CANKUZO February 9th (ABP) – The Minister of East African Community Affairs, Youth, Sports and Culture, Mr. Ezéchiel Nibigira, met on Tuesday, February 7, 2023 with youth representatives of Cankuzo province, in order to listen to their grievances.
On that occasion, Minister Ezéchiel Nibigira indicated that Burundi has many opportunities in the East African Community, based on the different important positions run by Burundians, starting with the leadership of the community. However, to compete with others in the labor market, young Burundians must study and master the English language without forgetting the mother tongue and the culture.
In sport, Minister Ezekiel is pleased that there is a great improvement. According to him, we have already seen that young rural people are also capable. To help those young people improve their talents, the selection for the President’s Cup competition will now be started from the villages to the provincial level for talent detection.
Concerning the establishment of exchange banks for shillings-Burundi francs, the minister said that this problem is known at the government level, promising that he will, for his part, recall to its implementation.
As for the decentralization of the services of the Youth Investment Bank (BIJE), he said that the opening of its branches will be done systematically so that all the provinces will have them in the future.
About the products which are not appreciated in other EAC countries, he said that it depends on their quality. You need quality products that meet international standards to compete. Minister Nibigira then indicated that the government is aware of this and is ready to strengthen the skills of the BBIN in order to remove all those challenges.
In connection with the construction or rehabilitation of youth centers at the level of the communes and their equipment, he pointed out that the ministry already has reports on the inventory, saying that they are looking for the necessary means to carry it out.
However, the minister deplored the fact that the Reading and Cultural Animation Centers, CLAC, contain objects, books telling foreign stories and not of Burundi. He said he was satisfied with the contribution of the people in terms of improving those centers, specifying that traditional objects will now be exhibited in those CLACs to awaken and make the Burundian culture known.