BUJUMBURA, April 25th (ABP) – The road to Burundi’s emergence and development necessarily involves a change of mentality and behaviour. The population must develop a strong sense of work, discipline and rigour. That was asserted by Alain Ndikumana, Head of the Office of Strategic Studies and Development (BESD) at the Office of the President of the Republic of Burundi, in an interview with ABP on Tuesday, 23 April 2024.
According to Mr. Ndikumana, the government of Burundi must first of all know how to draw up its development projects using the planning-programming-monitoring-evaluation system. He welcomed the new programme budget reform.
Burundians also need to increase production 15 times more than they produce today, he said, explaining that the 2040 vision of “Burundi as an emerging country and 2060 Burundi as a developed country” calls for every citizen to produce at least $2,000 a year. For that reason, they must also increase their working hours.
Civil servants need to be assiduous at work in order to be productive, rather than focusing their attention on the time they have to go home. They are also called upon to do other development work outside working hours, such as agriculture, animal husbandry and others, to increase production. In the agricultural sector, farmers, supported by the State, need to abandon subsistence farming in favour of more productive modern agriculture that creates wealth, guarantees food security and contributes to industrialization. Farming must be carried out all year round, even during the dry season, using irrigation.
According to the head of the BESD, Burundians need to plan their births in order to reduce galloping population growth. He explained that, according to the results of the demographic health survey (EDS III 2016-2017), the fertility rate for Burundian women is estimated at 6 children per woman, but the emerging world forecasts 3 children per woman by 2040, while developed Burundi forecasts 2 children. To achieve that, Burundians must change their behaviour.
The young people who make up the Burundi of today and tomorrow must also energetically get down to the work of development by drawing up their own self-development projects, instead of thinking that they will be hired by the State. They are also called upon not to underestimate jobs, because even small jobs generate income.
For the President of the National Youth Council, Dr Thierry Ingabire, young people are a force to be reckoned with, given that they account for more than 70% of the population. Those who indulge in drugs or other behaviour harmful to society must cut short those bad attitudes in order to do development work. Dr Ingabire also pointed out that insufficient electricity and internet access are challenges that hamper the development of young people.
For her part, Donavine Niyonsaba, Director of Gender Equality at the Ministry in charge of gender, pointed out that women are the pillars of development. They must develop projects by working together in cooperatives. Women are capable, but they also need to develop their self-esteem instead of thinking that only men can do certain jobs.
Young girls also need to pursue long studies to obtain high-level diplomas.