines of up to 500,000 Burundi francs (around US $150) for dumping wastewater and other pollutants into rivers, lakes, or wetlands, under a new sanitation ordinance enacted this month. The law prohibits factories, workshops, and business premises from releasing untreated waste or oil residues into natural...

Burundi’s economy is projected to grow by 4.4 percent in 2025, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), signalling a steady recovery from 3.5 percent growth in 2024. While the pace remains moderate compared to some East African peers, the IMF expects Burundi to maintain stable momentum through 2026. The projections are part of...

Burundi’s government on Oct. 27, 2025, carried out the country’s second official export of 175 tons of 3T minerals cassiterite, coltan, and wolframite sourced from Murehe and Tanganyika mining sites, operated by SOTREVO and Tanganyika Minerals, according to a statement from the State House. While addressing the press, Burundi president Evariste Ndayishimiye emphasized the...

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...