BUJUMBURA (Reuters) – Burundi’s economy is seen expanding 3.6% this year from 2.4% last year as an easing of COVID-related restrictions in the central African country boosts activity across sectors, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Thursday.
With a population of 12 million, Burundi’s economy is heavily dependent on agriculture revenues, in particular from tea and coffee.
In a statement the IMF said the country’s GDP expanded at 2.4% last year as most sectors benefited from a surge in activity from lifting COVID-related measures like social distancing rules and travel restrictions.
“The economic recovery should strengthen further with GDP growth projected at 3.6 percent in 2022 driven by all sectors, although slowed down by the war in Ukraine,” the IMF said.
Burundi’s economic prospects are only beginning to gain some lustre following years of conflict and political upheaval under former leader Pierre Nkurunziza that left key sectors blighted.
(Writing by Elias Biryabarema; editing by Alexandra Hudson)
