GITEGA March 2nd (ABP) – The Japanese ambassador to Burundi, Mr. Isao Fukushima, solemnly handed over on Wednesday February 28, to the communal administration of Giheta in Gitega province (central Burundi), the infrastructures which house the Gasunu community market financed by Japan as part of the “construction of the Gasunu community market” project, a check by ABP has revealed.
That donation, consisting of two common sheds, 32 stalls, a toilet block and two drinking fountains, was built on Gasunu hill in the Kiriba zone in Giheta commune.
The handover ceremonies saw the presence of the advisor to the governor of Gitega province in charge of development, Mr. Serge Sabukunze, the provincial secretary of the CNDD-FDD party, Mr. Georges Nshimirimana, members of the Giheta municipal council as well as the surrounding people.
In her welcoming speech, the administrator of the Giheta commune, Ms. Micheline Ninahaza, warmly thanked Japan for that invaluable gift that that country has just granted to the Giheta commune. She reported that the cost of that contract was 178,880,000 BIF, including 172,680,000 BIF for the construction works and 6,200,000 BIF for the audit office. The balance is estimated at 2,637,986 BIF, without taking into account maintenance fees and bank commissions.
Ms. Ninahaza asked the Japanese ambassador to Burundi to kindly authorize them to use that remainder in the construction of a retaining wall to combat landslides which could damage part of the infrastructure of that market. She also pleaded for the extension of that market so that it can properly serve the beneficiary population. She also pointed out that to ensure the sustainability of that work, the municipality will ensure maintenance and repair of any defects; hire sentinels for the security of buildings, goods and merchandise belonging to market users; equip the market manager’s office with furniture and guarantee good hygiene conditions.
The traders’ representative, Mr. Niyonkuru Benjamin, said the project to build that Gasunu market came at the right time because, he said, they were spreading their wares on the ground. He indicated that during the rainy season, the activities of that market were often disrupted, which caused enormous losses for its users and the municipality. He hopes that with that new, modernly designed market, the working conditions and business climate for its users will be better.
Speaking, the Japanese Ambassador to Burundi said that the objective of that project is to allow 4,000 local residents to access the market and continue their economic activities, whatever the weather conditions, supporting by- there their means of subsistence. The Japanese government thus granted the Giheta commune a financial aid subsidy in the amount of USD 88,692 as part of the Japanese program of donations to local micro-projects contributing to human security “GGP/Kusanone”, a program whose aim is to continue to ensure human security, which is a guiding principle of Japan’s development cooperation. He hopes that those facilities will contribute to effectively guaranteeing a stable agricultural activity for the inhabitants of that region in order to achieve sustainable development of the communities, where no one will be left behind.
The advisor to the governor of Gitega in charge of development invited the population of Gasunu to properly manage and benefit from those infrastructures by carrying out income-generating activities.