BUJUMBURA March 5th (ABP) – The Cabinet held on Wednesday February 28, 2018 under the lead by the Head of State, Mr. Pierre Nkurunziza, adopted seven items among others, the Explanatory Note on the project to build a modern center for youth in Bujumbura by the International Youth Fellowship Organization (IYF) which was presented by the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, according to the government statement.
International Youth Fellowship (IYF) is a Christian organization based in South Korea but, which works in 80 countries around the world including Burundi where it is established since 2009 and has already organized several activities for young people in our country including the training workshops to change mentality, festivals, and labor camps. The IYF aims for a transformed world through a change of mentality to face the challenges of young people, because for that organization, no country in the world can achieve sustainable development without embarking youth.
According to the statement, through contacts with various Burundian authorities, the organization is committed to building a modern multi-disciplinary youth Center that will house a large professional school, a health center, a library and its headquarters, subject to availability of a parcel granted to it by the government. The land has been identified and all the administrative formalities for its registration have been made. The Note solicits the Cabinet to decide, either on the transfer of the title deed or its concession to the organization, in order to allow the continuation of the process to build that Center.
During the discussions, the Cabinet asked that this organization should first present the plans of the Center and the works that it wishes to build, the budget it has for the activity as well as the deadlines for the execution of the project before the Cabinet decides on the granting of a plot to be attributed to it, says the statement.
The Cabinet also studied the draft Decree revising Decree No. 100/58 of March 18, 2008 on the establishment, allocation, composition and functioning of the National Council for Statistical Information (CNIS), presented by the Minister at the Presidency in charge of Good Governance and Plan. According to the Government of Burundi, the operating framework of the CNIS is laid down by the law of September 25, 2007 on the organization of the National Statistical System and the Decree of March 18, 2008 establishing, attributing and operating the National Council for Statistical Information. That body ensures consultation between producers and users of official statistics. It helps to ensure that every year a program of statistical works and surveys is carried out in line with the needs of stakeholders to understand society in the economic and social sectors. The assessment made by the Cabinet each year makes it possible to identify the progress made to meet those needs, as well as the gaps that need to be filled in the statistical system. As some shortcomings have been noted in the Decree that organizes the functioning of the National Council for Statistical Information, it is necessary to review the text with a view to their recovery. This is the case, for example, of the provisions relating to the term and the renewal of the members of the Cabinet, which contradict each other, of some sectors that are not represented in that body, whereas they constitute important links in statistical production in Burundi. Finally, the Decree in force does not mention the private sector and civil society among the members to sit within it for the latter to be open to all sectors of activity. After exchanges, the project was adopted with some amendments.
The same Minister presented the draft Decree on the national framework for collecting, distributing, accessing, archiving and securing data and micro data. The National Statistical System is built around four components namely the National Council for Statistical Information (CNIS), the Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies of Burundi (ISTEEBU), the services responsible for statistics in the public and parastatal sectors, and finally the National Schools and Institutions of Statistical and Demographic Training. Of all those components, the Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies of Burundi (ISTEEBU) is the central body of the National Statistical System to which the government has entrusted the task of collecting, analyzing and disseminating statistical data in Burundi for planning purposes. Those dissemination, access, archiving and data security activities must be regulated to meet international requirements. The current project therefore provides guidelines on the use of data and micro data available and defines the nature of the data and micro data files that will be published, the intended use of those files as well as the conditions under which the files are provided. The project was adopted with minor contributions to consider.
The Cabinet also analyzed the draft memorandum of understanding in connection with the construction project of a hospital of the Burundi National Police between the Ministry of Public Security and China Machinery Engineering Corporation, presented by the Minister of Security public. The Burundi National Police Hospital was created by Decree No. 100/39 of February 17, 2016. The same Decree specifies the level of care provided by the institution indicating that it is of national reference. Although some services are functional, it is noticeable the exiguity of the compounds as well as the absence of the biomedical material, which does not allow the good operation of that hospital, according to the statement by the government.
The draft memorandum of understanding aims at improving the infrastructure of that hospital and make modern medical services more efficient. The other goal is to have a hospital offering specialized services with technical equipment to minimize transfers abroad for specialized care. The draft memorandum was adopted.
The Cabinet also adopted the draft memorandum of understanding between the Government of the Republic of Burundi and the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania on police cooperation, presented by the same Minister. As part of the fight against transnational crime, international, regional and bilateral agreements are encouraged between police forces to cooperate in the fight against various forms of crime and terrorism, as well as to build capacities among countries to make them more operational and professional. It is in this context, according to the Burundi government, that it is essential to create a partnership between the Tanzanian and Burundian police forces to deal with this organized crime that is a reality in both countries. The cooperation agreements between Burundi and Tanzania are necessary for the purpose of establishing peace and security especially as those two countries share a common border, and are part of the East African Community whose main concern is to put in place strategies for peace and security in the region. The signing of the memorandum will allow the police of the two countries to combine their efforts to put an end to that scourge that threatens the two countries, the subregion and the world.
Regarding the draft Decree on the status of development villages in Burundi presented by the Minister of Communal Development, the Cabinet found that the report on the inventory of villages in Burundi presents some challenges known as major obstacles in the successful implementation of the National Village Policy. Those challenges are related in particular to the low rate of construction of village plots, low occupancy rate of already built houses and that of village occupation as a whole. The project is intended to be a regulatory framework aimed at correcting some of the shortcomings already noted in the implementation of the National Village Policy. It contains proposed approaches to be used in the process of allocating plots, building and occupying existing houses in existing villages to encourage people to adhere to the policy. The occupation of those villages will strengthen social cohesion, national reconciliation and participate in economic and social development. After rich discussions on the project, the Cabinet adopted it and set up a team to support taking into account the Cabinet’s contributions.
As for the miscellaneous, the Cabinet returned to the projects developed and produced by the NGOs or other International Organizations working in Burundi where vigilance was recommended regarding their content, so as not to accredit or approve documents which often the subject does not reflect the priorities of the government. It is the same for their annual work plans.
The Cabinet was also informed by the Minister of Environment, Spatial and Urban Planning of the discovery of a network of counterfeiters in the forest products sector, who use a technology manufacturing of fictitious payment slips for the benefit of the public treasury. Thus, a recommendation has been made to all other public sectors generating income to be vigilant and to secure from the Burundi Revenue Authority (OBR) if all the payments destined for it arrive regularly at their destination.