Burundi’s president Evariste Ndayishimiye on Thursday March 14, 2024 met with stakeholders and those in Burundi’s ministry of trade, Transport, Industry and Tourism to strategize in efforts to achieve Burundi’s as an emerging country in 2040 and a developed country in 2060.
During the meeting president Ndayishimiye said that the objective of the meeting was to carry out discussions to decide on strategies aimed at facilitating production in order to increase exports that can generate foreign exchange.
“No country can be developed without exporting its products. It is in this perspective that we must double the efforts to facilitate exports,” said the Burundian president.
Burundi’s minister of trade Marie Chantal Nijimbere asked the Head of State to lift the challenges that hinders trade which include the tariff and non-tariff barriers on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo in Gatumba, to allow the export of Burundian products to the vast market of eastern DRC.
According to Ms. Nijimbere, a study was carried out to identify places where special economic zones could be built which could also contribute in boosting the exportation of Burundian products into the larger market.
Among the achievements aimed at boosting the economy, the minister cited the implementation of the law on tourism, the mobilization of funds for the construction of the railway, the renovation of Bujumbura airport, the development of transport maritime where three shipyards are under construction.
The meeting comes as the country is battling inflation and price fluctuation for the consumer goods in the local market.
According to the Burundi’s Central Bank statistics of December last year, the inflation in the country stood by 27 percent which is predicted to increase at more than 30 percent by mid this year.