*For more detailed database on disasters by country, please see the Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters: EMDAT Information on Burundi

Calamities and Seasonal Effects

Burundi, like many parts of Africa, experiences extreme climate events such as floods and recurrent drought. In the long term, crop failure, chronic food shortages and droughts do occur in the country.  Flood disasters can occur during rainy seasons and causing landslides, while drought can affect populations when dry seasons are longer than usual. Over 80% of the population lives in rural areas and are engaged in various agricultural activities including subsistence farming and livestock keeping.

According to WFP, food security for most Burundians has not improved in recent years, despite the resumption of relative peace in the country. Even during harvest season, households spend up to 60 percent of their income on food. During these difficult times, many households employ a wide variety of coping strategies such as off-farm employment, temporary migration, petty trade, transport and trading in food commodities across food economy zones and participation in food-for-work projects. Some households also reduce the number of daily meals and/or the quantity eaten per meal.

Burundi Relief and Flood Risk Map

Burundi in general has a tropical highland climate, with a considerable daily temperature range in many areas. Temperature also varies considerably from one region to another, chiefly as a result of differences in altitude. The central plateau enjoys pleasantly cool weather, with an average temperature of 20 °C (68 °F). The area around Lake Tanganyika is warmer, averaging 23 °C (73.4 °F); the highest mountain areas are cooler, averaging 16 °C (60.8 °F). 

Bujumbura’s average annual temperature is 23 °C (73.4 °F). Rain is irregular, falling most heavily in the northwest. Dry seasons vary in length, and there are sometimes long periods of drought.

However, four seasons can be distinguished: the long dry season (June–August), the short-wet season (September–November), the short dry season (December–January), and the long-wet season (February–May). Most of Burundi receives between 1,300 and 1,600 mm (51.2 and 63.0 in) of rainfall a year.

Seasonal Affects on Transport

Due to a poor drainage system, there is serious flooding of the roads in urban areas during the rainy season. During the rains, some roads become difficult to navigate, especially in the rural areas where the roads are full of mud and potholes. However, light vehicles equipped with 4WD, can cope with this road condition.
Heavy vehicles might not be able to operate in these conditions. Potential seasonal effects on miscellaneous handling and storage activities include the stoppage of handling operations at the port for perishable goods when it rains. The equipment operators and laborers will stop work and will only resume after the rain has ceased. This break in operations can last for up four hours in a day. As it is common in many parts of Africa, rains will most of the time disrupt operations of any kind till it ceases.

Other ways of transport (air, lake) are not really affected by seasonal effects, as most of the transport in Burundi is by road.

Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response

Government

There is the National Security Council (Le Conseil National de la Sécurité; CNS) headed by the President, who is the head of state of the Republic of Burundi. The Council is responsible for providing disaster relief in the form of food, medicine and assistance with temporary shelter and reconstruction. Other members of this council are the Minister of Defense, the Minister of the Interior etc. In the case of an emergency, this council names an ad hoc commission in charge of overseeing the disaster relief.

4.1 Burundi Government Contact List

Humanitarian Community

Several UN Agencies (WFP, FAO, UNICEF, UNHCR, UNFPA, WHO, UNDP, UNOPS, UNWOMEN, IOM, OSESG) are operating in Burundi

The INGOs intervene in different field, such as Medical, Food Security, IDP’s and Refugee. 

A key part of the work is to investigate the capacity of all the humanitarian actors in the country as well as identify gaps and the way forward to address them. 

UN agencies and INGOs have trucking capacity that can be used for humanitarian response.

For information on Burundi humanitarian background additional details, please see the following document: 4.2 Burundi Humanitarian key figures

4.2 Burundi Humanitarian Agency Contact List

Bureau Burundais de Normalisation et Contrôle de la Qualité (BBN) 

The Burundi Bureau of Standards and Quality Control (BBN) has introduced its own Pre-Shipment Verification of Conformity (PVoC) Program, bringing the country into line with other State Members of the East African Community. This scheme has been designed to protect consumer health and safety by ensuring that goods imported to Burundi conform to applicable local, regional and/or international standards.  

Depending on the certification route, they provide one or a combination of the following interventions:

• Physical inspection prior to shipment
• Sampling, testing and analysis in accredited laboratories
• Audit of product manufacturing processes
• Documentary check and assessment of conformity with the requirements of the applicable standards

Other information can be found here: SGS

Civil Aviation Authority (AACB)

The Civil Aviation Authority (AACB) is the entity which is responsible for controlling airport traffic and making rules relating to aircraft safety, in these two major categories:

• Scheduled air transport, including all passenger and cargo flights operating on regularly scheduled routes
• General aviation (GA), including all other civil flights, private or commercial.

Customs (OBR)

The OBR (Office Burundais des Recettes) link is the entity responsible for collecting taxes on goods coming into the country and preventing illegal goods from being brought in.

Telecommunications Authority (ARCT)

The ARCT (Agence de Régulation et de contrôle des télécommunications) is the entity promoting public access to electronic communications services throughout Burundi and contributes to the development of broadband services needed for the emergence of the digital economy link

Food and Drugs (ABREMA)

Burundi has not yet acquired this authority, although in 2019 a draft decree establishing and organizing the Drug and Food Regulatory Authority (ABREMA) was created.

East African Community

East African Community Website

The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organization of six (6) Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. The EAC organs are the Summit, the Council of Ministers, the Co-ordinating Committee, the Sectoral Committees, the East African Court of Justice, the East African Legislative Assembly and the Secretariat.

The EAC is home to 177 million citizens, of which over 22% is urban population. With a land area of 2.5 million square kilometers and a combined Gross Domestic Product of US$ 193 billion (EAC Statistics for 2019), its realization bears great strategic and geopolitical significance and prospects for the renewed and reinvigorated EAC.

The work of the EAC is guided by its Treaty which established the Community. It was signed on 30 November 1999 and entered into force on 7 July 2000 following its ratification by the original three Partner States - Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The Republic of Rwanda and the Republic of Burundi acceded to the EAC Treaty on 18 June 2007 and became full Members of the Community with effect from 1 July 2007. The Republic of South Sudan acceded to the Treaty on 15 April 2016 and become a full Member on 15 August 2016.

As one of the fastest growing regional economic blocs in the world, the EAC is widening and deepening co-operation among the Partner States in various key spheres for their mutual benefit. These spheres include political, economic and social.

Currently, the regional integration process is in full swing as reflected by the encouraging progress of the East African Customs Union, the establishment of the Common Market in 2010 and the implementation of the East African Monetary Union Protocol.

Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)

COMESA Website

Burundi is a member state of COMESA, The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa which is a preferential trading area with twenty-one member states (560 million people) stretching from Libya to Zimbabwe.  

World Trade Organization (WTO)

World Trade Organization 

Burundi is a member state of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

World Customs Organization (WCO)

World Customs Organization

Burundi is a member state of the World Customs Organization (WCO). link

 For information on Burundi Regulatory departments, please see the following links: 4.10 Burundi Regulatory Departments Contact List.

https://burundi.gov.bi/gouvernement/

Custom procedures are rarely cited as a major obstacle. While import authorizations can remain complex and cumbersome procedures, this does not seem to be insurmountable and they do not deteriorate significantly during crises. On the other hand, the addition of barrier measures at the borders and during controls has created an extension of the border control transit time. Unexpected and undisclosed changes in procedures could occasionally create heavy delays and unpleasant annoyances due to a lack of communication or liaison with relevant government actors.

Duties and Tax Exemption

Emergency Response

Exemption Regular Regime (Non-Emergency Response)

Humanitarian aid imports can enter Burundi duty and tax free but there are certain limitations.

The customs legislation in force in Burundi, governed by decree law No1/58 of 12/11/1971, does not include specific legal provisions for humanitarian aid imports. Only in its Chapter 7, Article 89 it is stipulated: “Duties and taxes exemption is allowed, within the limits and in the conditions determined by the Minister for Finance, for the goods imported under diplomatic, consular or similar privileges". As such, under the current national legislation of Burundi, this importation concession is not absolute but under the discretion of the Minister of Finance through OBR, principal revenue collection body of the Government of Burundi.
The Customs Department is under the direct supervision of the OBR (Office Burundais des Recettes) of the Minister of Finance.

Concerning the customs codes for release for free circulation, it varies according to the tariff classification of individual goods. It is necessary to know this for the nature of the goods, the composition, and the operation or the use of the goods. The Customs department has made an official customs tariff guide in which the goods are classified in a nomenclature with all the information stated above. Thus, the customs regimes and sub-regimes make it possible for automatic taxation through the information processing system SYDONIA (Automated Customs System).

As a side note, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Co-operation is the entity under the Government of Burundi to be the focal point of communication between the Government and international aid organizations in the general context and execution of operations. Thus, any step to take goods out of customs bond is not possible without the approval of the aforesaid Ministry.

Exemption Certificate Application Procedure

For contact information regarding government custom authorities, please follow the link: 4.1 Burundi Government Contact List.

This is general information on the customs clearance of goods into Burundi. Please contact the customs authorities for more information. Operational clearing offices are located in Bujumbura, Kayanza, Gitega and Kobero border.

General Information

Transit Regime

For further information, please refer to the Official site of ‘Office Burundais des Recettes’ (OBR): Office Burundais des Recettes

Port Overview

The port of Bujumbura is both the first port in Burundi but also the first port of Lake Tanganyika (in front of the port of Mpulungu in Zambia, Kalemie in the DRC, Kigoma in Tanzania).

South of Bujumbura is the Rumonge landing site, the only major landing site in Burundi. Both the port and the landing site serve not only Burundi, but also destinations in the Eastern Congo. Previously, when the border to Rwanda was still open for trade, the Port of Bujumbura also served destinations in Rwanda. Sitting right next to the center of the economic center and former capital of Burundi, the port is well-connected by road. Key competitors for the port are road transportation from Tanzania and a planned railway line from Tanzania to Rwanda and possibly Burundi.

The Port of Bujumbura was built in 1959, with a designed capacity of 200,000 tons. It was expanded during the years 1989-92, and the capacity expanded to 500 000 tons. The port was run as a parastatal until 1992, when a lease agreement was signed for a duration of 10 years with the EPB, a public partnership company (public 43% - private 57%). The port is currently state-owned and managed by the private company Global Port Services Burundi (GPSB), under a concession agreement with the Burundi Maritime, Port and Railway Authority.

The port is relatively well-developed, with a main quay of about 360 meters length, several secondary berths, four rail-mounted gantry cranes and significant warehousing space. The port has also several forklifts. An oil jetty and oil storage are to the north of the port. A key issue for the port is the proximity to a sewage channel, leading to sedimentation and necessitating regular dredging.

The current total carrying capacity of Burundi owned vessels on Lake Tanganyika stands at 10,000 tons.

Four Burundi shipping companies dominate shipping on Lake Tanganyika:

1. ARNOLAC Cargo Shipping operates seven barges and four tugboats and two oil tankers, able to carry about 5,000 tons respectively 535 cubic meters in total.
2. BATRALAC operates three cargo vessels, the Rwegura with 500 tons, the Tora with 1,100 tons, and the Teza with 1,500 tons of capacity.
3. RAD MARINE operates two vessels with 560 tons (MV Bihanga) respectively 1,500 tons (MV Byamwezi) of capacity. (Hamburg Port Consultants, 2018)
4. The newer operator, AH. THUMBA operates one vessel, MV Kiriri.

The port operations management is a concession from the State of Burundi. The infrastructures of the Port belong to the Government. The port handles a wide range of cargo including bagged products (cement, sugar, fertilizers etc.) liquid bulks (oil products). Break bulks (iron and steel) motor vehicles, machinery and containerized cargoes.

There are plans to improve the ports performances:

• Dredging of the port basin
• Purchasing of new cranes for conventional general cargoes
• Replace the container cranes
• Expand the port (new warehouses, floating dock, dry dock etc)
• Improving the automated load planning in the port of Bujumbura
• Construction of a naval building site
• Installation of cold chain at the Bujumbura port

Port Picture

Description and Contacts of Key Companies

4.3 Burundi Port and Waterways Company Contact List

Port Performance

The port is situated on the north of Lake Tanganyika and to the north-west of the city of Bujumbura in the industrial zone.

From the port of Bujumbura, port of Mpulengu (Zambia), Kigoma (Tanzania) as well as Kalundu and Kalemie, in the Eastern part of the DR Congo can be accessed. Through Bujumbura, Lake Tanganyika serves as a link with Kigoma in Tanzania for rail shipment to Dar es Salaam. From the port of Bujumbura, EAC, COMESA and SADC markets can be accessed through Bujumbura. As the level of trade increases in the region and other parts of Africa as projected, the port of Bujumbura offers a more cost-effective mode of transporting cargo and people.

There is a storage facility of fuel to the north belonging to a company (SEP) that it’s specialized in fuel storage. The distance from the quay to the storage site is about one kilometer. To the south at about half a kilometer there is vehicles’ parking at Gare Routiere.

Source : Banque de la République du Burundi (link)

Port Handling Equipment 

In total, the port has 920 m of quays, with a draught between 4 m and 8 m. The port has an area protected by the two jetties, and the port basin, 450m long and 100m wide, for berthing of the cargo vessels.

• North Jetty 330m long (A part of the jetty, 150m long, is used as oil terminal)
• South bank 220m long (several berths for passenger vessels)
• South Jetty 120m long (To protect the South Bank)
• Port Basin 450m long 100m wide (for cargo operations)

Equipment

• Four Rail mounted cranes "TITAN" cranes, 5 tons at 18m, 2,5 tons at 36m for general cargo
• One Fixed derrick 50 tons capacity, for containers and heavy lift
• One Mobile crane "PINGUELY" crane, 81 tons capacity for containers and heavy lift
• Two Front loaders 25 tons and 28 tons for containers
• Ten Forklifts 4,5 tons

This storage space at the port is sub-leased and is not well maintained so direct delivery on trucks is recommended.

There is an open storage area as well as warehouses built out of durable material in the port premises.

The public storage space is provided by the State but managed by the GPSB (Global Port Services Burundi).

For more information, please consult the following link

Customs Guidance

This storage space at the port is sub-leased and is not well maintained so direct delivery on trucks is recommended. There is an open storage area as well as warehouses built out of durable material in the port premises.

For information on Burundi Port of Bujumbura customs details, please see the following link: 1.3 Burundi Customs Information.

Terminal Information

Grain and Bulk Handling

There are no bagging facilities available in the port.

Container Facilities

There are no advanced container facilities in use. The containers are usually off-loaded and kept in the port yard till all the required processes are completed before the owners can take custody of them.

Costs for bulk/bagged cargo vessels: Bulk cargo is charged at US$ 1.90 TEU/day. Bagged cargo is charged at US$ 0.60 MT/day.

Main Storage Terminal

Stevedoring

Stevedoring services are provided by the port and are included in port charges.

Hinterland Information

Shunting from port is performed by private transporters who are contracted by the cargo consignee. 

Port Security

Security at the port is generally good. Both the military and Police personnel are present 24 hours a day, and many local banks have branches within the port. Reports of theft are rare.

For Burundi Port of Bujumbura Contact details, please see the following link:  4.3 Burundi Port and Waterways Company Contact List.

There is one Airport (Bujumbura) and three major airfields in Burundi which are in, Gitega, Ngozi and Kirundo. The Burundian Civil Aviation Authority (AACB) is responsible for all management and operational aspects of the Burundian National Airports Network and Air Space Management System. Its scope is to implement Government policies on civil aviation, to coordinate with, and advise stakeholders on general developmental issues affecting civil aviation. The main fields covered are: Communication, Navigation, Surveillance and Air Traffic Control.

Burundi is a relatively small country in terms of area and there is not much requirement for many regional airports. Additionally, being such a hilly country there’s less flat land.

Procedures for Foreign Registered Aircraft

Humanitarian Air Transport

1. The agency requests (letter) authorization for the operation of the aircraft to the Ministry of Transport with copies to MINAFEX and the AACB.
   1. The letter should contain information on:
      • the type of air transport (cargo, passenger)
      • regular flights, air taxi.
      • the destinations.
      • type of aircraft and registration number.
   2. The following documents are to be attached:
      • Operator, Aircraft & Crew documentation.
      • Air Operator Certificate
      • Certificate of Registration
      • Certificate of Insurance
      • Certificate of Airworthiness
      • Certificate of Maintenance Release
      • Crew licenses.
2. Once a favorable response is recieved, an authorization is received, the aircraft can be put to use. A provisional air service license is not necessary for the operation of humanitarian flights.

For information on Burundi Airport contact details, please see the following link:  4.4 Burundi Airport Company Contact List.

Burundi has a road network of nearly 12,000 kilometers.  According to the Highways Authority, the inland road network consists of a network of 4,456 km of classified roads (i.e., the maintenance of the Highways Office), including 22 national roads with a linear 1952 km and 91 provincial roads with a total linear of 2522 km. Of the classified roads, 1647 km of roads are paved, compared to 305 km unpaved.

Three categories of roads are identified. First, the national roads (RN) that connect provincial leaders with each other and with the borders. Then comes the 2,522 km provincial roads that connect the chiefs of the communes with each other and with the provincial chiefs. Finally, there are communal roads of a length of 2,587 kilometers, very strategic, which connect hills, municipalities and provinces. The unclassified network, which is the responsibility of local authorities, comprises 6,150 km of roads of communal interest and agricultural trails, and 462 km of road inside Bujumbura. (Source: link)

Most of the roads were built between the 1960s and 1990s. Natural disasters, especially with landslides, the civil war that lasted nearly fifteen years, and the lack of maintenance have damaged the network.

In terms of quality, according to the Office of Roads, 17% of national roads are in very good condition, 11% in good condition, 26% in average condition and 46% in poor condition. Of the provincial roads, 8.6 km by 2522 km are paved and in very good condition, the rest being in poor condition (65% of the roads). Despite maintenance problems, more than 1500 km or nearly 80% of the linear of national roads is paved. Some localities, however very strategic economically, are difficult to reach. For roads whose responsibility for maintenance lies with local authorities, a significant part is in deplorable condition, as the municipalities do not have enough budget allocated to this task.

Roads are expensive for the taxpayer. For example, only one km of the coated pavement of the Kirundo-Gasenyi section on the RN14 cost $466,111.97 for Muyinga-Cankuzo one km is estimated at $5,553,387 the coated km of Nyanza Lake-Mabanda-Mugina on the RN3 is equivalent to $1,230,897

Burundi is a landlocked country and its trade, both local and international, depends mainly on the road network. In fact, 80% of the country's trade takes place internationally, compared to 20% for the national level.

According to the Highways Office, three main Corridors connect Burundi to the international ports of Mombasa and Dar-Es-Salaam respectively in Kenya and Tanzania. This is the northern corridor that connects Bujumbura to Mombasa via the cities of Nairobi in Kenya, Kampala in Uganda and Kigali in Rwanda for about 2040 km; the central corridor that connects Bujumbura to Dar-Es-Salam via Kobero for a distance of 1630 km. Finally, the north-south corridor connects Rwanda (Bugarama) to Tanzania (Kigoma) via the borders of Ruhwa and Mugina. The latter is new and replaces the southern corridor via Lake Tanganyika. The length of Burundi's road network on these corridors is summarized in the following table.

In terms of road length, Burundi is the most deprived country of road infrastructure. The country has an average of almost half a kilometer of road per km2. Rwanda and Kenya are in second and third place respectively with 350 meters and 280 meters per km2 respectively. Uganda has a road density of 230 meters for every square kilometer. Tanzania is the least developed country in this area with about 40 meters of road for each km2.

The ease of import and export is the most important indicator for assessing the quality of transport. It is measured by meeting deadlines in the documentation requirement and procedures. The longer the time spent on borders and barriers, the worse the quality. In terms of exports, for example, the time frame for Burundi and Tanzania (120 hours) is low for Kenya (7 p.m.). In terms of import times, they are higher in Tanzania (264 hours) and Burundi (180 hours), and shorter in Rwanda (72 hours).  The following table provides a comparison of documentation requirements for EAC member countries.

Source : http://akeza.net/un-reseau-routier-dense-au-burundi-quel-potentiel-pour-le-developpement-du-pays/

Although the roads are economically strategic for Burundi, administrative procedures to facilitate cross-border traffic are still very cumbersome compared to most other ECA countries. To overcome this challenge, the modernization of control equipment is more than necessary because time has a direct impact on the cost of transport.

Distance Matrix

Road Security

Burundi does not have any specialized service for road accident prevention even though road accident statistics are on the rise each year. The various services responsible for road safety are non-operational and lack coordination, and road safety information sources are unreliable. Insurance companies are the only reliable sources of information in matters relating to car accidents.

The National Road Agency being responsible for road infrastructure contributes to improve the situation, especially by considering aspects of road safety regarding both technical designing of infrastructure and the maintenance thereof.

Weighbridges and Axle Load Limits

Different axle load and gross vehicle mass (weight) limits is the current practice among the partner states within the EA region. Burundi and Rwanda still at early stages of developing laws and regulations to control vehicle overloading while Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have more advanced laws and regulations - but differences in training of personnel and operational practices occur

Countries in the East African Community will have to uniform the laws on vehicle weight limits in less than a year.

This comes after member states reached consensus on commercial vehicle loading and management strategies. The forum resolved to apply consistent axle load limit of 56 tons on seven standard axles in all partner states.

Kenya allows a maximum of 48 tons for vehicles, Rwanda and Burundi 53 tons while Tanzania and Uganda allow 56 tons,

Kenya had initially opposed the adjustment and insisted on between 48 and 52 tons. While Tanzania and Uganda axle limits stand at 56 tons, Rwanda and Burundi limit stood at 53 tons.

Transport and infrastructure experts from EAC will now prepare a memorandum on the agreement for consideration by the Sectoral Council on Transport, Communication and Metrology on October 10, and a requisite bill prepared for enactment by early next year.

NB: for Burundi, axle load limitation figures are not yet implemented

There is a plan to harmonize axle weight limit in all EAC countries. Typically, payload may not exceed 30MT for a truck of 6 axles.

For more information, please visit the following link.

Road Class and Surface Conditions

Burundi main corridors in country

-KOBERO-GITEGA-BUJUMBURA

-GASENYI-NGOZI-BUJUMBURA

-KANYARU-KAYANZA-BUJUMBURA

-RUHWA-BUJUMBURA

-MUGINA-NYANZA-LAC-BUJUMBURA

Burundi Transport corridors

Northern corridor: Mombasa-Kampala-Kigali-Bujumbura

Central corridor: Dar-Es-Salaam-Kabanga-Bujumbura

Southern corridor: Mpulungu (Zambia)-Kigoma-Bujumbura

Burundi doesn’t have any railway lines yet; however, there is a project to build railways which will connect Isaka (Tanzania), Gitega (Burundi) and Musongati (Burundi) with total distance of 691Km. The project will be funded by African Development Bank.

4.9 Burundi Railway Company Contact List

Regional railways

Kenya's railway infrastructure spans from the Port of Mombasa to the central highland regions, Lake Victoria and the neighboring countries. The railway is connected to Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) by wagon ferries across the Lake Victoria and via Malaba and to the Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) through a link from the Tanga line (Tanzania) to the rail network at Taveta (Kenya). Long term plans are presently underway to extend new railway lines between Uganda, Kenya (through the capital of Mombasa) and Burundi.

Each Agency and Organization have its own storage space for its activities.  There’s a storage facility provided at the Lake port which is managed by GPSB (Global Port Services Bujumbura). There are also a couple of privately owned buildings in Bujumbura that can be rented for storage. It’s possible to negotiate contracts for a short or long duration and prices vary. Indicative price range is from 4.6 USD to 5.65 USD per square meters. There are a couple of agencies that offer services in warehouse/stores management. This is useful in insecure areas where project staff has difficulties in accessing the beneficiaries. The rent of the warehouse space is done through a contract between the agency and the owner of the property.

Commercial Storage

Storage Used by Humanitarian Organizations

IRC:

Storage facility in three different locations. The items stored are mainly NFI’s:

• Bujumbura :       2,880 mt
• Muyinga :            986,13 mt
• Ruyigi :                 4,487,40 mt

Total Capacity : 8,353.53 m3

ICRC :

• Warehouse in Bujumbura 3400 mt, essentially for medical stock, plus a cold room of about 460 m3
• Fuel storage of 40,000 m3 (Interpetrol)
• Procurement via Nairobi, 80% via road à Nairobi-Uganda-Rwanda (Kayensa customs clearance point)
• Authorization for small planes DRC-Bujumbura and Nairobi-Bujumbura
• Big warehouse in Goma (DRC)
• Emergency stock of Essential Household Items for 2,000 households

MSF:

• 6 warehouses
  • Three warehouses in Bujumbura: one for pharmaceutical products, one as emergency stock and one for logistics
  • One warehouse in Gisuru
  • One warehouse for pharmaceutical products in Kininya
  • One warehouse in Ntita
• 12,000 liters of fuel in Bujumbura and 5,000 liters in Kininya

UNICEF:

• Two warehouses at Bollore and AMSA; health, nutritional and immunization products go through CAMEBU
• UNICEF has a small office in Gitega
• Corridor mostly used is Dar-Es-Salam (Tanzania)

WFP:

• Main warehouse is situated in Bujumbura, with a capacity of 6,500 mt, WFP is currently looking for another location, in order to increase storage capacity and avoid flooding.
• Warehouse in Gitega with a capacity of 6,500 mt
• Warehouse in Ngozi with a capacity of 8,500 mt

Total WFP storage capacity in Burundi is 21,500 mt

Burundi Red Cross:

• Five warehouses throughout the Country
• Bujumbura warehouse with a capacity of 2500 mt
• Gitega warehouse with a capacity of 5800 mt
• Muyinga warehouse with a capacity of 550 mt
• Kirundo warehouse with a capacity of 540 mt
• Ngozi warehouse with a capacity of 370 mt
• Total capacity Countrywide: 9760 mt

Public Sector Storage

The storage spaces are available for rent and are associated with the Airport and Lake port of Bujumbura management. (refer to the relevant paragraphs under GPSB and SOBUGEA)

Cold Chain

The Ministry of Health, EPI (Expanded Program on Immunization) manages the cold chain infrastructure. There is however two 20’ refrigerated containers at the airport managed by SOBUGEA for vaccines, cold chain use.

UNICEF works closely with the government in the procurement of vaccines for the EPI program.

There are 3 cold rooms on the premises of the EPI program maintained at a positive (+2 to +8 degrees centigrade) temperature. The cold rooms are powered by Maneurop Danfoss reciprocating compressors. In addition to these are 11 freezers each with a capacity of 67 liters. The supply of vaccines starts from the EPI office in Bujumbura to the Health Centers in the provinces which in turn supply the Health posts. Kerosene refrigerators with a freezer compartment and freezers are in use in the provinces for the cold chain. The program also has quite a substantial number of cool boxes, ice packs, vaccine carriers etc.

 For information on Burundi Storage assessment contact details, please see the following link:  4.5 Burundi Storage and Milling Company Contact List.

The grain production industry in Burundi is on a very small scale with food production generally focused on pulses, roots and tubers (potatoes), fruit and vegetables. However, there are reasonable quantities of rice and maize grown which is milled at small facilities in the district towns. Apart from MINOLACS, the milling facilities available in the country are mostly small operations milling for household consumption.

Milling Company MINOLACS

The storage space for raw grain is for a quantity of 3,000 tons and 2,000 tons for milled. The flour is packed in 50kg and 25kg bags with appropriate markings.

Milling Company JUMA HASSAN

Milling Company AZAM Burundi

The storage space for raw grain is for a quantity of 3,000 tons and 2,000 tons for milled. The flour is packed in 50kg and 25kg bags with appropriate markings.

Aline Milling

 For information on Burundi Milling company contact details, please see the following link:  4.5 Burundi Storage and Milling Company Contact List.

Disclaimer: Inclusion of company information in the LCA does not imply any business relationship between the supplier and WFP / Logistics Cluster, and is used solely as a determinant of services, and capacities.

Please note: WFP / Logistics Cluster maintain complete impartiality and are not in a position to endorse, comment on any company's suitability as a reputable service provider.

There are two oil refineries in East Africa – Great Lakes region, one in Kenya and in Tanzania.

Kenya Petroleum Refineries Limited (KPRL) currently has a daily crude processing capacity of 2,000 barrels per day.

TIPER Dar-es-Salaam oil refinery can process 17,500 barrels per day.

Burundi has no oil or gas resources, so all petroleum products are imported from Saudi Arabia via Tanzania. As imported petroleum products are supplied via the neighboring countries, their supply is costly and often irregular. The petroleum sector, via its company INTERPETROL, is under the control of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism which supervises oil imports.

Commercial trade and humanitarian assistance to Burundi, the eastern DRC, parts of northern Tanzania and southern Sudan also rely on the Port at Mombasa. These countries are therefore at risk of being with any disruption in supplies.

For information on Burundi Fuel Provider contact details, please see the following link:  4.8 Burundi Additional Service Provision Contact List.

Fuel Pricing

The price of fuel is controlled by the government. The government’s oil price policy is used to keep the selling price constant while adapting the level of taxation to compensate for changes in the world market. The price of fuel at the pumps varies throughout the country.

Valid prices per liter as per 19/10/2020

Updated fuel prices in Burundi at following link

Operation Rates - Burundi Exchange Rate

Seasonal Variations 

There are shortages but this is more to do with actual refining performance from Tanzania & Kenya.

WFP has made an agreement with Tanzanian suppliers, in order to have fuel delivered to Burundi, outside the normal channels.

Fuel Transportation

Fuel is transported by road from Tanzania and Kenya by fuel tankers. Oil products in the region are distributed using two main routes that include the Northern and Southern corridors. The Northern corridor serves Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Eastern DRC and Southern Sudan through the Mombasa port. The Southern Corridor serves Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Eastern DRC through the Dar es Salaam port. Fuel distribution by road is well organized but fuel shortages may occur due to the fuel pipeline having insufficient capacity to meet demand.

 Standards, Quality and Testing

For more information, please see the following links:4.1 Burundi Government Contact Listand 4.6 Burundi Fuel Provider Contact List.

Disclaimer: Inclusion of company information in the LCA does not imply any business relationship between the supplier and WFP / Logistics Cluster, and is used solely as a determinant of services, and capacities.

Please note: WFP / Logistics Cluster maintain complete impartiality and are not in a position to endorse, comment on any company's suitability as a reputable service provider.

The transport market is gradually picking up in the country. A couple of nationals have started investing in the private transport sector. Some of them have started becoming members of transport associations in order to profit from their combined efforts. Most of the potential transporters are individuals with trucks to service their private businesses. It’s possible to rent these trucks when they are idle and not engaged in the business of their owners. Some transporters have heavy duty trucks that are mainly used for international transport. The truck rental prices depend on the capacity (tonnage), the distance of the journey and the condition of the road. The smaller the truck the higher the rental costs and the shorter the distance of the journey, the more the cost of the rental.

Truck rental prices vary with the prices varying depending on cost of fuel.  

For information on Burundi transporters contact details and fleet size information, please see the following link: 4.7 Burundi Transporter Contact List.

Disclaimer: Inclusion of company information in the LCA does not imply any business relationship between the supplier and WFP / Logistics Cluster, and is used solely as a determinant of services, and capacities.

Please note: WFP / Logistics Cluster maintain complete impartiality and are not in a position to endorse, comment on any company's suitability as a reputable service provider.

Workers are legally permitted to form and join unions, although the army, gendarme, and foreign workers are prohibited from unionizing. Urban civil servants make up most union members. Approximately 60% of the 80,000 formal private sector employees and virtually all public sector employees are union members. The current Labor Code permits strikes but only after alternative remedies have been exhausted and six days’ notice given. Unions are permitted to be affiliated with international organizations.

The minimum wage is set at $1.4 to $2.0 per day, depending on the region of the country.

4.1 Burundi Government Contact List

For information on Burundi Telecommunications contact details, please see the following link:  4.8 Burundi Additional Service Provision Contact List.

Telecommunications

Services per Operator

• LUMITEL BURUNDI                                        website: https://www.lumitel.bi/
• ECONET WIRELESS BURUNDI                      website: https://econet.bi/index.php/fr/
• SMART Burundi                                              website: http://www.smart.bi/LetsTalk/
• ONATEL/ONAMOB                                        website: http://www.onatel.bi/

The actual country coverage of telecommunications in Burundi is as follows:

Telephones - fixed lines

Total subscriptions: 24,840.

Phones - mobile cellular

Total subscriptions : 6,317,000.

Phone system

With its population density Burundi is an attractive telecom market in Africa for investors. The government in early 2018 began the Burundi Broadband project, which plans to deliver nationwide connectivity by 2025; mobile operators have launched 4G and LTE mobile services to capitalize on the expanding demand for Internet access (2018).

Internet

Total users: 944,794. Internet service providers (ISP), High Speed Broadband Cable, Wireless, DSL Internet Service: Please consult the following link for more information. 

The fiber optic national network is under construction since 2012 (Backbone Burundi System).

For more detailed information, please consult the following link.

Broadcast media

State-controlled Radio Television Nationale de Burundi (RTNB) operates a TV station and a national radio network; 3 private TV stations and about 10 privately owned radio stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available in Bujumbura (2019). Radio France International is available, as per BBC World Service, in both English and Kirundi. Foreign news coverage is licensed from French television. Burundi’s main news agency is the state-owned Association Burundaise de Presse. Newspaper circulation figures are tiny, and negligible outside Bujumbura. Le Renouveau is the government newspaper.

Burundi Postal Administration is under the authority of the Ministry of Communications, Information Technologies & Media. A Board of Directors, appointed upon proposal by the Minister, establishes the policy of the Postal Administration and decides on any issue submitted by the Management. The mission of the Postal Administration is to organize, manage and operate the mail collection and exchange network over the national territory and between the postal administrations of country members of the Universal Postal Union. The Postal Administration is now offering Internet Services, through the Cyber Post.

Telecommunication Regulations

No restriction of communication equipment importation except for a VSAT, Mobile Satellite Phones, which requires approval and release by the ARCT (Agence de la Régulation des Contrôles de Télécommunications). Submission of declaration is also needed to clear the goods from the customs.

This should be obtained from the relevant ministries (Defense & Foreign Affairs).

Existing Humanitarian Telecoms Systems

The UN Security Cell has implemented a VHF communication network covering the whole country. The UN agencies have their own channel and can use the existing communication network. Communication is not reliable due to the hills and mountains in the country, as several repeater stations need to be fixed to ensure better coverage of the country.

Main Food Suppliers

Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country with an underdeveloped manufacturing sector. The economy is predominantly agricultural, accounting for 50% of GDP in 2017 and employing more than 90% of the population. Subsistence agriculture accounts for 90% of agriculture. Burundi's primary exports are coffee and tea, which account for 90% of foreign exchange earnings, though exports are a relatively small share of GDP. Other agricultural products include cotton, tea, maize, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, manioc (tapioca); beef, milk and hides.

Approximately 80% of Burundi's population lives in poverty. Famines and food shortages have occurred throughout Burundi, most notably in the 20th century, and according to the World Food Programme, 56.8% of children under age five suffer from chronic malnutrition. Burundi's export earnings – and its ability to pay for imports – rests primarily on weather conditions and international coffee and tea prices.

The purchasing power of most Burundians has decreased as wage increases have not kept up with inflation. As a result of deepening poverty, Burundi will remain heavily dependent on aid from bilateral and multilateral donors. Foreign aid represents 42% of Burundi’s national income, the second highest rate in Sub-Saharan Africa.

There are five major marketing regions in the country, namely the north-eastern, north-central, west- central and western regions. Markets in Bujumbura City dominate trade although Gitega and Ngozi have large markets that serve as transit points for food commodities as well as trade centers for their provinces.

Volatility of rice prices could be explained by the fact that most of the rice consumed in urban areas where most of the large markets are located is imported.