The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and the Government of Burundi have agreed to develop a joint country implementation roadmap aimed at accelerating Burundi’s participation in Africa’s single market and expanding opportunities for the country’s private sector.
The agreement was reached during a high-level meeting between AfCFTA Secretary-General H.E. Wamkele Mene and Burundi’s Minister of Trade, who led a delegation comprising the Permanent Secretary, the Director of External Trade, the Director of Industry, the Deputy Commissioner General of the Burundi Revenue Authority, and the Chairman of the Burundi Federal Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
During the discussions, the Secretary-General presented the current state of implementation of the AfCFTA, highlighting progress in the ratification of the Agreement and the range of instruments developed to support greater private sector participation across the continent.
He also outlined the Secretariat’s ongoing efforts to strengthen regional value chains, particularly in agro-processing, promote the development of Special Economic Zones, and advance the digitalisation of strategic trade corridors through its partnership with Afreximbank.
The Secretary-General noted that intra-African trade continues to gain momentum, citing a 12.4 percent increase in 2024, with the value of trade reaching US$220 billion. He stressed, however, that significant challenges remain, including the high cost of trade, inadequate transport connectivity and persistent infrastructure gaps that continue to constrain the full potential of continental commerce.
H.E. Mene observed that Burundi is uniquely positioned to leverage its longstanding integration within the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the East African Community (EAC) to expand its participation in continental trade under the AfCFTA framework.
He further drew attention to key AfCFTA implementation instruments, including the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund and the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), encouraging Burundi to identify priority financing requirements that could be supported through the Adjustment Fund to facilitate the country’s implementation efforts.
The Minister of Trade reaffirmed Burundi’s strong commitment to implementing the Agreement and said the country intends to leverage its current Chairmanship of the African Union to accelerate national implementation efforts.
He noted that Burundi has undertaken a series of macroeconomic and policy reforms aimed at strengthening the country’s business and investment climate, adding that logistics and transport, supported by investments in energy and mining, have been identified as priority sectors for economic transformation.
The Minister further indicated that Burundi is seeking to diversify export markets for its key commodities, particularly tea and coffee, and underscored the importance of harmonising standards and strengthening compliance mechanisms to improve market access across Africa.
The meeting concluded with an agreement to establish a joint technical team that will develop a comprehensive country profile and a practical implementation roadmap. The roadmap will be jointly owned by both the Government of Burundi and the private sector and will guide the country’s efforts to maximise opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
