BUJUMBURA September 8th (ABP) – The Prime Minister of the Republic of Burundi, Gervais Ndirakobuca received, Wednesday September 6, 2023, in audience, the Vice-President of the World Bank for the East and Southern Africa region, Mrs. Victoria Kwakwa , visiting Burundi for the first time.
At the end of the audience, Mrs. Kwakwa told the press that the meeting with the Prime Minister focused on the existing partnership between the World Bank and Burundi. The Prime Minister presented structural and economic reforms that the government is implementing to boost economic growth that will benefit all the Burundian people.
The vice-president of the World Bank promised that this institution will continue to support the government in these reforms aimed at economic growth in Burundi.
According to Mrs. Kwakwa, the two personalities also looked at strategies to support the agricultural sector in order to make it much more resilient to all climate shocks. She also promised that the World Bank will increase its support in this area which is greatly exploited by the majority of the Burundians.
The World Bank will also support Burundi in accelerating access to energy, which is insufficient. Transport and other sectors targeted in the 2040-2060 vision to see an emerging and developed Burundi will not be forgotten, noted Ms. Kwakwa.
The Vice-President of the World Bank for East and Southern Africa and the Prime Minister of Burundi also discussed the ways and means necessary to promote the private sector, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, and the contribution of the mining sector, to the development of the country. Ms. Kwakwa proposed not to export all the minerals but rather to transform a certain quantity to achieve the industrialization and employability of young Burundians who will help transform the Burundian economy.
In turn, the Prime Minister’s spokesman, Moïse Nkurunziza, said that the Prime Minister welcomed the multifaceted support of the World Bank in almost all sectors of national life. He took that opportunity to ask that bank to support the project to digitize state services, which will strengthen good governance and the fight against corruption.
The Burundian defense forces on peacekeeping and security missions in other countries also need to be supported, he insisted.