SUMMARY REPORT OF THE PLENARY SESSION OF NOVEMBER 23, 2022 ON THE ANALYSIS OF FOUR BILLS

The year two thousand and twenty two, on the twenty third day of November, the senators met in the Senate Chamber for the 112^th plenary session of the sixth legislature to analyze and adopt four bills namely:

1. Bill on the ratification by the Republic of Burundi of the IDA Financing Agreement n^o E0930-BI between the Republic of Burundi and the International Development Association in favor of the Support Project for the Foundations of the Digital Economy (PAFEN)

2. Bill on the ratification by the Republic of Burundi of grant agreement n^o E1280-BI for the financing of the transport resilience project in Burundi (PRT) between the Government of the Republic of Burundi and the International Development Association (IDA)

3. Bill on the ratification by the Republic of Burundi of the IDA financing agreement n^o E0700-BI between the Republic of Burundi and the International Development Association in favor of the Trade Facilitation and Integration project in the Great Lakes (PFCIGL)

4. Bill on the second amendment to the financing agreement for the Agricultural Production Intensification Project to Reduce Vulnerability in Burundi (PIPARV-B) by integration of grant n^o 2000003623 of USD 9,994,500 from the Green Fund for Climate (GCF)

The work of this session which was led by the First Deputy Speaker of the Senate, Honorable Denise NDADAYE, was attended by 30 senators and two representatives of the Government, namely Mrs. Léocadie NDACAYISABA, Minister of Communication, Information Technology and Media and Mr. Dieudonné DUKUNDANE, Minister of Infrastructure, Equipment and Social accommodation. This session started, as usual, with a prayer at 12:40 pm.

Opening the session, the Senate First Deputy Speaker welcomed all the senators present and asked them first to adopt the amended program from November 14 to 25, 2022 before analyzing and adopting the above mentioned bills.

After modification and adoption of the new program, she invited Mrs. Léocadie NDACAYISABA, Minister of Communication, Information Technologies and Media, to present the preamble of the first bill mentioned above.

In her presentation, the Government representative specified that, in general, this Support Project to the Foundations of the Digital Economy (PAFEN) comes to increase access to high-speed internet, especially for underserved populations and to improve the capacity of the Government to provide public services through digital ways. She emphasized that through this project, special attention will be put on the reduction of digital divide, ensuring that Burundi’s rural communities, women and girls, as well as vulnerable groups are connected.

After the presentation, the chairperson of the session gave the floor to the President of the referred standing committee, Honorable Ferdinand NDAYISAVYE, for the presentation of the committee’s report. The report and the preamble were clear so that no question was asked at the end of the general debate, and the bill was adopted unanimously by the 39 senators of whom 30 were present and 9 by proxy.

After the adoption of the first bill, the floor was then given to Mr. Dieudonné DUKUNDANE, Minister of Infrastructure, Equipment and Social Accommodation, to present the preamble of the three remaining bills.

Concerning the second bill relating to the Burundi Transport Resilience Project (PRT), the Minister indicated that this bill introduces a new concept in Burundi which will allow the design and implementation of transport infrastructures that adapt to the natural conditions which are constantly changing in recent years.  It will address the concern of providing efficient road connectivity that is safe and resilient to climate change in Burundi.

As for the bill related to the Trade Facilitation and Integration Project in the Great Lakes Region (PFCIGL), Minister DUKUNDANE emphasized that this bill aims to boost growth sectors and that these include lake transport and other waterways, and the trade sector. The development objective of the project is to facilitate trade and improve the commercialization of selected value chains, targeting mainly women traders in the border regions of the Great Lakes region, he added.

Regarding the bill concerning the second amendment to the PIPARV-B financing agreement by integrating the 9,994,500 USD grant provided by IFAD on behalf of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Minister informed that the co-financing of PIPARV-B on behalf of the Green Climate Fund will allow the extension of PIPARV-B activities in the communes of Gisuru and Kinyinya of Ruyigi Province as well as Giharo and Gitanga of Rutana Province.  These activities will consist of land development, community structure, productivity improvement, valorization and diversification of cooperatives, coordination, management and monitoring-assessment as well as institutional support.   

At the end of the Minister’s presentation on the three bills, the floor was given, one by one, to the presidents of the referred standing committees so as to present their reports.

After the presentation of the reports, the general debate was opened and only one question was asked in relation to the bill on the Transport Resilience Project. The question was whether the rehabilitation of Gitaza-Bujumbura road will pass through Nyabugete, Kibenga-rural, Avenue du large because there is a project to build a road at this level that has existed for years. 

Responding to this question, the Minister said that for the moment, they will rehabilitate the existing road Gitaza-Bujumbura, and the 25 km recommended by the work will fall in the city center of Bujumbura, near the Hotel Novotel, he said.  However, he indicated that the remaining amount will be used in the studies for the construction project of this section passing through Nyabugete mentioned above.

These three bills were put to the vote one by one and were adopted unanimously by 39 senators of whom 30 were present and 9 proxies. 

This session which took place in a climate of favorable agreement was closed at 14:25.