Guide d’information

Existence de deux principaux secteurs économiques:

Secteur agricole

• Domine dans le secteur économique du Burundi
• Représente à elle seule plus de 40% du produit intérieur brut (PIB) ;
• Contribue à près de 90% des exportations ; et
• Emploi plus de 90% de la main d’œuvre.

Principaux produits

• Le café
• Le thé.

Secteur minier

A ce jour, des recherches montrent que le pays dispose de (u) :

• Nickel,
•  Cobalt,
• L’or,
• Cassitérite,
• Wolfram,
• Etain, etc.

Information sur l’Accès au Marché au Burundi

La Loi n°1/ 01 du 16 / janvier /2015 portant révision de la loi n°1/07 du 26 avril 2010 portant code de commerce régit les commerçants, les actes de commerce et le contentieux commercial.

Dans son article 3, il est indiqué que la liberté du commerce comporte la liberté d’entreprendre, c’est-à-dire le droit pour toute personne physique ou morale de se livrer à l’activité commerciale.

Cet article donne le droit a tout commerçant de conduire ses affaires comme il l’entend en se conformant à la loi et le droit d’utiliser tous les moyens loyaux pour attirer la clientèle.

Conditions exigées

• Tout opérateur économique exerçant une activité d’importation doit d’emblée obtenir auprès du Guichet Unique de Création d’Entreprise un numéro d’enregistrement.
• Cooperer avec le Ministère ayant le commerce dans ses attributions qui procède régulièrement à l’enregistrement des différents éléments du prix de revient des produits importés et de ceux produits localement. 

Deux principaux secteurs

Le secteur agricole présente un réel potentiel de croissance durable et équitable, susceptible de maintenir à niveau la production par habitant en termes réels, et d’appuyer des programmes de relance économique et de réduction de la pauvreté.

D’autres opportunités du domaine agricole

Il existe aussi des opportunités d’exploitation des produits « non traditionnels »  constitués en l’occurrence par les légumes, les fruits tropicaux et les fleurs hors saison.

L’exportation des produits non traditionnels a connu une poussée entre 1992 et 1993 mais qui n’a pas pu être exploitée suite à l’éclatement de la crise. Voilà plus de 20 ans après, on reconnaît encore que les secteurs agricoles non traditionnels constituent un fort potentiel de croissance d’exportation et d’emploi.

Actuellement, des exportateurs de ces produits ont des opportunités offertes par les marchés  de la sous-région ou d’autres marchés internationaux.

Les restrictions aux exportations sont administrées conformément aux Codes des Douanes Communautaires

Le secteur minier

• Le Burundi dispose de ressources considérables, y compris trois gisements de nickel dont les réserves sont estimées à environ 260 millions de tonnes
• Les ressources sont encore sous-exploitées suite au manque d’infrastructures comme l’énergie et les moyens de transport développés

Agreements ratified by Burundi

Bilateral agreements

Burundi has already signed Bilateral Trade Agreements with some African countries and others outside the Continent

National Instruments and Laws

Burundi has Laws and Instruments that regulate Trade and Investments

COMESA Free Trade and Tripartite Agreements

Burundi is part of COMESA and the COMESA-EAC-SADC tripartite agreement

International agreements

Burundi is a member of the World Trade Organization and GATT

CEPGL Agreements

signed on September 10, 1976 between Burundi, Rwanda and the DRC

The ECA Customs Union

A customs union for the elimination of tariffs exists between the countries of the East African Community (ECA)

The Common Market

There is a protocol agreement between the countries of the ECA for the free movement of goods and people

Trade Agreements in Burundi

Burundi, partner country of the East African Community and member of other regional economic communities, has signed several trade agreements, between one or more African countries and outside the African continent.

Burundi has also been a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) since July 23, 1995 and is a member of the General Agreement on Customs Tariffs and Trade signed in 1947, which aims to develop free trade. 

Burundi is also part of the Customs Union and the Common Market of the East African Community which consists in creating a regional economic block characterized by the free movement of goods and investments.

Among the main objectives of the Customs Union of the East African Community are the liberalization of regional trade in goods on the basis of mutually beneficial trade agreements between the Partner States of the East African Community as well as the removal of barriers to trade that they are technical, tariff and non-tariff.

With the trade agreements concluded, Burundian economic operators can import or export goods freely to or in other African countries and in other parts of the African continent, according to the agreements concluded and in force.

Burundian women in the commerce sector and other sectors that can generate income, can also take advantage of these business arrangements in order to grow and expand their businesses and prosper economically.

Information guide

• Existence of a toll-free number for your tax and customs information (500)

Ease e s available at border crossings

At the border level, businesswomen can benefit from:

• The handling and customs clearance of their goods according to the competence of the border post or customs office.
• Assistance by customs agents if the goods exceed a customs value of 2000 USD. Otherwise, the use of these agents is not required.

Motivations for cross-border trade

• Goods produced or cultivated in Burundi can circulate and sold in all countries of the East African Community without paying Customs Duties, provided that the seller presents a Certificate of Origin issued by the competent authorities in Burundi.
• Often two regions are endowed with resources and opportunities in vastly unequal proportions when they are only at the tips of each other’s fingers except that they are only separated by a geographic border. Cross-border trade is then the means to satisfy the needs of each other through exchanges

Contact details

Office Burundais des Recettes (OBR)
Port of Bujumbura,
PP 3465, Bujumbura-Burundi
(+257) 22 28 21 00

Cross-border trade in Burundi

The Office Burundais des Recettes du Burundi (OBR) was created in 2009 by law n ° 1/11 of July 14, 2009 . Its creation is part of the Economic Integration Policy of Burundi within the East African Community (ECA), a Community which began with the operationalization of the Customs Union, followed by the Common Market of the Community. East African. The general purpose of creating this institution was poverty reduction through improved public revenue collection as well as an improved business environment in Burundi.

The OBR is therefore a new institution created to inaugurate an era of modern and professional tax and customs administration in Burundi. Thus, the cross-border trade sector is regulated by this institution and it is mainly women who practice cross-border trade, informally and formally.  

Existing business opportunities 

The promising sector for cross-border trade could be trade linked to Agro-industry, as trade mainly concerns food products with a low level or no processing at all.

Quality and export standards

The Burundian Bureau for Standardization and Quality Control (BBN) is responsible for quality and standards inspection.

Additional services useful to women entrepreneurs

A taxpayer service (Directorate of communication and taxpayer service) and the official website of the Office Burundais des Recettes which is regularly supplied with basic tax and customs information.

The project “Women in Cross-border Trade” which was recently launched in Burundi aims to improve the substance resources of women traders, managers or business owners, by building capacities, eliminating obstacles to trade and promoting of the kind. This launch comes as Burundi prepares to launch at the national level another project called 50 Million African Women Speak, financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and which is being implemented in 38 African countries.

The complementarity of these interventions brings enormous potential that should attract investments in order to reduce barriers to trade, support the private sector in trade and target vulnerable groups.

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An Export License?

Required documents

• A Tax Identification Number (TIN)
• A Trade Register
• A payment slip of 10,000 Frs drunk
• A letter of request
• A photocopy of identity

Contact details

Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism,
General Directorate of Industrial Property
Commune Mukaza, Bujumbura-Burundi
Avenue des Manguiers
Building Administratifs des Finances No 419
Tel. : +257 22 22 59 53/257 22 22 68 37
E-mail: info@mincommerce.gov.bi
Website: www.mincommerce.gov.bi

Export to Burundi

In Burundi, people wanting to export must have an export license. The Department of Foreign Trade within the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism is responsible for issuing this License.Demand is address e e the Colombian Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism. The applicant must specify in his request, the products he wants to export.

The Ministry in charge analyzes the demand, especially if the products to be exported are sufficient at the local level. It is after this information relating to the offer at the local level that the decision is taken. The local market must have these products in sufficient for the Ministry to issue this License to the applicant.

Export guide

Quality and standards of products to be exported

1094 national standards already published by the Burundian Bureau for Standardization and Quality Control

Penetration to the International Market

International Market Penetration and Prospecting Strategies

Information guide

For your import license

The application file contains:

• Copy of the Trade Register;
• Tax Identification Number (TIN);
• Certified copy of the original of the articles of association for legal persons
• Copy of identity document for natural persons.

Tariffs and fees

Burundi has applied since 2009 the Common External Tariff of the East African Community (EAC)

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Contact details
Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism,
Department of Foreign Trade
Tel. : +257 22 22 59 53/257 22 22 68 37
E-mail
: info@mincommerce.gov.bi Website: www.mincommerce.gov.bi

Import into Burundi

In Burundi, people wanting to import must have an Import License. The  Department of Foreign Trade within the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism is responsible for issuing this License.The applicant must specify in his request, the products he wants to import. The Ministry analyzes the demand, especially if the products to be imported do not have a negative impact on the health of the population. The Ministry of Public Health is involved in this work.

It is after the analysis work that the decision to grant the import license is issued or not to the applicant.

Under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures, Burundi does not maintain a licensing system to administer quantitative restrictions, imports would be subject to a declaration of import. ‘import.

This means that the quantity to be imported is not considered in the analysis of the application file for an import license. This import declaration is delivered by the Office Burundais des Recettes (OBR).

Promotion of entrepreneurship

The supervisory Ministry in collaboration with the Federal Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Burundi (CFCIB) organizes fairs for the public with the objective of promoting the entrepreneurial sector and especially to make known the different products made in Burundi . Having a Commercial activity and meeting the requirements of the organizers of the fairs are the main prerequisites for those who want to participate.