BUJUMBURA January 24th (ABP) – The President of the Republic of Burundi, Evariste Ndayishimiye opened Monday, January 22, 2024, at the Ntare Rushatsi presidential palace, a two-day government retreat to look at the program budget, one of the major reforms initiated by the Burundian state in public finances.
That retreat saw the participation of the vice-president of the Republic of Burundi, the prime minister, members of the government, executives of the presidency and the prime minister, representatives of the World Bank and experts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
In his opening remarks, the Head of State indicated that the objective of that retreat is to strengthen the capacities of leaders on the fundamental principles of “program budget” reform, under the direction of IMF experts who came to share experiences from other countries.
President Ndayishimiye deplored the fact that during the years following the Independence of Burundi, they spent more than 50 years without knowing the economic potential of the country, without the idea of the natural resources that Burundi abounds. That has meant that we have spent years with poor planning and bad governance, a routine that must be abandoned to develop the new public finance management reform.
He pointed out that it is by aligning ourselves with the discipline of the “program budget” that we will be able to properly organize the Burundian economy. He indicated that each actor must show projects they plan to carry out in a specific period and the results they will achieve.
He also clarified that they are aware that reforms are not always easy because the thematic concepts and tools are often new, which justifies the need for capacity building for stakeholders.
The Head of State took that opportunity to signify that the “program budget” will contribute to the success of vision 2040, Burundi an emerging and developed country in 2060,” explaining that the implementation of that vision is accompanied good planning reforms to lay solid foundations. It is also necessary to deepen reflections on how the reforms initiated in public finances can contribute to the achievement of the 2040-2060 vision.
He invited the participants in that government retreat to carefully follow the presentations of the IMF experts, so that Burundi derives maximum benefit.
Members of the government must take ownership of the recommendations that will come from that retreat and implement them, each as far as they are concerned in their sector.
According to the Head of State, Burundi is on a path of no return where all state institutions and all sectors of public administration must switch to “program budget” mode, hence the importance of master all dimensions, approach and methodology.