BUJUMBURA January 10th (ABP) – Since the establishment of a one-stop shop for business creation in 2013, 13,635 companies have been registered with the Investment Promotion Agency (API) until September 2019, said on Wednesday January 8, 2020 the interim director of that agency, Mr. Serges Nsabimana, during a press coffee on the achievements of the API.
Mr. Nsabimana, who informed the public about the achievements of the API since its creation 10 years ago, reported that “62, 63% of those companies were created in 2018 and 2019 following the movement exceptional registration of village cooperative societies.
From its creation until September 2019, the API “ granted the certificate of eligibility for the advantages of the investment code to 375 companies, ” said Mr. Nsabimana, who welcomed that most of between them ” contribute significantly to the tax base and are listed at the Office
Burundi Revenue (OBR) in the Large Taxpayer Category “.
The API interim director said that some of those API-supported companies manufacture goods that were imported before it was created. He listed in particular cement, metal tubes, concrete irons, plastic chairs, built hotel infrastructures, agricultural processing and the processing industry.
In addition, the API also grants exemptions, said Nsabimana when taking stock. But, he explained, to “make them more efficient and establish a climate of good governance, the systematic validation of the lists of imported raw materials and the evaluation of the compliance of certified companies with the commitments” were set up.
The API regularly monitors companies that have been created to see their progress, said Mr. Nsabimana, noting that there are no major problems to report.
He said the biggest challenge faced by the API, is the lack of sufficient resources for the proper accomplishment of its mission. In its future prospects, the API plans to strengthen the capacities of media professionals in terms of investments for better support of its actions.
