Burundi's Prime Minister, Nestor Ntahontuye, continued a workshop on Friday, July 24, 2026, at the Donatus conference center, focusing on opening budget credits for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. The event marked its second day, addressing concerns about budget execution. Prime Minister Ntahontuye, who holds the top executive position in Burundi, stated, "Funds can be spent without producing results, which constitutes a loss due to poor planning." He emphasized the need for effective financial management, adding, "This rational, effective and efficient management will allow us to achieve more results." The Prime Minister's remarks showed the importance of strategic planning to ensure resources yield intended outcomes, asserting that rational, efficient, and effective management practices are key for achieving greater results.
Improving Budgetary Performance
Achieving expected results remains challenging if individuals do not fully grasp their responsibilities as outlined in the decree on ordering, according to observations made during the workshop. Officials showed the need for clarity in roles to ensure effective budget implementation, noting the difficulty in reaching targets when each person does not master how to implement their duties. To bolster this, management dialogue surrounding Annual Work and Budget Plans (PTBA) should be conducted concurrently with other operational activities. This integrated approach aims to streamline processes and foster better coordination, specifically by organizing dialogue around PTBA in parallel with other ongoing activities. Budget execution managers have been urged to adopt new behaviors and exhibit greater professionalism in their duties. The call for behavioral change emphasizes the importance of accountability and efficiency in managing public funds, requiring managers to demonstrate enhanced professionalism.
Key Principles for Success
Prime Minister Nestor Ntahontuye advocated for the regular organization of management dialogue, stating that it is key for effective budget execution. He specifically pleaded for management dialogue to be organized regularly. This regular dialogue is intended to foster the exchange of ideas and empower various actors to identify improved approaches for financial administration, enabling them to find better strategies. During the workshop, participants developed a full understanding of the rational management of financial, human, and material resources. Ntahontuye emphasized that rational, efficient, and effective management practices are essential to achieving more significant results in public spending. The goal of this consistent engagement is to foster a culture of continuous improvement in budgetary processes.
Monitoring and Accountability
Each article of the decree is designed with a precise objective and requires concrete application, according to discussions at the workshop. Managers are considered co-responsible for the outcomes of these applications, meaning they share accountability for the results. To ensure accountability, the monitoring of budget execution results will be consistently implemented across all administrative tiers. This oversight includes central, provincial, and communal levels, aiming to track progress and enforce compliance with financial regulations. The full monitoring strategy intends to reinforce effective management practices throughout Burundi's public administration, ensuring that each article of the decree, with its precise objective, is applied concretely.
Expert Commentary
These approaches are designed to enable the completion of more activities with limited resources while still achieving satisfactory results, according to expert commentary during the workshop. Dialogue is considered indispensable to preventing prejudicial decisions that could harm proper functioning within the administration. Managers who refuse to engage in learning and adaptation are seen as hindering development efforts, showing the importance of continuous professional growth in public service. The experts noted that these strategies aim to achieve more with less, and that dialogue is vital to avoid decisions detrimental to operational efficiency. Those managers unwilling to adapt their practices are perceived as obstacles to progress.
