SUMMARY REPORT OF THE PLENARY SESSION OF 27 JUNE 2023

The year two thousand and twenty-three, on the twenty-seventh day of June, the Senators met in the Senate hemicycle for the 144^th plenary session of the Sixth Legislature to analyze and adopt the draft law revising the Mining Code.

The session, which was chaired by the Speaker of the Senate, Right Honourable Emmanuel SINZOHAGERA, was attended by 33 senators and a government representative, Ir Ibrahim UWIZEYE, Minister for Water, Energy and Mines. It began as usual with a prayer at 9.38am.

Opening the session, the Speaker of the Senate first welcomed Honourable Senators and the Minister, Delegate of the Government, and then invited the latter to present the preamble of the bill on the agenda.

In his presentation, the Minister pointed out that Burundi has a rich and varied mining and quarrying potential in its subsoil. Research has shown that several parts of our country are rich in mineral substances, the rational exploitation of which should be the driving force behind our country’s socio-economic growth.

He added that the mining sector plays an important role in the country’s development, since it attracts both domestic and foreign investors, which also increases our country’s foreign exchange reserves. He also pointed out that such a sector deserves special attention, even in the smallest details of its legislation, a reason why it is vital to ensure that there are no loopholes in the legislation and that it is in line with international instruments relating to mining and quarrying.

Thus, by amending the law no 1/21 on the Mining Code in Burundi, the Government issued recommendations in order to remove its gaps. It is important to incorporate the innovations and additions, while complying with the relevant recommendations, in order to move the mining sector forward and maximize its performance,” he explained.

At the end of the presentation of the report by the referred committee, the floor was given to Honourable senators to speak in the general debate for further clarification.

Asked when Burundi’s mineral resources would actually be exploited, Ir Ibrahim Uwizeye replied that the revision of the mining code was intended to attract investors in that sector and mark the beginning of the exploitation, while protecting the country’s interests.

The government representative replied in the affirmative to the concerns of Honorable senators that there would be a great deal of speculation in the mining operation, given that the economic impact for the country remains invisible. However, he reassured the people’s representatives by saying that the exploitation contracts will be signed after verification of the technical and financial capacity of the winning company.

As to whether the contract for nickel exloitation has already been awarded, given that the code has not yet been published, the Minister indicated that the nickel operation file is still at the tender stage.

With regard to the research carried out in the past in Lake Tanganyika proving the existence of hydrocarbons, the senators wanted to know whether its exploitation could not be considered. In response to this concern, the Government Representative explained that the exploitation of this hydrocarbon is a matter for three countries (Burundi, Tanzania and the DRC) which requires a memorandum of understanding between these three countries.

Asked whether the national cooperatives have technical capacity to carry out industrial mining, the Minister replied that there are no national cooperatives capable of doing so, but that they would confine themselves to artisanal mining, as provided for in the Mining Code.

After the adoption of technical and basic amendments, the bill was submitted to the vote and adopted unanimously by 39 senators, 33 of whom were present and 6 by proxy.

The second item on the agenda consisting in the presentation of reports has been postponed for the plenary session of 29 June 2023.

The session which took place in a climate of mutual understanding ended at 2.12 pm with a prayer.