Victoire Ndikumana, Minister of Trade and Industry, Postal Services and Tourism since 2010, discusses Burundi’s efforts to increase its regional and international trade.
European Times: What are some of your ministry’s key goals?
Victoire Ndikumana: Burundi currently has a trade deficit and we need to increase our exports significantly. We hope to expand our trade with other East African Community countries now that we have harmonised our regulatory environment to fit EAC standards. Burundi’s main export products are coffee and tea, which we export internationally as well as regionally, but we need to add value to them instead of exporting them as raw materials. In addition, there is great potential for Burundi to export its other high-quality agricultural products like rice, beans and fruit, especially given growing demand for organic products. The ministry is supporting many agricultural projects.
European Times: Why should foreign investors target Burundi?
Victoire Ndikumana: We welcome joint-venture partnerships which will help bring in new technologies as well as funding and will further open up our markets. The Ministry of Trade and Industry is currently funding several transport-infrastructure projects and we are building a refrigeration unit at the international airport; these initiatives will enhance Burundi’s investment attractions. Burundi also offers a number of investment incentives, including duty-free imports and tax breaks.
European Times: Since you also oversee the tourism sector, what are some investment opportunities in that industry?
Victoire Ndikumana: We are targeting the middle and high-end tourism markets, to focus on quality rather than quantity. Burundi is filled with tourism potential, from Lake Tanganyika to an area in the southern part of the country where there is very pure water and rich plant and bird life. We want to attract investment in resorts there and we particularly welcome international hotel groups. Burundi also has many natural springs which can be developed for spa tourism, and of course our country is ideal for eco-tourism thanks to its many unspoiled natural areas.
European Times: What is your personal message to potential investors?
Victoire Ndikumana: Over the past two years, the government of Burundi has been working very hard to improve the country’s business climate and we have achieved impressive success. Now it takes only a day to start a business, we offer one-stop-shop investor services, and Burundi has been ranked one of the top 10 reformers in the global ‘Doing Business Report’. Burundi is a small country with huge potential.
