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Debt relief in Burundi

29 January 2010

Burundi received $89 million of Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC) funding in 2008 and 2009. These funds have meant the government can continue to support free primary education, as well as free health services for children under five and women in childbirth. 

Over 1000 additional classrooms have been built and capitation grants received by schools have increased from 350 Burundian Francs per child to 1500 Burundian Francs per child in 2009.  Public spending on education has increased from 16% of overall government expenditure in 2005 to over 25% in 2009.

Government spending on the free health care policy has increased by 600% (six hundred percent) between 2007 and 2009.  Public spending on health has increased from 2% in 2005 to 6% in 2009.

The UK has been instrumental in developing and implementing international debt relief initiatives such as the enhanced HIPC and Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI). These initiatives have so far delivered around US $117 billion worth of debt relief to poor countries. Annual spending on anti-poverty programmes has increased from approximately $6 billion in 2000 to $27 billion in 2008.

DFID in Burundi

  • After 13 years of conflict in Burundi, a new government was elected in 2005. Since then DFID’s focus has been on supporting state-building, stability, and increasing progress to achieving the MDGs through strengthening government’s capacity to deliver basic services and improve governance. We also provide humanitarian response as necessary.
  • Our annual funding to Burundi has consistently increased since the programme began, with our bilateral programme doubling from £3 million in 2003/2004, to £10 million in 2009/2010. DFID is supporting the reform of Public Financial Management systems through the provision of technical assistance.
  • Burundi is limited in its ability to effectively spend its own budget and aid funds. Even where funds are available, money cannot be spent quickly as it is inevitably taking time for Burundi to rebuild its financial and administrative systems. Therefore a more important challenge for Burundi is not a lack of aid, but to ensure that the aid is used effectively on evidence based strategies and reaches the poor who need it most.

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