BUJUMBURA July 11th (ABP) – During a workshop organized on July 6, 2023 in Bujumbura by the Ministry of Trade, Transport, Industry and Tourism in collaboration with the Association for the Environmental Protection ( ENVIRO – PROTEC) as part of the “Support Project for the Transition to Electric Mobility in Burundi”, the permanent secretary of the said ministry, Mrs. Faïda Catherine, indicated that although electric mobility has many advantages, it also presents disadvantages that can cause obstacles to its implementation.
She reiterated that a global transition to low- or zero-emission mobility is essential to meet international climate commitments, including the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. She also noted that currently, the transport sector is globally responsible for around a quarter of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions and is expected to reach a third by 2050. The global car fleet is expected to double by 2050, and almost all of this growth will take place in low- and middle-income countries.
By 2050, two out of three cars will be in developing countries. This means that achieving global climate goals will require moving to zero-emission mobility in all countries, including low-income ones. As part of the implementation of the Paris Agreement, Burundi has drawn up and implemented a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
Mrs. Faïda did not fail to point out that although the advantages of electric mobility are numerous, electric vehicles also have disadvantages that can cause obstacles to its implementation. She cited the high acquisition prices, the charging time of their batteries remains quite long, lack of regulation and clear sector policy, change of mentality, little charging infrastructure, management of electronic waste and batteries after their useful life, are some of the major challenges for electric mobility in Burundi, which does not yet have a legal, political and institutional framework relating thereto.
She specified that deal with those challenges, the government is preparing to integrate the “Electric Mobility” component into the existing legal framework on road transport in Burundi, putting in place national policies and strategies for electric mobility in Burundi, developing regulatory texts for the use of electric vehicles, developing the charging network on national territory, adapting tax incentive systems to importers of electric vehicles, supporting companies in renewing their fleet, encouraging public-private partnership in the promotion of electric mobility, encouraging national institutions, international organizations and other development partners to serve as an example in the promotion of electric mobility, setting up favorable loan conditions for the import of electric vehicles, developing appropriate infrastructure for electric vehicles, two-wheelers and tricycles.