Commercial banks in Burundi are currently navigating a severe liquidity crisis, according to Roger Guy Ghyslain Ntwenguye. Speaking on 7 October 2026, the directeur général de la Banque de crédit de Bujumbura (BCB) and président de l’Association des banques et établissements financiers (ABEF) identified hoarding and rising non-performing loans as the primary drivers of this instability.
"Ces derniers jours, les banques commerciales locales font face à une crise de liquidités due notamment à l’ampleur croissante de la thésaurisation et à l’augmentation des crédits non performants," stated Ntwenguye. He emphasized the gravity of the situation for the domestic financial sector, noting, "La baisse des liquidités constitue l’une des principales difficultés auxquelles sont confrontés les établissements bancaires." These factors continue to exert significant pressure on banking operations across the country.
Rising Non-Performing Loan Rates
Non-performing loans in Burundi reached 253,351.3 million BIF at the end of February 2026. Data from the financial sector indicates these figures represent a 45.5% increase year-on-year for the period ending in February 2026.
Jean Ndenzako commented on the reliance on the central bank to manage these rising pressures, stating, "Le recours accru des banques à la Banque centrale constitue un symptôme de ces causes plutôt qu’une solution durable." The volume of these loans continues to impact the balance sheets of commercial institutions operating within the country. Financial authorities monitor these debt levels as the liquidity strain persists across the national banking system. The rapid expansion of non-performing assets complicates the ability of lenders to maintain consistent cash flows for new lending activities. Market participants remain focused on the trajectory of these figures as the banking sector manages the ongoing volatility in loan performance.
Loan Portfolio and Deposit Trends
Total outstanding loans to the economy reached 5,849.9 billion BIF at the end of February 2026. This figure reflects a growth rate of 24.7% in the loan portfolio over the 12-month period leading to February 2026.
Customer deposits held by commercial institutions amounted to 5,418.9 billion BIF at the end of February 2026. The gap between the total volume of outstanding loans and the total customer deposits reflects the current asset-liability mismatch faced by banks within the national financial system.
The volume of non-performing loans recorded at the end of February 2025 was 174,089.9 million BIF. Comparing this to the 253,351.3 million BIF reported at the end of February 2026 indicates a significant rise in credit risk within the sector over the course of the year. Financial institutions must manage these non-performing assets alongside the broader expansion of their lending portfolios. The growth in outstanding loans, coupled with the rising volume of non-performing debt, continues to influence the liquidity positions of commercial banks as they balance credit extension against the available deposit base.