Burundi : paying air tickets in foreign currency, a measure to be suspended according to the Prime Minister

Airline services should not require customers to pay in foreign currency. Parliamentarians recommended it to the Burundian Prime Minister this October 2 in the Kigobe parliament house. Gervais Ndirakobuca indicated that this was a decision that was taken in haste by technicians who perhaps believe they will easily find the answer to the lack of foreign currency. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

This October 2, the head of the Burundian government was at the headquarters of the National Assembly in the north of the commercial city Bujumbura. He presented a report on the action plan for the second half of 2022-2023.

Some deputies, including the Speaker of the National Assembly, asked the Prime Minister, then invited before parliament, if it is normal for airlines to require payment of tickets in foreign currencies while the local currency is the Burundi franc. They wanted to know if this measure taken by the air services in Burundi results from consent with the services concerned.

Gervais Ndirakobuca responded in the negative. For him, “it is about the measures that are taken by zealous technicians who rush to make decisions without asking the opinion of others.”

“[…], If we require that tickets be purchased in foreign currencies, the common people will suffer… I think that if the situation remains like this, controlling the exchange rate will not be as easy”, said Mr. Ndirakobuca.

Difficult to find currency at the Central Bank

The airlines must seek the counterpart in foreign currency from the Central Bank, the BRB (Bank of the Republic of Burundi) but they have raised for some time, a problem of lack of dollars in particular, recognizes the Burundian Prime Minister.

“But that’s not the solution. In any case, we must postpone this decision as soon as possible, I think we must correct all this in time”, he insisted.

Through a press release, Kenya Airways clarified that since September 27, anyone who wishes to travel on board this company’s planes must pay the ticket in American dollars or euros. Other companies operating in Burundi, namely Rwandair, Ethiopian Airlines and Brussels Airlines, have followed suit.