BUJUMBURA, April 29th (ABP) – The “Samaste makara” company, which produces charcoal from food scraps, is asking for material support from the government to produce quality charcoal in order to contribute to the vision of Burundi as an emerging country by 2040 and a developed country by 2060, the company’s president, Astère Uwimana, told us on Wednesday 24 April 2024.
According to Mr Uwimana, the company began producing charcoal in 2020 using palm nuts, but the charcoal it produced was not appreciated by customers, which is why the company turned to the Youth Economic Empowerment and Employment Program (PAEEJ) to apply for a loan so that it could buy the right equipment to produce quality charcoal.
Mr. Uwimana pointed out that that has helped them to improve their output.
However, he deplores PAEEJ’s slowness in granting loans. He is therefore calling on PAEEJ to review the procedures for granting loans, because, he says, that is paralyzing the activities of entrepreneurs.
The Chairman of “Samaste Makara” pointed out that the raw materials used to make charcoal are the remains of bananas, maize, rice, etc.
According to Mr Uwimana, people really like the charcoal produced by Samate makara. But, he lamented, supply is still lower than demand, due to a lack of machinery to help them produce more in a short space of time. That company, he said, has 5 people working for their own development and to contribute to the development of the country.
He called on the government to help Samaste Makara obtain the equipment it needs to produce quality coal in sufficient quantities. “Helping young people is helping the country”, he stressed.