BUJUMBURA December 16th (ABP) – The Assistant to the Minister of Public Service, Labor and Employment, Mr. Déo Ruberintwari, together with senior officials of his ministry, held a meeting on Tuesday, December 13, 2022 with the heads of various services of the company Itracom Packaging (ITRAPACK), located in quarter 9 of the Ngagara zone, in the city of Bujumbura, during a visit he made for that purpose.
In an interview given to the press, after having made a guided visit to the manufacturing industry of packaging bags of different kinds, Mr. Ruberintwari indicated that the objective of that visit was to implement the recommendations of the government, to organize visits to private companies, with a view to discussing with the managers of those companies the implementation of the content of the labor code. It is also within the framework of encouraging national and international investors, to create companies in order to support the sustainable development of the country. Mr. Ruberintwari appreciated that the company ITRAPACK complies with national and international labor standards. It also employs many workers.
During the meeting, the managing director of ITRAPACK, Mr. Sophonie Ngendakuriyo, explained to the assistant of the minister responsible for labor and his companions that the company ITRAPACK manufactures and sells the packaging bags of different products. He added that this company started in in February 2022 and it employs 734 employees, including 282 women, or 38%, and 451 men, or 62%. Mr. Ngendakuriyo also indicated that this company pays taxes and duties to the Burundi Revenue Authority (OBR). The company also gives contributions within the INSS, for the social security of its employees and for the supplementary pension.
He did not forget to specify that the ITRAPACK workers are obliged to work 24 hours, so day and night, in two shifts, from Monday to Saturday, each worker must work 40 hours a week and the company can produce 64,000 bags a day, he said.
However, he pointed out the problem of lack of necessary equipment, resulting from the scarcity of the currencies necessary for their importation. Mr. Ngendakuriyo took the opportunity to ask the government of Burundi to support private companies in order to improve the quality of the services provided, especially the distribution of bags throughout the country and to reduce the journey of traders who import the bags from outside the country, and the search for markets in neighboring countries, in order to support the sustainable development of the country. Note that this company is one of the branches of the International Trading Company (ITRACOM).