SUMMARY REPORT OF THE PLENARY SESSION OF JUNE 19, 2024

In the year two thousand and twenty-four, on the nineteenth day of June, the senators gathered in the hemicycle of the Senate for the 196th plenary session of the sixth legislature. The session was chaired by Right Honourable Emmanuel SINZOHAGERA, Senate Speaker. It was about an oral question addressed to the Ministers of Hydraulics, Energy and Mines and the one in charge of Infrastructure, Equipment and Social Housing.

This session, which brought together 31 senators, the two Government Representatives, namely, Mr. Ir Ibrahim UWIZEYE, Minister of Hydraulics, Energy and Mines and Mr. Dieudonné DUKUNDANE, Minister of Infrastructure, Equipment and Social Housing. The session began, as usual, with a prayer at 9:27 a.m.

Opening the session, the Senate Speaker first welcomed the senators present, and then the two distinguished guests, whom he thereafter invited to answer the question addressed to them.

At the end of the Ministers’ responses, general questions for debate were asked.

Asked about the status of the implementation of the programme of His Excellency the President of the Republic at the Ministry in charge of infrastructure, Mr. DUKUNDANE Dieudonné indicated that this programme is being implemented through the reforms undertaken in the various services, namely the digitalization, the construction of public buildings housing state services, as well as the rehabilitation of roads in many provinces of the country.

Concerning the OBUHA construction sites which are to be found almost everywhere in the country, senators suggested that it would be practical to carry out a small number of projects. Dieudonné DUKUNDANE explained that OBUHA adopted the system to meet the vision “Burundi, an emerging country 2040”, given that all ministries use this institution for construction projects recorded in their programme- budgets.

Regarding the sites which appear to be abandoned after the start of the work, the Government Representative responded that these sites were not abandoned.  He gives two reasons which explain this situation: either, these are projects which cannot be carried out in one go during the budgetary year; or, it is a question of a temporary suspension of the construction site during the execution.

However, for the budget year 2024-2025, and in order to unload it, construction projects in different ministries will no longer be carried out through OBUHA. Only its technical support will be needed when necessary for efficiency sake, specified the Minister.

Regarding the inventory of the construction file of the land where the central market of Bujumbura was located, the Minister indicated that this file has not progressed as expected since the association of banks which should put in value of the land did not have sufficient funds to carry out the project.

Regarding the delay in compensation for the site where the railway will be built, Dieudonné DUKUNDANE indicated that a part of the compensation is planned in the budget for the financial year 2024-2025.

Regarding the status of the implementation of the programme of His Excellency the President of the Republic within the Ministry in charge of Hydraulics, Ir Ibrahim UWIZEYE indicated that the programme is being implemented via the reforms that the Ministry has undertaken in the various services including digitalization, the electrification programme of all municipal centres, the finishing of dams under construction, the supply of drinking water in the different villages of the country.

Concerning the shortage of fuel, senators wanted to know if it would not be better to authorize the supply of this product from neighbouring countries. To this question, Ir Ibrahim UWIZEYE replied that granting this authorization would be the legalization of fraud.

Regarding the lamentations of people who complain about the fact that they did not get the electric meters for which they have paid in AHAMR or Regideso while they admit to be sure of the existence of the meters in the stock of Regideso, the Minister replied that Only three-phase meters remain in stock while the latter are requesting single-phase meters. However, he reassured them by specifying that an order for a thousand meters is expected shortly.

As for whether Burundi really has a mining map, the Minister responded in the affirmative, while specifying that it deserves to be updated.

Regarding whether any person is authorized to operate mines, the Minister indicated that any category of person is authorized to be part of the operating cooperatives except those responsible for the administration.

The session closed in a climate of perfect understanding with a prayer at 17:39.