BUJUMBURA November 2nd (ABP) – The Ministry of Transport, Public Works, Equipment and Spatial Planning is pleased with its achievements, according to the permanent secretary of the ministry, Ir. Egide Nijimbere, who proceeded on Thursday 31 October 2019 to the presentation of the quarterly achievements of the budget year 2019-2020.
Mr. Nijimbere said that in the maritime and rail sector, including the flow of goods and people on the port of Bujumbura, 98 boats were registered at the entrance and 90 boats at the exit. He pointed out that the cargo of imports totaled 40,951,957 tons of goods consisting mainly of cement, lumber, sugar, flour, apples, rice, maize and others.
Products exported during the period under review are estimated at 3,923.10 liters of fuel in transit and 460.65 tons of wheat flour.
With regard to marine and rail infrastructure projects, the modernization and extension of the Port of Bujumbura is in two phases, the first which is financed by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) with an amount of $ 25 million has started works since October 2019.
The second phase will be financed by the AfDB and the European Union for an amount of 50 million dollars; the Board of Directors of the AfDB will meet on November 27, 2019 for the release of funds. He added that file relating to the call for application is being updated and will include a part of the urban road network, mainly roads leading to the port, on the financing of the World Bank, and feasibility studies for the construction of the port of Rumonge are at 75%.
For the land transport sector, 325 State vehicles were insured for the year 2019; the technical inspection of registered vehicles and motorcycles has been carried out and totals 16,410 certificates issued. He reported that 211,076 passengers were transported to urban transport and from Bujumbura to other parts of the country.
In the air transport sector, Ir. Nijimbere reported that 426 flights were assisted and 543,822 tons were recorded at the freight management level (imports, exports and post).
Regarding the merger process of SOBUGEA with Air Burundi, he said that the final report of the audit is available and a presentation note has already been transmitted to the hierarchy by the commission set up for that purpose.
For the project for the rehabilitation, modernization and extension of Melchior Ndadaye International Airport, Mr. Nijimbere indicated that contacts for the mobilization of financing for the works had taken place and that an invitation had been sent to the Chinese delegation to come to Burundi to inquire about the situation on the ground.
As for the construction of the Kabamba airfield at Ngozi, he pointed out that the compensation of the people occupying that site is in progress, and that the total amount to finalize the payment is 666,285,975 BIF.
For spatial and urban planning, he indicated that 341 public lands with an area of 467 hectares 9 acres 53 centiacres were identified and delineated in the Makamba province, in the kibago and kayogoro communes; 592 certificates of conformity and 87 building permits were issued and delivered.
For the construction project of the parliament house and the administrative building in Gitega, the terms of reference for the recruitment of a consultant for the updating of the technical studies are already available as well as the monitoring and control of the works under planning according to the guidelines of the EXIM Bank.
Regarding stabilization works on the banks of the Ntahangwa River on the South Kigobe, Mr. Nijimbere said that they are ongoing with a 35% level of progress and that funds are being mobilized to stabilize ravines and other places threatened by cracking.
