Maritime and air transport are advantageous once profitable. Unfortunately, the latter remain underdeveloped. In this issue 621 of Burundi Eco, we will return to the state of maritime and air transport as presented in the general states on transport
The transport of goods and people by boat is inappropriate in secondary ports and on the northern lakes.
In his presentation entitled “The role of lake transport in Burundi’s economic growth”, Apollinaire Nkuranga, head of the hygiene, health, safety and environment department at the Maritime and Port Authority of Burundi (AMPB), the lake fleet is dilapidated and poorly maintained. He indicates that the port infrastructure and equipment are old and less maintained.
Mr. Nkuranga admits that the evolution of tonnage is low and there is a lack of connection in multimodal transport.
And to add: “However, multimodal rail-lake transport is cheaper, but less used.” He also deplores that the port of Rumonge has been submerged. Mr. Nkuranga points out the absence of an effective system of communication between ships and ship-ports, the absence of connectivity between ports, the absence of a maritime and multidisciplinary training and development center as well as the absence of maritime meteorological data.
For him, the transport of goods and people by boat is inappropriate in secondary ports and in the northern lakes. “There is also a lack of personnel in the maritime transport sector (low and unattractive salaries), a lack of management autonomy. Insufficient budgetary allocations do not allow the AMPB to properly carry out the missions assigned to it…”, he notes.
Transport development programs on Lake Tanganyika
Mr. Nkuranga announced infrastructure development projects along Lake Tanganyika. These include the Bujumbura port modernization and rehabilitation project and access roads, the Rumonge port development project, the Kabonga port development project, the Buyenzi canal diversion, the construction of the shipyard, the construction of the container terminal, preparations for the ongoing dredging of the port basin, the construction of the passenger quay.
He regrets that the rehabilitated oil quay was submerged. As for the Rumonge port construction project, component A concerns civil engineering works. It aims at the construction of two protective dikes, the construction of a docking quay, the construction of a floating platform for passengers, the construction of an administrative building, dredging and earthworks as well as road works and various networks.
Component B deals with port equipment. It includes the installation of a mobile pneumatic crane, two 3- to 5-ton forklifts, beaconing equipment at the port entrances, navigation aid equipment on the lake and equipment for the training centre (computer and office equipment).
“The estimated cost of the project is USD 14.7 million within 30 months,” Mr. Nkuranga reveals.
As for the construction project of the port of Kabonga, civil engineering works are envisaged. This includes the construction of a 160 m long quay that can accommodate 2 boats of 60 m each, the construction of storage sheds and an administrative building for public services, the construction of the North and South embankment dikes, the construction of a passenger quay (RoRo ramp), the construction of a berthing area for small units, the development of the central reservation: backfilling and development of the central reservation, creation of traffic lanes. This is without forgetting the construction of access roads: connection of the port to the RN3 and creation of a subgrade (bitumen) on the Kabonga – Nyanza Lac section of this road and electrification, i.e. the connection of the port to the electricity network. According to Mr. Nkuranga, the consultant has already carried out preliminary studies (balance of the donation allocated to the feasibility studies of the port of Bujumbura). It is therefore necessary to carry out detailed studies within an estimated period of 6 to 9 months. The budget is estimated at between 200,000 and 350,000 USD. Funding has not yet been secured.
Investor facilitation measures
Mr. Nkuranga specifies that the AMPB has initiated and implemented the training program for 3 divers for search and rescue. Currently, he says, three boat captains are being trained in Dar-es-Salaam. “The establishment of a search and rescue (SAR) plan is underway while the acquisition of 2 mobile cranes for handling containers, 3 search and rescue boats and 2 signaling beacons at the entrance to the port is planned,” he insists before informing that a harmonization of the transport legislation on Lake Tanganyika is being considered…
Air transport essential
On behalf of the Burundi Civil Aviation Authority (AACB), Deus Niyonkuru made a presentation called “Air transport, lever of the country’s economic development”. This presentation indicates that air transport stimulates foreign exchange inflows from the activities of airlines, service providers and air service suppliers. Its author Mr. Niyonkuru explains that this mode of transport also stimulates the growth of tourism. According to him, air transport generates income for agriculture through the export of agricultural products (flowers, fruits and vegetables, fish and meat). He continued: “Air transport makes it possible to better combat famines and epidemics by the rapid delivery of food and medicines.”
To make it profitable, Mr. Niyonkuru calls for the development of tourism, the increase in export products, the multiplication of conferences, seminars, workshops and sporting events. According to him, the strategic integration of air transport with other modes of transport, in particular lake transport (opportunities in the South-East of the DRC, Zambia, etc.) and that of the strategic integration of air transport in the overall strategic vision of the country is an asset.
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