The mood in Burundi is one of optimism. This is especially in the business world, if the pace of construction and investment both private and public is anything to go by.

According to the Investment Authority, in four months alone, Burundi has attracted an investment of over US$500 million.

More and more international organisations and corporations seem to have caught in on this optimism.

The major hotel chains, notably the Hilton are setting up shop in Bujumbura.

It is also notable that nearly half of the investment being registered in Burundi is being done by the locals.

Burundi has always had a lot of potential in the tourism and service sector and was in fact a leisure and holiday resort for a long time until civil unrest and rebellion wreaked havoc mainly to the reputation of the country and killed tourism and curtailed international trade.

After the swearing in ceremony last week of president-elect Pierre Nkurunziza, the mood in Burundi can only get better. The president in his inaugural speech pledged to step up the fight against lawlessness, terror and genocide. He has also pledged to develop the country's infrastructure.

This will be music in the ears of the business community.

Since Burundi is a member of the East African community (EAC), it is now up to the EAC to help Burundi nurture the newfound peace and stability and help her move in the direction of permanent growth, developmeny and reduction of poverty.

It is also now incumbent on Burundi to ensure it synergises with the rest of the EAC to fast track the process of economic integration to assuage the pains traders and the business community may be goinging through.

It is also important for the country not to fear competition from her neighbours in the EAC and instead concentrate on her own competitive advantages like it's location close to the Congo, it's immense touristic potential and it's wonderful manpower base that is largely trilingual with people understanding English, French and Swahili.

With this trilingual ability, Burundi can potentially be the EAC's communications, and tourism hub.

It also has the enviable position of being the EAC's gateway to the vast Congo DRC.