Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Burundi
On February 20, 2025, Mr. Syldie MANIREREKANA, Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, opened a workshop for awareness and exchanges with representatives of institutions responsible for monetary transfers from abroad. This event, organized by the General Directorate of the Diaspora, the Promotion of Migrant Employment, Foreign Non-Governmental Organizations, and Foreign Non-Profit Associations, aimed at strengthening the contribution of the Burundian diaspora to national development.
The workshop brought together key stakeholders in the field of money transfers, providing a platform for exchange and reflection on the impact of money transfers on the country’s economy. The Burundian government sees its diaspora as a strategic partner in its vision of emergence by 2040 and development by 2060.
The main objective of this workshop was to identify and quantify the funds sent by Burundians living abroad, in order to better value their contribution and encourage greater participation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation highlighted several projects initiated by the diaspora in key sectors such as agriculture, health and education. However, the lack of accurate data makes it difficult to fully assess financial flows, underlining the need to promote remittances through formal channels to ensure better traceability.
In her presentation, Ambassador Salomé, Director of the Diaspora, highlighted the integration of migration into Burundi’s development strategies, citing in particular the National Diaspora Policy. These initiatives aim at strengthening ties between the government and Burundians abroad, while facilitating their reintegration if they return.
For his part, Georges Ntangorane, Director of Economic Studies, Statistics and Cooperation at the Bank of the Republic of Burundi, underlined the main motivations of Burundians living abroad for sending remittances: family support, property investments and involvement in community projects.
Remittances are transferred via both formal and informal channels. While bank transfers and services such as Western Union offer security and traceability, informal channels remain widely used despite the high risks they present. One of the major challenges remains the identification of senders and the collection of reliable data.
Several measures can be set up to improve the collection and traceability of funds, including the creation of a low-cost remittance system and better regulation of transfer operators. Optimizing remittance systems is essential to maximize benefits for Burundian families and communities, while reducing the risks associated with informal channels.
Encouraging the diaspora to prefer formal channels would not only improve transparency and traceability of funds, but also strengthen trust between Burundians abroad and their government.
