Burundi’s parliament has called for urgent reforms at the Moso Sugar Company (SOSUMO) after reviewing a final audit report by the Court of Accounts that highlighted challenges facing the state-backed sugar producer, including aging infrastructure, management shortcomings and the need for stronger oversight.
The report was presented during a plenary session on June 3 attended by Industry Minister Hassan Kibeya, who told lawmakers that the company’s operations must be monitored more rigorously to increase production and better meet domestic demand.
“The monitoring and evaluation of SOSUMO’s operations must be conducted in a rigorous and regular manner to increase production and satisfy demand,” Kibeya said before parliament.
The minister also said the legal and administrative framework governing the company should be updated to align with current realities, including the government’s transition toward program-based budgeting.
The debate followed the presentation of a Court of Accounts audit of SOSUMO’s management, placing renewed attention on one of Burundi’s most strategic agro-industrial enterprises. Under Burundi’s Constitution, the Court of Accounts is responsible for examining and certifying the accounts of public institutions and assisting parliament in overseeing the management of public finances.
Factory operating beyond intended lifespan
Lawmakers focused much of their discussion on the condition of the company’s production facilities.
Kibeya said the factory was originally designed to operate for about 25 years but has now been in service for 38 years without undergoing a major rehabilitation program.
“The factory was designed for a lifespan of 25 years,” the minister told lawmakers, adding that the government intends to rehabilitate the existing plant while simultaneously preparing the construction of a new production unit.
According to parliamentary discussions, the two projects would be implemented in parallel to avoid disrupting sugar production.
National Assembly Speaker Gélase Daniel Ndabirabe said modernisation should go beyond infrastructure and include changes in management practices.
He urged shareholders and employees to abandon what he described as a traditional budgeting approach and embrace program budgeting, which links spending to specific activities and measurable results.
Ndabirabe also argued that investing in a new factory would help reduce the recurring costs associated with replacing worn-out equipment.
While lawmakers broadly supported modernisation plans, questions remain about how the projects will be financed.
Kibeya said the government’s immediate priority is to identify financing mechanisms capable of supporting both rehabilitation works and future expansion.
“The first solution is to find financing mechanisms,” he said, referring to the need to secure resources that match the scale of the investment requirements.
SOSUMO has previously indicated that modernisation and expansion plans depend on securing external funding. According to information published by the company, a government-approved rehabilitation, modernisation and expansion project is intended to increase annual production capacity from around 20,000 tonnes to between 35,000 and 40,000 tonnes. (sosumo-burundi.com)
Strategic role in Burundi’s economy
Founded in 1982 and entering production in 1988, SOSUMO remains Burundi’s only large-scale sugar producer. The company was established to reduce dependence on sugar imports, support economic development in the country’s southeast and create employment opportunities.
Company records show that sugar production began with about 4,600 tonnes in 1988 before rising over the decades. However, output has frequently fallen short of national demand, forcing Burundi to import sugar in several years. Data compiled from the Bank of the Republic of Burundi show that domestic demand has periodically exceeded local production, with imports surpassing production in some years.
SOSUMO says aging equipment and irrigation constraints have contributed to declining output in recent years. The company reported that its 2025 sugar campaign produced just over 16,000 tonnes of sugar, below historical peak production levels.
Parliament seeks stronger oversight
Lawmakers also called for tighter management of the company’s resources and closer monitoring of government commitments made during the parliamentary session.
The discussions reflected broader efforts by parliament to strengthen accountability in state-owned enterprises through audits and financial oversight mechanisms.
As the government weighs rehabilitation of the existing plant and construction of a new factory, the Court of Accounts audit has placed renewed scrutiny on whether SOSUMO can modernize quickly enough to increase production and reduce Burundi’s reliance on imported sugar.
