A $53 million agreement signed by Burundi government to boost the food security in rural communities
RegionWeek Newsletter Vol VI, Issue #208 | Wednesday, April 27, 2022
Dear Readers,
An agreement worth more than $53 million was signed this Tuesday, April 27, by the government of Burundi and IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development). The amount will be used in the PRODER project (Rural Entrepreneurship Development Program)
In his speech, the Minister of Finance, Domitien Ndihokubwayo declared that the contract which has just been signed between the government of Burundi and IFAD is made up of a donation of 42,950,000 dollars and a concessional loan of 10,700 000 US dollars which will support the project of IFAD initiative such as PIPARV-B from 2022 to 2024.
The project targeted by the financing aims to contribute to the reduction of poverty, the improvement of nutrition, and the food security of rural communities.
“The development objective pursued is to promote youth entrepreneurship in an equitable and inclusive manner as well as an environment conducive to the development of agro-pastoral enterprises and to strengthening the resilience of the most vulnerable rural populations,” said the Minister of Finance.
Minster Dr. Déo Guide Rurema cosigned the agreement with Mrs. Sara Mbago Bhunu, IFAD's Director General for East and South Africa. Speaking to the press Mrs. Sara Mbago Bhunu said that her trip to Burundi will be a great opportunity to get to the center of the country and see what the IFAD beneficiaries have achieved.
“And since Burundi, like other countries, has been plagued by the Covid 19 disaster, it is a good opportunity to see, as we launch a new project, where it is needed, and what is expected to be done for all those affected by it,” she added
BURUNDI IN THE HEADLINES
BANCOBU becomes the first local bank to receive this triple ISO certification.
Burundi commercial bank Bancobu was this Tuesday evening celebrating and receiving 3 ISO standards certificates by Mr. Raymond TEGUZA, Representative of the Swiss Association for Quality & Management Systems (SQS in the acronym) at Van Beach in Bujumbura.
These 3 ISO standards are The ISO 9001:2015 standard for its Quality Management System. The ISO 14001:2015 standard for its Environmental Management System The ISO 45001-2018 standard for its Occupational Health & Safety Management System.
This certification is obtained following an in-depth audit carried out by the Swiss Association for Quality & Management Systems (SQS), which is the first Swiss certifier and number 2 worldwide in terms of ISO certification.
In her speech Bancobu CEO, Mrs. Trinitas thanked the independent international reference body SQS and said that obtaining these certificates is the result of the efforts made by the Bank to meet its commitments vis-à-vis interested parties, in this case, customers, shareholders, staff, and surrounding communities.
Tanganyika Business Summit
Burundi will be participating in a historic business summit “Tanganyika Business Summit 2022” in Kigoma from May 9 to 11, 2022, Burundi Development Agency said in its press release on April 27, 2022.
The statement mention that the summit will be graced by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan. 500 entrepreneurs from 5 countries including Burundi, Rwanda, DRC, Zambia, and Tanzania will attend the summit.
“The summit is an opportunity to learn from the experience of our counterparts in the sub-region, to strengthen networking through B2B meetings organized on the sidelines of the said summit,” ADB says in a statement.
IN THE REGION
Eighteen Members of the East African Legislative Assembly Committee on Regional Affairs and Conflict Resolution are currently in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for a five-day benchmarking visit to the African Union Commission (AUC).
The overall objective of the 25th- 29th April 2022 visit is to interact with AUC Stakeholders involved in Peace and Security, and Political Affairs as well as acquaint themselves with the operationalization of the African Union’s peace, security, and political programs.
Furthermore, the Committee anticipates acquainting itself with the progress made, the challenges, as well as lessons learned in terms of best practices including alternative financing modal for continental peace programs. The visit is set to strengthen EALA’s legislative and oversight mandate over EAC’s funding and implementation of continental peace and security protocols and programs, thereby effectively contributing to the prevention, management, and resolution of conflicts in the EAC region and the continent as a whole.
During their visit to the AUC, the Committee is expected to hold interactive sessions with the AUC Peace and Security Council (PSC) Secretariat and receive presentations from key Directors and Heads of Departments specifically those involved in matters related to defense, peace, security, and political affairs.
Thanks for reading!
Fabrice Iranzi, Editor in Chief | RegionWeek.com