Belgium to increase aid to eradicate poverty

Belgium has pledged to increase its aid to Burundi by 15 million euros (US $19 million) per year, the Belgian cooperation and development minister, Armand de Decker, has announced. Following a meeting with several Burundian ministers in the capital, Bujumbura, De Decker said the additional funding was "an expression of our will to help Burundi". Belgium is a traditional donor to its former colony, Burundi, contributing between 15 and 20 million euros per year. De Decker said Burundi's ministers had enlightened him on the challenges they faced in different sectors such as health, education, agriculture and justice. "What is impressive is the consciousness of the ministers and their willingness to work for the people but [they] have no budget to do more. Belgium will help in that way to improve the situation of people, to fight poverty," he said. The aid comes in the wake of new measures taken by Burundi's government to improve living conditions, including the provision of free medical care to pregnant women and children under five. De Decker said a new joint commission would be set up in October to determine the priority programmes in different sectors that needed funding. Belgium is already bringing budget support to Burundi, helping to pay teachers' salaries in 2005. After meeting Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza, De Decker said the head of state had briefed him on the problems affecting the agricultural sector. He said Belgium had the capacity to bring its expertise in this sector to Burundi, improving the lives of local farmers. During his visit, De Decker visited development projects at Mparamirundi in the northern province of Ngozi. jb/js/mw