BUJUMBURA, Apri1 25th (ABP) – Burundi would have a great advantage in maritime transport if the commercial ship being built on the shores of Lake Tanganyika were to be launched on the market, according to engineer Paulin Ntoumba, one of the four major Congolese shipowners who have been operating in the naval sector in Burundi for 13 years.
He is indignant that construction work on that ship, which has a capacity of 20,000 tons of goods, has been suspended due to a lack of electricity. He pointed out that his workers were using electricity generators that are now consuming gas oil, which is hard to come by because of the shortage of that product.
The workers are unoccupied and busy playing cards, according to ABP.
Mr Ntoumba added that the manufacture of that boat was a project so badly needed by the Burundian government, and asked that they be provided with electricity so that they could continue working.
The governor of Bujumbura province, Désiré Nsengiyumva, asked Ntoumba whether he had asked REGIDESO to connect the line that supplies the commune’s main town and the surrounding area. He replied in the affirmative, adding that the company had told them that they had to wait for the connection, which would be made in the next few days.
Mr Ntoumba expressed his indignation at the poor relations with the people of the Kabezi commune, who had just stolen six large, very expensive metal sheets that were to be used to make the boat.
He took the opportunity to ask for protection so that his project could be successfully completed.
He revealed that he owns another commercial boat that shuttles between Bujumbura and Zambia, adding that he has another project to build a boat to transport people.