BUJUMBURA May 23rd (ABP) – The Cabinet met on Wednesday May 18, under the chairmanship of the Head of State, Mr. Evariste Ndayishimiye, at the presidential palace Ntare Rushatsi, with 10 points on the agenda of the day including that in connection with the construction of a shopping center on the site of the former central market of Bujumbura, according to the press release from the General Secretariat of the State.
Among the items on the agenda was a note on the inventory of the file relating to the construction project of a shopping center on the site of the former central market of Bujumbura.
According to the press release, after analyzing the activities already carried out in relation to this file, it is observed that the implementation of the roadmap is lagging behind the forecasts. Among other things, the adoption of the decree authorizing the State to participate in the capital of the company and that granting the concession of the site of the former central market of Bujumbura to the company, as well as the creation of the mixed company, to continue the rest of the process, were scheduled for June 2021. The choice of the project and the model was scheduled for November 2021. The reception of the studies including the environmental impact studies as well as the launch of a call for the offers for the construction of the shopping center are scheduled for June and July 2022. Also, the laying of the first stone is scheduled for April 2023, while the inauguration of the shopping center is scheduled for April 2026.
Given the delay already consumed, the Association of Banks and Financial Institutions of Burundi will have to prove the lost delay. In the event that the Association of Banks and Financial Institutions of Burundi does not manage to prove that it is able to make up for the time lost to build the infrastructure within the deadlines agreed in the roadmap, the land will be transferred to other investors. After discussion and debate, observations and recommendations were made.
The delay of the project could be explained by the way in which the activities must follow one another. Indeed, the feasibility study could not be possible without the joint venture having been set up. It was then recommended that within one month, this company be created to facilitate, that the managers of this new company draw up the updated schedule of activities and that they proceed to mobilize other partners to subscribe to the project.