The President of Burundi Aims to Clean Up the Mining Sector

During this meeting, participants expressed concerns about improving production while also denouncing cases of corruption that plague the mining industry.

On Tuesday, March 25, in Bujumbura, His Excellency President Evariste Ndayishimiye met with representatives of mining cooperatives operating in Burundi to discuss ways to reform the sector so that it can contribute significantly to state revenues.

“Each cooperative must specify the quantity of minerals it can extract to establish statistics that will be considered when setting the general state budget,” said the Head of State in his opening remarks. He also lamented the lack of knowledge of mining laws among business owners and cooperative leaders.

The President took this opportunity to issue a final warning to mining cooperatives that have not yet updated their contracts with the Burundi Mining Office (OBM) in accordance with the current Mining Code. He urged them to do so promptly to ensure transparent supervision and curb fraud.

“You must understand that mineral resources are the exclusive property of the State, as stated in Article 7 of the Mining Code, and their dividends benefit the entire Burundian population,” he emphasized, also calling on the population to report to the OBM any land suspected of containing mineral deposits.

During the meeting, participants expressed concerns about improving production while also denouncing corruption in the mining industry. They called for the establishment of a one-stop shop to streamline administrative procedures for obtaining mining permits. They also requested a review of the shareholding structure in mining operations, currently set at 16% for the state and 5% for companies, particularly for cooperatives still using artisanal mining techniques.

The President encouraged mining cooperatives and companies to continue their operations, assuring them that business in the sector should follow a win-win principle.

Furthermore, he reiterated that the Burundian government maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward anyone guilty of embezzlement, failure to report, fraud, or corruption in the mining sector. He referred specifically to the Prosecutor of Ngozi Province, who was accused by various participants of being complicit in corruption cases.