(DTIS) Update, Volume 1 – Main report - Enhanced Integrated ...

Business servicesNumber of accountants per 100,000inhabitants 5 1.7 14 0.9 7.7 2.3Number of lawyers per 100,000 inhabitants 5 1.7 18.9 4.6 2.1 3.7Source: 1 WEF Global Competitiveness Index 2012; 2 World Bank WDI (2010 data); 3 World Bank Global Findex(2011 data); 4 CGAP (2010); 5 World Bank (2010), Niyongabo (2010) and OPC figures for Burundi2. Financial servicesBurundi’s financial sector is still recovering from the damage done by years of political andmacroeconomic turmoil. Its contribution to the overall development of the Burundian economy isseverely constrained by its own underdevelopment. Scaling up its participation in the emerging EastAfrican financial market can give Burundi an opportunity to benefit from the wider range of financialproducts and services offered by the more advanced financial institutions in the region. At the same time,it is critical for Burundi to build capacity at an accelerated pace to effectively realize the benefits andmanage the risks associated with leapfrogging financial sector development via regional financialintegration.2.1. Brief sketch of the Burundian financial sectorFinancial services are currently available on a very limited scale to a very small segment of theBurundian population. Around 2 percent of the total population hold bank accounts, less than 1 percentuse bank lending services, and 4 percent are members of microfinance institutions. As is typical in mostAfrican countries, banks dominate the financial system and account for almost 80 percent of totalfinancial assets. Banks have highly concentrated loan portfolios, with credit being extended mostly tolarge traders and public enterprises.The microfinance sector, which could play an important role in making financial services availableto a larger segment of the population, especially outside Bujumbura, has been slow to gain afoothold. With donor assistance to the sector waning off, the prospects for commercial resourcemobilization are also limited by incomplete financial reporting by most microfinance institutions. Thereis an urgent need to professionalize the industry, with improved human capacity, good governance, andstrengthened supervision.Given the substantial risk that characterizes the business environment in Burundi, the insuranceindustry could play an important role in supporting the private sector and in making long termfinance available. However, current penetration levels (measured as a ratio of premiums to GDP) areonly around 1 percent. Moreover, over 60 percent of the market is made up of mandatory motorinsurance products, and the market in life products is especially underdeveloped. A number of measuresare urgently needed to revive the insurance sector in Burundi, including a capital infusion, capacitybuilding among providers, creating awareness in the market, and effective regulatory and supervisoryoversight.In addition to the banking and insurance sectors, a market for government debt has been created by thecentral bank (BRB), and appears to be taking root, with all banks and insurance companies , as well asthe social security fund, investing. There is however no commercial bond issuance or stock exchangeyet.2.2 The emerging regional financial market in East AfricaThe signing of the Common Market Protocol by members of the East African Community inNovember 2009 has paved the institutional way for the integration of financial markets in theregion. At the same time the private sector in general, and commercial banks in particular, are even119 / 153