Bujumbura : Brarudi products are becoming rarer, their prices are rising and the administration turns a blind eye

In recent days, it has been difficult to find certain products from the Burundi Brewery Company (Brarudi) in the commercial city Bujumbura. Bar owners say beers and soft drinks are scarce in the depots where they should stock up. As a result, the purchase price per bottle was increased. The oldest and largest brewery producing alcoholic drinks and soft drinks in Burundi has not yet communicated the causes of this situation. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

According to residents of the Burundian commercial city, the phenomenon of shortage of certain products has resumed in recent days.

“When we are thirsty and want to refresh ourselves, we have to go around to several bars and refreshments. If we find one, like Amstel, my favorite drink, it is too expensive,” confided to SOS Médias Burundi a man living south of the city.

Residents say the price has increased from 3,000 to 3,500 Burundi francs for the big Amstel, and from 2,200 to 2,500 francs for the big Primus.

Owners of bars and refreshments explain the situation by a lack of these products in the depots where they normally obtain their supplies.

“When we go to nearby depots, we are told that they have not been supplied by Brarudi for days. And to save our relationship with our customers, we choose to go further in search of these products “We use fuel, which is why we must raise the price,” they explain.

Radio silence at Brarudi and the authorities

Despite the situation, Brarudi has so far not communicated anything. The authorities, for their part, choose to turn a blind eye to the non-regulatory purchase price per bottle. They say that “it is better to remain silent than shouting at bar owners who do everything to provide service to customers.”

What about the causes

According to sources at Brarudi who agreed to testify on condition of anonymity (because they are not authorized to speak to the media), the causes of this shortage are multiple.

“Brarudi has reduced its production from 2024. Instead of 300 thousand hectoliters, we only produce 250 thousand. And then, the domestic market is not good. A good quantity of production is sent to the DRC. It is a matter of the high authorities of the country and the management of our company. We cannot prohibit anything,” revealed our sources who testify that several trucks are loaded daily destined for the DRC.

Production days have also been reduced, from 7 to 5 days per week.

“We close production on Friday at 6 p.m. to restart production on Monday morning. There is talk of a lack of foreign currency to import the necessary inputs, but we are not sure that this is true. There are things that are beyond our control,” say employees.

Consumers and traders of these products are asking Brarudi to review its production policy. Likewise, they ask the authorities to look after the interests and needs of domestic consumers.