GITEGA, December 26th (ABP) – The Minister of Infrastructure, Equipment and Social Housing, Mr. Dieudonné Dukundane, said that construction work on the railway linking Tanzania to Burundi will start between June and September 2024.
This announcement was made on Thursday, December 21, 2023 in Gitega (political capital) during an oral questions session in the Burundian Senate. The Minister of National Education and Scientific Research François Havyarimana also participated in that session.
To support his remarks, Minister Dukundane indicated that the African Development Bank (AfDB) has already made the relevant funds available.
Burundi’s share corresponds to 98 million US dollars, he said. On the sidelines of this, Minister Dukundane spoke on the question of compensation for people who gave up their land properties for the extension of the grounds of the presidential palace in Bujumbura.
He indicated that he will contact his counterpart in charge of the environment to agree on the terms of reducing the burden of those compensations on the Burundian government. In this perspective, we could grant, as an indication, housing instead of compensation to people who want it, he said.
As for the probable period for the start of construction work on the palaces of the two Houses of the Burundian Parliament in Gitega, Mr. Dukundane reserved his answer, arguing that the question of compensation amounting to 28 billion remains problematic towards the people who have given up their land for those constructions. However, he indicated that the feasibility work has been completed.
Regarding the Minister in charge of Education, Mr. Havyarimana, the questions posed to him focused on the strategies to be implemented to face the challenges haunting the University of Burundi.
To the question related to the reopening of restaurants on Bujumbura campuses, Minister Havyarimana indicated that the task will be entrusted to private individuals, while expressing the wish to subsidize social services for students such as accommodation and catering. Minister Havyarimana proposed an educational tax of 1 BIF on each product consumed from Brarudi (Burundi Brewery) as a strategy that could help face the multiple challenges of bottom-up education.