28 October 2007
Bujumbura — The IMF delegation arrived in Bujumbura this Friday in a bid to further talks with the government of Burundi that were started three months ago.
During the last talks in Bujumbura, the government of Burundi, represented by the Second Vice-President of the Republic, Mr Gabriel Ntisezerana, failed to convince the IMF delegation to give Burundi financial support in order to help it honour the promise made by the President of the Republic, Pierre Nkurunziza, to increase the salaries of civil servants by 34&percnt.
At that time, the IMF delegation stressed that the country's finances must be improved before the government should even think about increasing the salaries of civil servants.
The IMF also demanded that the prices of products of the first necessity should be increased in order to strengthen the state's finances and as a consequence the prices of many commodities have increased on the domestic markets. The budget for the second semester of this year has not been adjusted and the government is struggling to establish the 2008 annual budget which is to be analysed by the parliament in November, according to the Finance minister who is still awaiting the conclusion of talks with the IMF to make a final decision.
The Finance minister, Ms Clotilde Nizigama, led a delegation which visited New York this month to discuss Burundi's economic situation with the Bretton Woods institutions.
These talks have not, however, produced any positive outcome as the IMF, the World Bank and other donors have been discouraged by the situation in Burundi and hopes that promised funds will be disbursed are fading.
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