More than a decade ago, Burundi tried unsuccessfully to join the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI). In recent days, it has demonstrated a renewed willingness to join. This is an admirable step towards promoting transparency in the mining sector.
Given Burundi’s mining potential, it is necessary to ensure transparency in mining.
The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) promotes transparency, good governance and accountability in the use of revenues from mining, oil and gas extraction. It has two main objectives, namely, to make public the payments made by extractive companies and the revenues received by the State (taxes, royalties, etc.) and to promote and strengthen the approach based on dialogue between a plurality of stakeholders. Given Burundi’s mining potential, it is necessary to ensure transparency in mining.
According to Gabriel Rufyiri, President of the Observatory for the Fight against Corruption and Economic Embezzlement (OLUCOME), some political figures in Burundi have been involved in the illicit exploitation of minerals, which has hampered the process of joining the EITI since 2012. During the press conference on Monday, July 8, 2024, he regretted that Burundi had not yet joined this initiative, while welcoming the desire recently expressed by the government of Burundi to renew its request to join the said initiative.
Some countries in the sub-region have already committed to joining the EITI. These include the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tanzania and Uganda. Only Rwanda and Burundi among Burundi’s neighbouring countries have not yet joined.
Demonstration of commitment
For Burundi to be approved to join the EITI, it shows its commitment. The latter concerns the dissemination of a press release showing the willingness to join this initiative, the management and promotion of industries that deal with minerals of natural resources, the appointment of the focal point with which the international secretariat of the EITI must collaborate with the government of Burundi, revealed Gabriel Rufyiri.
In addition, this commitment involves the establishment of a multi-stakeholder group composed of members from government, the private sector and civil society. The tasks of this group are to organize meetings and produce reports. The country’s approval for EITI membership lasts for a period of five years. This period allows for an assessment of whether the country is meeting its commitment. If the report shows that the commitment has not been met, the application will not be approved and must be suspended.
According to Rufyiri, president of OLUCOME, if the mineral sector is put forward, it could generate more than 30% of Burundi’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). For him, if the government really wants to get Burundi out of the economic impasse in which it finds itself today, it must engage in the promotion of governance and more particularly in the mining sector, he concludes.
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