BURUNDI – The Burundian government will shift to a results-oriented budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, moving away from previous models that focused on annual revenue, Finance Minister Nestor Ntahontuye announced Monday.
Ntahontuye said the new approach will center on a project-based framework. He acknowledged challenges in past government investments, noting that unclear project prioritization has hindered effective resource allocation and led to substantial losses in billions of Burundian francs.
The minister also revealed that civil servants currently receive between 24% and 28% of the national budget, totaling 1 trillion to 1.2 trillion Burundian francs. He emphasized the need for reforms, saying, “Previously, we would request funding contingent upon project proposals; henceforth, we will delineate our objectives and secure the necessary financing.”
Ntahontuye stressed the importance of submitting the 2025-2026 budget to the National Assembly by March 31 for parliamentary scrutiny in April, ahead of the electoral campaign period.
He urged budget teams within various organizations to focus on achieving 80% of their targets with only 20% of the allocated resources, while calling on managing directors to prioritize cost-effective, high-yield projects.
However, some directors raised concerns about unpaid debts from other companies, which limit their ability to set independent goals and force reliance on government funding. In the health sector, managers pointed out the difficulty in planning around expected revenues, particularly during public health crises. A representative from the Institute of Public Health (INSP) called for prompt financial responses during such emergencies, a sentiment supported by Ntahontuye, who said, “We cannot allow the health of our citizens to deteriorate; we must facilitate access to funds from other sectors in emergencies.”
The finance minister also met with other ministers involved in the new policy and representatives from non-governmental organizations to discuss the budget reform.
