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Burundi’s Efforts to Fight Corruption Fall Short, Say Experts

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Burundi’s management of public finances has been hailed as a positive step forward in the fight against corruption. However, experts say that much more needs to be done to ensure transparency and accountability.

Positive Steps Forward

According to a report by OLUCOME, a global civil society network promoting the implementation and monitoring of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), Burundi’s budgeting process has been results-based since 2022. The Integrated Public Finance Management System (SIGEFI) was implemented in 2015, providing regular data on revenue and expenditure.

Challenges Remain

Despite these efforts, corruption remains a significant challenge in Burundi. The report notes that there is no legislation on public access to information, and civil society groups have been limited by numerous restrictions.

Judicial System

The judiciary is also seen as a major obstacle to the fight against corruption. While the independence of the judiciary is enshrined in the Constitution, experts say that this situation is legally paradoxical, and that abuses by certain authorities undermine the system.

Money Laundering

Burundi’s key legislation on preventing money laundering is also seen as inadequate. The Financial Intelligence Unit (CNRF) was created in 2010 but remains non-operational, despite being required to receive and process suspicious transaction reports.

Recommendations

The report makes several recommendations to the Burundian government to improve its efforts against corruption:

Key Actions

  1. Implement key actions identified in the executive summary of the review of Burundi’s implementation of UNCAC Chapters II and V.
  2. Popularize the National Policy Letter on Good Governance and the Fight against Corruption for the period 2018 to 2027, as well as the National Strategy for Good Governance and the Fight against Corruption (SNBGLC).
  3. Recreate a ministerial institution responsible for coordinating the design of the National Policy on Good Governance and the Fight against Corruption.
  4. Modernize the legal and institutional framework for preventing corruption and recovering ill-gotten gains.
  5. Ensure compliance with constitutional provisions enshrining the independence of Burundi’s judiciary.

Full Report Available

The full report, which includes more detailed recommendations, is available at [insert link].