BUJUMBURA March 19th (ABP) – The Burundi Civil Aviation Authority (AACB) in collaboration with the Civil Aviation Agency for the Security and Surety Supervision of the East African Community (CASSOA) ) organized in Bujumbura on Monday March 18, 2018, an awareness meeting on the establishment of a sustainable mechanism for funding CASSOA activities.
The Assistant Minister of Transport, Public Works, Equipment and Spatial Planning, Mr. Salvator Nakumuryango, indicated on that occasion that since its creation in 2007, CASSOA has been striving to accomplish its missions with effectiveness, while having a strategic plan containing programs of activities and investment projects funded by equal contributions from EAC member countries. He explained that the principle of equal contribution by the EAC countries has not been supported by all the States, in particular Burundi, which considers it unfair in view of the practices in the matter. They want that the contributions be based on the volume of aeronautical and air traffic activities observed in each country, as is the case for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), which are international organizations whose operation is similar to that of CASSOA.
Mr. Nakumuryango further stated that as CASSOA is keen to promote cohesion within the EAC countries and to have a sustainable financing mechanism for its strategic development plan, it has initiated a project to raise awareness of all States’ civil aviation partners for the implementation of a “passenger” fee to be levied on boarding passengers and which will serve as a basis for country contributions.
AACB Director General Emmanuel Habimana reported on his part that the CASSOA Board of Directors recommended that the CASSOA Executive Director and his team make trips to all CASSOA Member States to conduct awareness meetings to move from equal contribution to equitable contribution. He commended CASSOA’s assistance in that its member countries, including Burundi, work together and have harmonized regulations and standards, and that Member States achieve ICAO’s performance in security and surety of civil aviation. He hopes that after the establishment of the permanent financing mechanism, Burundi will have to pay less than before.
