SUMMARY REPORT OF THE PLENARY SESSION OF FEBRUARY 10, 2022 RELATING TO AN ORAL QUESTION WITH DEBATE ADDRESSED TO THE MINISTER OF INFRASTRUCTURES, EQUIPMENT AND SOCIAL HOUSING

The year two thousand and twenty-two, on the tenth day of February, senators met in the hemicycle of the Senate in Gitega for the 77th plenary session of the sixth legislature relating to an oral question with debate addressed to the Minister of Infrastructure , Equipment and Social Housing.

The session was directed by the Senate Speaker, Right Honourable Emmanuel SINZOHAGERA. This session, which saw the participation of 35 senators and a Government Representative, Mr. Déogratias NSANGANIYUMWAMI, Minister of Infrastructure, Equipment and Social Housing, began as usual with a prayer at 10:46 a.m.

Opening the session, the Senate Speaker first welcomed the Honourable senators and the Government Representative, Mr. Déogratias NSANGANIYUMWAMI and subsequently invited the latter to provide clarifications to the various questions of senators.

About the delay of the project of the construction of the office of the Parliament in Gitega, the Minister answered that this delay is caused by the procedure which must follow the project which has several stages from the beginning to the notification.

With regard to compensation for the land on which the offices of the Parliament will be erected, the Minister indicated that the technical team has already finished recording the compensation costs.

To the question of knowing the ministries which will be housed by the buildings which will be built in Gitega, the Minister indicated that it is difficult to know them, since some have been merged. The master plan of the city of Gitega which shows the different neighbourhoods and the activities intended for them is already available. He added that the studies related to those offices are already conducted. What remains is  to buy the construction machinery necessary for the construction, explained the Minister.

As for the National Assembly which continues to build other buildings in Bujumbura in its headquarters in Kigobe while there is already the project to build its office here in Gitega, the Government Representative indicated that these are not new buildings, but rather rehabilitation activities

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Concerning the delay of the project to rebuild the central market of Bujumbura which has experienced a fire accident in 2013, the Minister indicated that the undertakings have been delayed for the development of this site. He added that a group of commercial banks in Burundi has committed to build this market in a modern way.

On having asked about the inventory of the file of the request for plots in the city of Gitega for the Honourable senators and the officials of the Senate, the Minister replied that the master plan and the delimitation of the city of Gitega have been the main causes of the delay in granting these plots. “The plan is now available, we are waiting for the development of the site and the granting”, said the Minister.

About a Chinese company which would have agreed to build the buildings which will house the Parliament of Burundi for a lower amount compared to other companies which tendered, the Minister indicated that his Ministry has never been aware of that.

Regarding the old unoccupied state buildings located in the various provinces of the country, the Minister said that these buildings first need to be rehabilitated. He also indicated that with the services of the OBUHA which are now available in the provinces and the building Engineers in all the communes of the country, the inventory of needs and rehabilitation studies has become easy. Moreover, the Ministry has a budget of 11 billion for the maintenance of these offices, he clarified.

As for the exorbitant budget allocated to the rent of the offices housing the ministries, senators expressed the wish to the Government to contract a loan to build the State’s own offices. At this senators’, the Minister welcomed it and promised to submit the proposal to the Government.

With regard to public buildings which are not maintained and not used by State services, the Government Representative replied that maintenance was difficult at a time when there were no services in the provinces and municipalities for making an inventory of the infrastructures to be maintained. He said that it remains to have the necessary budget to spend for the construction of public buildings in order to minimize the costs allocated to lease contracts.

When asked whether the Government has the list of unmaintained public buildings throughout the country, Mr. Déogratias NSAGANIYUMWAMI replied that the inventory was made after the decentralization of OBUHA services and municipal engineers.

About spaces intended for the cultivation of cotton, playgrounds, spaces reserved for public infrastructure, green spaces in the plain of Imbo which have been distributed by State services for other uses, the Government Representative indicated that the servicing of the Imbo plain has been suspended. The Government has a project of the innovative plan of the city of Bujumbura and studies of this project are in being conducted, added the Minister.

As for the compliance with the 150 meters from the lake Tanganyika, the Minister indicated that a team in charge of the delimitation of this perimeter has been set up and the activity is in course.

For those who build houses during the night in the prohibited spaces, the Minister stressed that measures to secure these places are already taken.

Regarding the project to protect the Port of Bujumbura against the flooding caused by the rising waters of the lake Tanganyika and the modern construction of this port of Bujumbura and that of Rumonge, the Minister indicated that this project is still at the level of the supervising ministry. He underlined that he ministry having the infrastructures in its attributions is waiting for the report to be forwarded to him for execution.

Regarding the servicing of the town of Gitega which has not yet started, the Minister replied that the servicing works could not begin without having the master plan and the delimitation of that town which are already completed for the moment.

As for the inventory of activity of building municipal hospitals, the Minister replied that some of these hospitals are already available and others are under construction.

In connection with the construction of the national road number 11 which connects the provinces of Cankuzo, Rutana and Makamba and the road number 13 which connects Cankuzo with Tanzania, the Minister made it known that for the National road number 11, the studies were conducted. He clarified that China, which had agreed to build this road, did not continue the work because there was no compromise guarantee between Burundi and China.

For the National Road number 13, the Minister indicated that on the side Burundi, the studies are already done. When Tanzania completes its studies, the two countries concerned will seek funding together, he added.

Regarding the paving of the provincial centres of Burundi, the Minister affirmed that soon the project will continue in all the provincial centres. He went on saying that budget meant for this work was reduced 6 years ago following the decision of partners not to continue funding the country.

As for the bridges of the roads which connect the provinces of the country which are almost all destroyed, the Government Representative replied that the Road Agency of Burundi (ARB) is in the process of rehabilitating the various bridges destroyed throughout the country despite the lack of machinery.

For the maintenance of national roads, the Government Representative indicated that the Government intends to give this work to village cooperatives in the context of reducing unemployment. He also added that with the zero potholes in the roads project, the Government has increased the budget for the maintenance of these roads from 8 billion to 24 billion.

Regarding the damaged State vehicles which are scattered in the country, the Government Representative replied that in the inventory that the General Directorate of Equipment has made, some vehicles can be repaired and returned to circulation. 

With regard to the taps of Regideso which are on the offices of the State which are not repaired whereas they are damaged, the Minister indicated that this problem was solved with the decentralization of the services of his Ministry in the provinces and the establishment of the post of a municipal engineer.

Concerning the anarchic constructions in the non-serviced areas, the senators wanted to know the management of these areas, once the servicing has been decided. Mr. Déogratias NSAGANIYUMWAMI explained that during the implementation of these activities, the services in charge of servicing trace roads while reserving the spaces where the power lines and pipes of Regideso will be installed without causing much destruction.

Upon being asked about the time required to develop the plot in the serviced site, the Minister said that the law gives a period of 6 months for the plot to be built. He indicated that after this period, the owner of the plot receives a one-month formal notice before it is awarded to a new buyer. The Government Representative clarified that those who have not yet developed their plots in the serviced sites in the province of Karusi and the city of Gitega have already received letters of formal notice.

Regarding the question related to the property titles canceled by the Ministry of Justice in the Nyabugete site in Kanyosha, the Minister replied that that issue is at the level of justice, adding that the administration will implement the decision which will be taken by the court.

To the question of whether the services of OBUHA can carry out the work of collecting sand and stones in the rivers to sell them in order to finance the activities of this institution, the Minister indicated that the State services are not authorized to trade.

As for the 7th Avenue of the Kanyosha area which has been rehabilitated in the paving system whereas that road was tarmacked before, the Government Representative promised to make inquiries to find out the reasons.

With regard to the Kizingwe-Bihara site which has been serviced, but whose plots have not yet been allocated to the beneficiaries, the Minister indicated that it is the associations which represent the owners of this locality which have handicapped the activities following their own interests. He specified that the services of OBUHA are looking for the adequate solution.

In connection with the ravine which is in the National Road number 12 (Gitega-Karusi) which risks blocking the traffic, the Minister replied by affirming that this ravine will soon be developed in the works of the project called “zero pothole”.

For the issue related to the state of execution of the project to build the Nyabikere health site in the province of Karusi, Mr. Déogratias NSANGANIYUMWAMI indicated that the work is in progress.  

Concerning the contributions made in the districts of the City of Bujumbura for the paving project, the Minister reassured senators by telling them that these contributions are well preserved while waiting for the share of the partners who will finance the work.

Regarding the Road Agency of Burundi (ARB) which does not have sufficient equipment to put road signs on the roads during road rehabilitation works, the Minister replied that the agency is still new; it has not yet reached the stage of having all the required equipment.

Regarding the construction of the roads Bujumbura-Gitega and Kobero-Gatumba, the Minister indicated that it is difficult to carry out all the projects at the same time. He added that the studies of the project to build the Bujumbura-Gitega road have already been completed and that these studies must be assessed by an international technician.

Concerning the vehicles and motorcycles used in the execution of the projects which disappear with the executing party at the end of the execution works while these could help in the monitoring of these projects which are carried out, the Government Representative indicated that a decision had been taken to leave these means of transport available to the provinces.

The Minister supports that the idea of ​​building homes in the different localities of the country should be submitted to the Government.

In connection with the delay in the project to build Bugendana airport in Gitega and Kabanga airport in Ngozi, Mr. Déogratias NSAGANIYUMWAMI indicated that these projects are still under consideration. He said also that the administration may lend these lands to cooperatives to carry out short-term projects.

As for the delay to build the National Road number 3 (Bujumbura-Rumonge), the Minister reassured senators by saying that the activities are in progress. He also pointed out that it was the compensation calculation activities that mainly caused this delay.

At the end of the debate, the Honourable senators recommended to the Government to make an action plan to know the projects carried out compared to the forecast.

The session which had taken place in an atmosphere of perfect harmony ended at 15:30 with a prayer.