Burundi's agricultural projects PATAREB (Appui à la transformation agricole dans la région naturelle de Bugesera) and PADCAE-B (Appui au développement durable des chaînes de valeur de l’agriculture et de l’élevage au Burundi) are facing criticism and are under scrutiny following an audit conducted by the Court of Accounts. The audit, whose conclusions were examined during a session of oral questions on April 29, 2026, at the National Assembly, noted performances deemed insufficient relative to their set objectives. Mme Calinie Mbarushimana, Minister of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock, acknowledged that the projects yielded results below expectations during the session, confirming the findings of the Court of Accounts.
Project Performance Deficiencies
The Court of Accounts conducted a thorough audit of these two significant agricultural programs, revealing critical shortcomings. The PATAREB project, which is financed by the African Development Bank (BAD), was launched in 2018 with an initial scheduled end date in 2023 but remains ongoing, considerably past its original timeline. Similarly, the PADCAE-B project, financed by the World Bank (BM), commenced in 2021 with an initial duration of ten months and has also not been finalized, indicating significant delays and implementation challenges. During the examination of the audit conclusions on April 29, 2026, at the National Assembly, Deputies noted several issues that contributed to the projects' underperformance. These included weak feasibility studies, persistent structural dysfunctions within their operational frameworks, and a widespread lack of rigorous monitoring, according to previous reports also issued by the Court of Accounts. These observations show a pattern of oversight deficiencies that have hampered the effectiveness of these key agricultural initiatives. The audit specifically noted that the achievements of both PATAREB and PADCAE-B fell short of their established goals.
Minister Addresses Parliament
Mme Calinie Mbarushimana, Minister of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock, addressed the parliamentarians and attributed the projects' underperformance to several key factors. Among these, she cited personnel instability within the project teams, a notable lack of harmonization in technical studies conducted for the projects, and an insufficient number of qualified personnel assigned to their implementation and oversight. The Minister's remarks provided direct insight into the internal challenges faced by these agricultural initiatives. In response to the identified problems, the government affirmed that corrective measures are currently underway to address these deficiencies proactively. These measures involve a full restructuring of coordination teams to improve efficiency, a revitalization of steering committees to enhance strategic guidance, and a strengthening of monitoring and evaluation processes to ensure greater accountability and progress tracking. Efforts are being made to improve collaboration with technical and financial partners to leverage their expertise and resources more effectively. Parliamentarians present during the session insisted on the necessity for stricter monitoring of the projects moving forward and demanded the development of a clear, actionable plan to address the identified deficiencies comprehensively.
Broader Scrutiny and Recommendations
An anonymous expert in project monitoring and evaluation suggested the need to extend controls to other programs funded by international partners in Burundi, indicating a wider concern about development aid effectiveness. The expert, who requested anonymity, cited potential mismanagement and corruption in procurement and execution within some projects funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (FIDA). This recommendation implies a broader concern regarding the oversight and implementation of various internationally-backed initiatives within the agricultural sector across the country. The expert emphasized that such an expansion of auditing would help ensure accountability and improve the effectiveness of development aid across different projects, fostering greater transparency and better outcomes for beneficiaries. The call for wider scrutiny comes as the Burundian government acknowledges deficiencies in its current agricultural projects, signaling a potential shift towards more rigorous oversight of all internationally funded development initiatives.
