Burundi: Promoting OBR’s role in revenue mobilisation through coffee export facilitation and fraud mitigation
Background & Context
The Government of Burundi has identified the strengthening of domestic revenue mobilisation as a strategic priority. Within this agenda, the coffee export sector is recognised as an area of particular significance given its role in the wider economy, and the Office Burundais des Recettes (OBR), as the revenue authority, plays a central role. PFRC, funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), has been supporting partner-led work in this space, and this intervention built on that ongoing engagement.
Key Counterparts
Office Burundais des Recettes (OBR); Ministry of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning (MFBEN), Government of Burundi; Office pour le Développement du Café du Burundi (ODECA).
Objective
To support OBR in strengthening its role in revenue mobilisation in the coffee export sector, with a focus on the facilitation of export procedures and the effectiveness of associated controls.
Approach & Scope of Support
The intervention was delivered through a hybrid team combining international and national expertise, working in close collaboration with OBR and other in-country counterparts. Delivery drew on engagement across the coffee export value chain, including OBR, MFBEN, ODECA, and other sector stakeholders, alongside review of current procedures, the regulatory framework, and relevant international experience. Findings and recommendations were tested through a validation workshop with OBR and subsequently endorsed at a multi-stakeholder workshop bringing together institutional and value-chain actors. Reports were produced in both French and English to support accessibility for in-country counterparts and FCDO.
Outcomes
- Report completed and validated with OBR, setting out a coordinated set of recommendations spanning export facilitation, control effectiveness, and inter-institutional coordination.
- Recommendations endorsed at a multi-stakeholder workshop in March 2026, reflecting shared understanding among institutional and value-chain actors on practical next steps.
- Sequenced, practically grounded recommendations designed to build progressively on existing systems and procedures, with a focus on coherence between facilitation and control.